Bailey Rudd (drums); Ollie Styles (tenor sax); Ruby Oldknow (flute); Jacob Egglestone; (guitar); Katrina Miller (vocals); Louis Wilde (keyboards); Jamie Watkins (bass guitar)
Bailey Rudd: Drum Kit Stage 3 Final Recital. It must be a nerve-wracking occasion, a student musician's final recital. A 10:30am start isn't a typical gig time, perhaps one benefit of a crack of dawn start is the fact there isn't much time to sit around thinking about what lies ahead. Breakfast, out the door, arrive at the Music Studios, meet up with bandmates and get down to topping and tailing the programme. At the appointed hour Bailey Rudd took to the stage.
Over the last couple of years or so Bailey has been a regular participant at (indeed a loyal supporter of) the fortnightly Black Swan jam sessions. Five student friends were on hand to assist Bailey and if he was nervous he didn't let it show. Guitarist Jacob Egglestone and bassist Jamie Watkins, themselves Black Swan regulars, were on hand, as were first year saxophonist Ollie Styles, pianist Louis Wilde, flautist Ruby Oldknow and vocalist Katrina Miller (Katrina another jam session face).
Introducing a balanced programme spanning some forty minutes or so, Bailey opened with Yussef Kamaal's Strings of Light. Examiners, tutors, fellow students and supporters listened intently. Cutting a figure of intense concentration, Bailey engaged complex rhythmic patterns with razor-sharp accuracy, hi-hat, ride, bass drum all pressed into action. Glancing at a smiling Jacob and a smiling Jamie, Bailey got the message: You're doing fine! And he was. Katrina sang Misty (the one slower tempo number in the set), tenor saxophonist Ollie impressed (let's hope he turns up at the Black Swan sometime), Louis (a new name to BSH) supplied the chordal foundation, Ruby a revelation, yes, things were going well.
A Night in Tunisia, Bailey pronouncing Tunisia as if Dizzy Gillespie...Too-nee-shah. Great playing all round. Bailey said the next piece didn't need any introduction...Giant Steps. Bailey and co really tore into Trane's classic number. And what's more they kept it short and sweet. An unexpected approach, the betting is the examiners approved. To conclude his recital, Bailey chose to play Ghost Song #8 (Paul Jarret and Jim Black). And that was it. Bailey Rudd could relax. Here's to the next chapter in his musical journey. Russell
Set list: Strings of Light; Misty; A Night in Tunisia; Song for Bilbao; Spanish Joint; Giant Steps; Ghost Song #8.
1 comment :
Thanks for all your support Russell!
Lots more to come.
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