(© Jeff Pritchard) |
There was a good turnout for this Sunday evening concert and Frank wasted no time in going into Tangerine which was done at a medium tempo and straight away I got the feeling that this would be one of those nights where all four musicians establish a great rapport with one another.
On previous occasions at the Railway he has used a pianist but tonight I was pleased to see Alan Jeffs, an excellent guitarist, who positioned himself to the left and in front of the bandstand close to bass player Gavin Barras.
I first met Alan Jeffs when he ran a jam session at the Brewers Arms, Neston on the Wirral, a place which attracted many fine musicians, some from the Liverpool area and beyond. The drummer was usually Mike Holmes who sometimes used to appear at Wilmslow Con Club which promoter Graham Brook used for weekly jazz sessions. Alan knows most of the popular jazz tunes and standards and has an attractive style reminding me of Grant Green and Wes Montgomery using some nice chords to spice things up. The audience definitely liked his solos.
One number that I particularly enjoyed was You Go To My Head although there were many other moments to satisfy jazz fans of all tastes. Clarinet was featured to good effect on I Remember You but, mainly, it was Frank's tenor work that caught my attention making me think of the late Joe Henderson and also Jimmy Forrest.
The evening finished with all four musicians doing some interesting things on Lester Young’s Lester Leaps In.
Tomorrow at the Railway, Nov. 22, Paul Hartley's Quartet featuring Rod Mason will be appearing. 9 pm start. Mike Farmer
Tangerine; I Remember You; Have You Met Miss Jones?; You Go to my Head; I’m in the Mood For Love; Straight no Chaser; Just One of Those Things; In a Mellow Tone; My Little Suede Shoes; Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me; Misty; Lester Leaps In.
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