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| (© Malcolm Sinclair) |
Lindsay Hannon's Tom Waits for no man
Lindsay Hannon (vocals); Alan Law (keyboards); Paul Grainger (bass guitar, double bass)
The fourth and final day of this year's Newcastle Jazz Festival began with a set devoted to the songs of Tom Waits. Vocalist Lindsay Hannon is an admirer of the veteran American songwriter and in a new collaboration with pianist Alan Law the duo's performance won warm applause. In fact, the duo quickly became a trio as Paul Grainger picked up his bass guitar to join them on Heart Attack and Vine. PG would remain on stage, switching to his more usual instrument, double bass. Hannon's seemingly photographic recall of a lyric is truly impressive, it's as if our vocalist is able to immerse herself in the world-weary world of T. Waits.
Waits' song titles in themselves paint vivid pictures - Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis, Pasties and a G-String - and Hannon's playful yet incisive vocal delivery held the attention of a sizeable early Sunday afternoon audience. Alan Law's bluesy piano playing couldn't have been bettered, just right for the material and as accompanist to Hannon. Bassist Paul Grainger didn't miss a trick, steady as you like. The good news is Lindsay Hannon has more gigs in the diary. Watch this space.
Set list: Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis; Heart Attack and Vine; Cold, Cold Ground; Picture in a Frame; Pasties and a G-String; Martha; Romeo is Bleeding.
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| (© Malcolm Sinclair) |
Knats, the band of the moment. These guys are going places, literally. Josh, Stan and King are heading for the Bright Lights (London's music conservatoires), Ferg will follow in due course upon completion of his final year at school. The quartet's gig diary has seen the band popping up in all manner of places, if you haven't at least heard of them, where have you been?! Knats' Newcastle Jazz Festival appearance was the band's penultimate gig in a whirlwind year during which their feet have hardly touched the ground.
Pedals - trumpet, keys, bass and drums - projected Knats' big sound across the cavernous space here at Tyne Bank Brewery. Gloriously retro sounds (that's seventies' full-on jazz-rock, jazz-funk killer riffs) allied to band compositions, Knats went for the jugular. And it worked. Herbie Hancock's Actual Proof and Joe Henderson's Black Narcissus, Knats' Every Sun is a Red Moon, technique in abundance, from Kilsby's fearless blowing, Mitchell-Rayner's inventive solos to Woodward's in-the-pocket basslines to Ike-Elechi's thunderous work behind the traps, there's little doubt Knats opened a few eyes and ears! There's one more opportunity to catch the band, that's Thursday (August 25) at Hoochie Coochie. Don't miss it! Russell
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