Alan Barnes (alto sax, baritone sax, clarinet); Dean Stockdale (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums)
It's an annual occasion. When Alan Barnes is in town, up go the 'house full' signs. The Traveller's Rest is your typical roadhouse pub gig...an upstairs room, the publican content to leave it to the promoter to get on with an admission-at-the door arrangement. If Opus 4 Jazz Club had opted to sell tickets in advance they would have been snapped up weeks before Mr B renewed acquaintance with the Dean Stockdale Trio and his sizeable Darlington audience.
This evening, the ever-popular Barnes would be joined for the occasion by pianist Stockdale, bassist Mick Shoulder and drummer Abbie Finn. Opening on alto sax, Barnes tore into Frank Loesser's I've Never Been in Love Before. Wow! Wow! Wow! What's more, Dean, Mick and Abbie kept up with Mr B! Across the course of two sets Barnes mixed it up, switching between alto, baritone and clarinet, varying the tempo from one number to the next.
Barnesian quotes were plentiful (let's play 'spot the tune'!), our guest star happy to offer solo opportunities to his bandmates for the evening. A bossa, a ballad (Billy Strayhorn's A Flower is a Lovesome Thing), from all of half a century ago Jimmy Skidmore's rarely heard Skidrow, and a blistering take on Ornithology with Abbie all over the fours. Tremendous!
Thelonious Monk, Barnes on baritone sax for Blue Mitchell's calypso Fungii Mama, the Opus 4 crowd loved every minute of the evening. Anticipating an encore, Alan Barnes and co went out steaming on A Train. A(nother) memorable evening at Opus 4 Jazz Club. Next month (Friday 22 March) it's the Paul Edis - Vasilis Xenopoulos Quartet. Unmissable. Russell
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