Mark Toomey (alto sax); Jeremy McMurray (piano); Peter Ayton (bass guitar);
Mark Robertson (drums).
It is always a pleasure to have this quartet as
the guest band comprising, as it does, some of Teesside's top jazz
musicians who are all well-known and highly regarded at Dorman’s thus giving Mark Toomey the
opportunity to showcase several of his own compositions.
With the emphasis on bebop, the audience were treated to an excellent evening starting the night in fine style with an up tempo It's You Or No One from a Dexter Gordon album with excellent solos all round.
The leader’s The Happiest Blues had a nice medium swing
to it with a fine bass solo which was followed by another of his compositions Alone
With You with tasteful sax and piano solos.
A drum intro brought a Latin flavour to the night
with Charlie Parker's My Little Suede Shoes before the
classic All the Things You Are. Ballerina Waltz by Mark had great
sensitivity and feeling. East of the Sun (And West of the Moon) then
brought the first set to a close.
The second set began with Charlie Parker's bebop
anthem Ornithology followed by another of Mark's compositions a very nice medium swing Latin number One More Try.
After Jimmy Van Heusen's It Could Happen to
You, the ballad A Song for Laura (Mark's daughter) again
showed his composing skills. The fast and exciting Sonny Rollins’ Tenor Madness was
supposed to be the last number but the audience demanded an encore. This was duly given with an even faster What Is This Thing Called Love?
Blistering sax and piano solos brought the set to a close.
Having four musicians of this standard playing so well together made for a
highly successful guest band night.
Thanks to Dorman's for their help and support in running the jazz night. Ron Hampton
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