Freddie Garner Quartet @ the Railway, Stockport - Feb. 19

(© Jeff Pritchard)

Freddie Garner (keys); Jim Collins (tenor/alto sax); Matt Owen (bass);  Phil Bennett (drums).

Freddie always likes to play his Nord 2 keyboard at this venue rather than the house upright and positions himself on the left side of the room in front of the small bandstand. This no doubt is so he can communicate with the rest of the band without turning round.  

He picked some great tunes to play tonight  the set list included  numbers by Stanley Turrentine, Kurt Weill, Horace Silver,  Kenny Barron, Tadd Dameron, Wayne Shorter, Isham Jones, Sonny Rollins and Gene de Paul. I’ve been listening to Freddie for a long time going back to Manchester jazz spots in the late fifties and there are numerous references to his activities there in Bill Birch's amazing book Keeper Of The Flame. The older he gets the better he sounds and he keeps things interesting by adding new material such as Kenny Barron’s Cook's Bay to his extensive repertoire.

(© Jeff Pritchard)

An important member of this quartet is saxman Jim Collins. A local musician who has a hard driving playing style  much influenced by the post-Coltrane era. Tonight he was using a newly acquired Yamaha tenor which looked new but was a well maintained used horn bought from an eBay seller. He always sounds great on both horns.

The bass chair was filled by Matt Owen another fine player that is highly thought off around this area and beyond.  His solos were well received by the Sunday night regulars. On drums it is always a pleasure to see the great Phil Bennett working his magic. I must ask him how he gets such a fantastic sound on his cymbals.

It was a memorable night of modern jazz but, unfortunately, there is no jazz at the Railway until Sunday Feb. 26 when drummer Gaz Hughes and his Quartet will be featured. Mike Farmer

 

Sugar. Speak Low; Silver’s Serenade; Cook’s Bay; Soul Trane. Black Nile; Time After Time; I'll Remember April; There is no Greater Love; Tenor Madness; Footprints.