The Globe Summer Festival '22 - July 31

(© Debra Milne)

The Jazz Co-op's Globe Summer Festival '22 jazz day in association with Jazz North presented four bands in quick succession. A quick turnaround kept things moving from four o'clock in the afternoon through to sometime after 9:30pm. As the first band - Dean Stockdale's swinging trio - took to the stage the room was pretty much at capacity.    

Dean Stockdale Trio: Dean Stockdale (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums)

If you like swinging, straight ahead piano trios, look no further than the Dean Stockdale Trio. Opening with I'm Old Fashioned (Stockdale quipping he was...old fashioned, that is), pianist Stockdale, bassist Mick Shoulder (pictured) and Abbie Finn presented a one hour set with each and every number (GASbook and originals) hitting the bullseye. Ellington, Stanley Turrentine, Stockdale's Mia's Lullaby, the trio in fine form, Mick Shoulder's fine bass playing, Abbie Finn's listening ear, class from beginning to end.     

Set list: I'm Old Fashioned; In a Sentimental Mood; On the Sunny Side of the Street; Prelude to a Kiss; The Hustler; Mia's Lullaby; Out of Nowhere. 

(© Debra Milne)

Alice Grace Quartet: Alice Grace (vocals); Mark Williams (guitar); Paul Grainger (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums)

An unfamiliar (to your correspondent) Irving Berlin number - Love, You Didn't Do Right By Me - opened the programme. Vocalist Alice Grace is never less than excellent and this late afternoon set wasn't about to depart from the script. From Berlin to Horace Silver, not such a leap, Ms Grace requested the Railway Street audience to participate in a spot of communal 'singing' on Sister Sadie. Hmm, in retrospect it didn't do too much harm. That said, leaving it to the professionals - Grace, master guitarist Mark Williams, an inspired Paul Grainger and the aforementioned Abbie Finn - must be the preferred option! All round excellence, catch the excellent Alice Grace at this month's Newcastle Jazz Festival - August 18-21 inclusive (www.newcastlejazzfestival.co.uk). 

Set list: Love, You Didn't Do Right By Me; Sister Sadie; You Don't Know What Love Is; Love Me or Leave Me; Travelling Light; Devil May Care; A Weaver of Dreams. 

Julian Costello Quartet: Julian Costello (tenor sax); Patrick Naylor (guitar); Paul Grainger (double bass); Matt Skeaping (drums)

(© Debra Milne)

The day's out-of-towners, the Julian Costello Quartet, offered something a little different. Saxophonist Costello and co presented a set comprising largely of original compositions with a couple of standards thrown in for good measure. Costello arrived on Tyneside with a somewhat different line-up to that of his most recent visit - guitarist Patrick Naylor impressed with his understated, tasteful playing, the ubiquitous Paul Grainger played an absolute blinder sight-reading the charts, and drummer Matt Skeaping had every angle covered. Bandleader Costello had the presence of mind to congratulate the Jazz Co-op (The Globe) for picking up an APPJAG award for Best Venue. A nice touch.   

Set list: Sunflowers; Connections; Morse; La Rosita; Try to Look at Yourself with a Smile; The Globe (provisional title); Caravan. 

(© Debra Milne)

Knats: Ferg Kilsby (trumpet); Josh Mitchell-Rayner (keyboards); Stan Woodward (bass); King David Ike-Elechi (drums)

Last, but by no means least, Knats set about rocking the joint. The quartet's bass and drums pairing (the band's senior partners at twenteen or thereabouts) put down some killer grooves - Stan Woodward must spend an awful lot of time in the Stanley Clarke-Jaco Pastorius woodshed, as for King David Ike-Elechi, it's quite something hearing and watching the affable young man knock seven shades out of the house kit. 

On keyboards, even younger young gun, Josh Mitchell-Rayner is going places (London, to be exact, soon to commence undergraduate studies), more than a match for his band mates relentless drive. And then there's the younger-than-young young gun, Ferg Kilsby. Fighting fire with fire, trumpeter Kilsby doesn't say much, in fact, he doesn't say anything, letting his horn do the talking. And can he/it talk?! Amplified, supercharged trumpet playing with more than a hint of Roy Hargrove, catch the young man from Tynedale before he too departs to study music. You've got at least another year to hear Kilsby out and about on the local scene, meanwhile Stan, King David and Josh are heading for the Smoke - watch out London! 
Russell

           

Set list: In the Pitt; 500 Fills; ?; Actual Proof; Black Narcissus; ?; The Loft; Maiden Voyage; Modus Operandi; Every Sun is a Red Moon; Footprints.