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| (© Ken Drew) |
The Globe was crowded even though it was one of those bank holidays that seem to turn up every other week. Perhaps folk are getting wise to the fact that there are better things to do than hanging around airports or being stuck in gridlocked traffic on these occasions.
I've followed Matt Anderson's career with interest ever since I first heard him at the Scarborough Jazz Festival back in 2011 as well as via various albums and concerts in and around the north east that have seen him develop into a major player along the way.
Although the gig was part of a tour promoting his latest recording The Town and The City he didn't push it down our throats every five minutes as so many others do and he only actually played a couple of numbers from it. Sometimes the soft sell works better than the foot in the door approach.
After Wayne Shorter's Mister Weird they followed up with Joe Henderson's Punjab. I was unfamiliar with the tune and yet the opening two bars sounded very familiar (see graphic) then the penny dropped. That opening motif was a phrase that local trombonist the late Ronnie McLean invariably inserted into his solos. Irrespective of whether the tune was 12 bars or 32 bars those six notes in that order usually showed up somewhere along the line! As Ronnie had probably never heard of Joe Henderson (and vice versa) was this a case of great minds thinking alike?
Whatever, it was a fine Blue Note style romp. Sireen, was composed by Matt for his Armenian girl friend. A sombre introspective piece it wasn't exactly Nancy (with the laughing face) although it would be interesting to have some (English) words added to the compelling theme.
The Idiot, inspired by Dostoevsky's novel of the same name had an outstanding piano solo by Sheriff proving that he was no idiot before the set closed with Bud Powell's Celia. Out and out bebop with all four, like the audience, on a high.
Over the years I've invariably been knocked out by Andy Champion but his solo on Shorter's Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum was, even by his high standards, exceptional. He played more notes on double bass than, say, Tubby Hayes and Johnny Griffin combined did on tenor!
Prior to that we heard Monk's Bye-ya with Sheriff also on the money (lots of notes). Dave Walsh a powerhouse on drums driving hard on sticks, seducing softly on brushes, in short, a tower of strength.
Matt led from the front, setting the benchmark for everything that followed avoiding the trap of ending every number with a round of fours - less is more when it comes to fours!
A super session, a not to be missed one should they turn up in your neck of the woods. Lance
Mister Weird; Punjab; Sireen; The Idiot; Celia; Bye-ya; Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum; New Old Blues; Dance Cadaverous; Green Shoots
1 comment :
What an ace gig this was! A packed house of very enthusiastic jazz fans loved every moment - the band were loving it too. Incidentally, Matt explained that 'Sireen' was a tribute to his Armenian fiancé, with the title an Armenian word for 'beautiful' - awww! 'Green Shoots' he told us was composed to celebrate the birth of his son, Robert - awwww, again!
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