Paul Hartley Quartet with Bryan Pendleton @ the Railway, Stockport - April 11

(© Jeff Pritchard)

Paul Hartley (guitar); Bryan Pendleton (piano); John Sandham (bass); Paul Turner (drums).

If Gershwin, instead of Harold Arlen, had written Stormy Weather  it would have been an ideal opening tune for tonight’s show at the Railway. On my way down it rained so hard I missed my turn off from the M60 and ended up getting lost near Portwood roundabout. I did, however, eventually reach my destination just in time to catch the quartet playing A Foggy Day. If George Gershwin had visited Stockport maybe he might have written A Rainy Day In Stockport Town.  Still, in spite of the rain, there was a reasonable turnout and they heard plenty Gershwin numbers, fifteen in total. Paul Hartley, who did most of the announcing, explained that Gershwin wrote over four hundred songs for shows and films many of which became standards.

(© Jeff Pritchard)

Bryan Pendleton, a well known local pianist/arranger, likes to play the house upright piano. Most of the solo space was shared between Bryan and Paul but we also got to hear some great bass work from John Sandham - another local musician who has impressed me over the years. On drums was a man who, to the best of my knowledge, has not played the Railway but I do remember seeing him years ago at a couple of events organised by the late Norman Ellis at a venue in Cheadle Hulme backing top jazzmen such as Lanny Morgan, Alan Barnes and singer Jacqui Dankworth. His, Paul Turner's, day job was as percussionist with the BBC Philharmonic and tonight he played many of the numbers on brushes. I thought he was an ideal choice.

An excellent tribute to a great composer and I’m pretty sure there will be more of Gershwin's tunes played here as they make a great vehicle for jazz musicians to wrestle with.          

The next jazz night at the Railway will be on Sunday April 16 with the Munch Manship Quartet  9-11pm. Mike Farmer

 

A Foggy Day; But Not For Me; Embraceable You; Embraceable You; How Long Has This Been Going On?; Lets Call the Whole Thing Off; I’ve Cot a Crush on You; Oh Lady be Good; They Can’t Take That Away From Me; Strike Up the Band; S’Wonderful; Unknown piano feature; Someone to Watch Over Me; They All Laughed ; Summertime; Our Love is Here to Stay;