Livestream: Peter King Memorial: Saxophone Summit @ 606 Club - Nov. 12

Mornington Lockett, Simon Allen (tenor sax); Graeme Blevins (alto, tenor sax); Karen Sharp (tenor, baritone sax); Deschanel Gordon (piano); Adam King (bass); Mark Taylor (drums).

Four top sax player in various permutations backed by an ace rhythm section paying a deserving tribute to the late alto sax giant Peter King.

Most 'streams from the 606 run for about one hour. Although fashionably late (8 mins) this one ran for nigh on 90 minutes or the duration of nearby Chelsea football club's 'pointless' trip to Newcastle earlier in the evening. Maybe the delay was due to the ill-founded hope that Chelsea would score an equaliser - they didn't!

You win some, you lose some and, musicwise, Chelsea's premier jazz club, as always, were runaway winners.

First out of the traps were Allen and Blevins, the latter on alto and they set a blistering pace driven on by an unrelenting rhythm section. This was the kind of set-to that doesn't normally happen until closing time and this was just the opener!

Mornington Lockett slowed things down, albeit not by much, with Invitation. After an unaccompanied intro he turned it inside out, upside down and any which way including loose. Adam King also had his say.

Karen Sharp and Simon Allen were next up for a mid-tempo romp on a song that has one of my all-time favourite titles Irving Berlin's (You Forgot to) Remember. Neither of the two tenor players had amnesia and it swung.

Karen stayed on board for a solo feature - A Ghost of a Chance - pure lyricism with just the right amount of cutting edge.

Mornington and Graeme - both on tenor - played Alone Together (or was it Beautiful Love? By this time I was on auto pilot and no tune titles were announced).

The final number for us streamers was a jam on Yardbird Suite(?). Three tenors and a bari (Karen) soloed and traded like it was the eve of Armageddon. Some session!

Throughout the set, Deschanel soloed impressively in between the saxophone heroics - he even managed a quote from Mairzy Doats - with King and Taylor also occasionally stepping into the limelight.

This was the second consecutive year that the 606 in conjunction with the EFG London Jazz Festival have paid tribute to Peter King, the altoist died in 2020, and last year the saxophonists included Sam Braysher who, tonight can be heard at the Globe in Newcastle. Lance

PHOTO ALBUM