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| (© Russell) |
There were two saxophone colossuses in the Central Bar today. Sonny Rollins in spirit and Lewis Watson in person. Both lived up to expectation.
Even though it was 2:00pm there was an early hours atmosphere about the gig and, let's face it, for a jazz musician two o'clock in the afternoon is the early hours!
It didn't matter that it was upstairs and, outside the sun was shining, in the darkened room - guide dogs should have been provided - it felt like we were descending into the Stygian depths of a 52nd Street club back in the day. All that was missing was the cigarette smoke.
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| (© Ken Drew) |
And 'don the mantle' he did paying tribute in his own special way on St. Thomas; You Don't Know What Love is; Strode Rode; Moritat and Blue 7.
It couldn't get any better than this - or could it?
It could!
On the second set, freed from his Rollinsian role, he really was on a roll!
The Mark VI revealed its secrets from bottom Bb up to top F# and beyond - way beyond. Without naming names, I've heard many American legends who'd have struggled to hold their own with Lewis when he's motoring like this. Quite a few British tenor players too!
Has he recorded? If not, why not? Has he played at Ronnie Scott's? If not, why not?
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| (© Ken Drew) |
When faced with someone like Lewis Watson up front you either sink or you swim - they swam - Olympic gold medal standard!
The set closed with Wee (Allen's Alley) and we floated off into the sunshine happy in the knowledge that we'd witnessed something special. Lance
1 comment :
That was something else. So pleased to have witnessed that.
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