Jamie Watkins (bass guitar); Jacob Egglestone (guitar); Bailey Rudd (drums); Ruby Oldknow (flute); Louis Wild (keyboards); Ellie Melvin (vocals)
Late August, Band Room, Newcastle University. Music recitals are in full swing this week and this afternoon Master's student Jamie Watkins presented his Major Creative Project Final Recital. Fellow students and supporters filed into the subterranean Band Room, the examiners last to arrive. At the appointed time (2:15) Jamie stepped into the spotlight...
Jamie made available programme notes to attendees: Through the course of my master's I have been researching the role of the bassist within the jazz context...Our examinee could well have mentioned his frequent participation at the Black Swan jam sessions - extra curricular, on the job learning! Opening with Marcus Miller's Run for Cover (Miller was on the recording by David Sanborn), Jamie adopted a full-on slap bass approach, his bandmates offering welcome support.
During the one hour recital Jamie shuffled the pack: Victor Wooten's You Can't Hold No Groove (solo), trio numbers with Jacob Egglestone (guitar) and Bailey Rudd (drums) including Sonny Rollins' St Thomas (Jamie noting the bass player on Rollins' album, Doug Watkins, is/was no relation!) and Footprints (Bailey Rudd featured, referencing Ezra Collective). So far, so good!
Vocalist Ellie Melvin travelled up from York to support Jamie, singing Save Your Love for Me, Ms Melvin impressed, similarly, guitarist Jacob Egglestone's sensitive contribution caught the ear. Pianist Louis Wild and flautist Ruby Oldknow made their mark, in summary, Jamie had put together quite a band! As a bassist, Jamie couldn't possibly fail to embrace Jaco Pastorius, and he did just that, in his notes writing Jaco Pastorius has been a massive influence. Playing Donna Lee (from Jaco Pastorius) and Havona (from Heavy Weather) Jamie showed us what he could do. Little did Jamie know that way back when, just along the road at Newcastle City Hall, Weather Report (the line-up featuring Jaco) blew away a full house, not once, but twice*.
During the first number Jamie suffered a bloodied, blistered finger, not the sort of thing a musician would wish for on such an occasion. Trooper that he is, our man got on with it. Full marks for that!
A nice touch to conclude the recital was Jamie's inclusion of Thomas the Tank Engine and Monsters Inc. Theme. And why not? Given a 'jazz treatment', Jamie's arrangements of childhood favourites worked a treat.
* Note to Jamie...you would have loved the Weather Report gigs. Jaco was, and is, the man! Russell
Set list: Run for Cover; You Can't Hold No Groove (If You Ain't Got No Pocket); St Thomas; Donna Lee; Footprints; Bag's Groove; Midwestern Nights' Dream; Ruby My Dear; Save Your Love for Me; Havona; Thomas the Tank Engine: Monsters Inc Theme.
No comments :
Post a Comment