Mick Shoulder (guitar); Dave Smith (guitar); Martin Winning (clarinet); Paul Grainger (double bass)
Jazz at Bishop Auckland Town Hall chalked up another full house this afternoon and little wonder with Swing Manouche on stage. Mick Shoulder's outfit - Mick guitar, Dave Smith, rhythm guitar, Martin Winning, clarinet, Paul Grainger, string bass - is fast developing into a force to reckoned with in the rarified world of gypsy jazz.
To a degree, the term 'gypsy jazz' indicates the kind of jazz the listener is likely to hear. It could suggest the Manouche, WWII Hot Club, Django Reinhardt with or without Hubert Rostaing, French musette etc. Here at BATH, Swing Manouche mixed it up with classic Django, a lyrical musette, an original composition or two and a barnstorming finale.
Bandleader Mick Shoulder is, perhaps, better known as a bass player of some renown, but make no mistake, toting a six-string acoustic, he's a match for many of the specialists out there. To his left, Dave Smith is just the kind of rhythm guitarist required on a gig like this. Relatively new to the world of live performance, Dave gets his head down, his band mates beneficiaries of his precision playing.
Mystérieuse (musette), the standard If I Had You, classic Django with Douce Ambiance, Swing Manouche made a whole bunch of new fans. Bassist Paul Grainger, often heard working in other contexts (straight ahead, contemporary and more), appears to be revelling in the material. Propulsive yet unobtrusive bass playing alongside Dave Smith's spot on timing laid the foundation for Mick and clarinettist Martin Winning to do their thing. And do it they did!
It was in pre-pandemic days when Martin relocated to the region and what an asset he has become to the local scene. In possession of a cast iron technique, Martin adds that something extra, call it 'star quality' and the Laurel Cafe's audience got a taster of it on the set-closing Dark Eyes. Cue sustained applause.
The date of the first Bishop Auckland Town Hall lunchtime concert in 2023 is to be announced. Russell
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