Sunday night @ the Globe: Andrea Vicari Trio - May 19

© Pam

Andrea Vicari (piano, voice); Andy Champion (bass); Russ Morgan (drums)

Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying. A song from the film The Shawshank Redemption. A film I've never seen although, on the strength of the trio's take on it, I will certainly look out for it on one of those movie channels that I subscribe to and never watch. It had a sort of contemporary New Orleans' feel to it emphasised by Morgan's drumming. Great to see you back Russ. 

You Don't Know What Love is. Who does? Nevertheless, Vicari's playing with its rich chords, intriguing substitutions and a Latin tinged arrangement may well have found the answer.

© Pam

Have You Met Miss Jones? Who hasn't? It's a tune with endless possibilities. It swung and myself and the crowd loved it although Vicari's remark that 'that's got the swing out of the way' was as if to say 'now we've done the dishes we can have some fun'.

Two Vicari originals concluded the first set, both inspired by visits to Eastern Europe.

Counting Minutes, based (I think) on a visit to Montenegro, didn't quite connect with me. Maybe if I'd been to Montenegro it would have been different.

© Pam

However, I had no such reservations about Borovets. Based on a Bulgarian skiing holiday - how the jazz lifestyle has changed - this was the one. The one that ensured no one left. It had the whole nine yards. Piano, bass and drums slaloming down the piste after warning of an avalanche. Vicari adding some wordless vocal sounds along the way. Breathtaking!

After a short interval (hooray!) the second set began with Punching Out an appropriately named original that left me feeling that it was me and not Fury that had been in the ring with Usyk. I should have ducked or at least moved further away from the speakers.

Sanity returned with a beautiful version of Someone to Watch Over me.

© Pam

Even better (if that were possible) was the pianist's tribute to Chick Corea - Chickery. Piano producing runs and phrases Corea would have been proud of, Champion as amazing as he had been all night and Morgan reminding us just what we'd been missing.

The Bells of Newchurch, a pastoral piece full of delicate improvisations was followed by a Monk tune, Ba-lue Bolivar (I think) complete with an explosive drum finale. The actual finale was Aphrodite a blues that had some classic blues piano that suggested Andrea Vicari had been born in New Orleans rather Miami!

It brought a splendid evening to a close - like getting a hole in one at the 18th. Lance