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| © Patti |
Magnus Pickering (cornet, vocals); Joe Pickering (clarinet, tenor sax); Daniel Pickering (trombone); Cornelius Corkery (guitar); Fraser Urquhart (piano); Chris Hyde-Harrison (double bass); Robbie Ellison (drums)
The Windy City Weatherbirds are on tour. Thursday night Nottingham Rhythm Club, at lunchtime today Newcastle and this evening a return visit to Hexham. The Vault is what you could call 'bijou'. In the brick-lined cellar (a former maltings) on Hallgate there is scarcely room to swing a cat. A septet with the house keyboard pressed into action (a sizeable Roland FP 90), the seated frontline had little option but to set up on the floor. The audience sat cheek by jowl, table service the venue's modus operandi.
Suited and booted, the expanded line-up (accommodating the rarely available pianist Fraser Urquhart) opened in style, largely replicating the set list from earlier in the day at the Lit and Phil. Strong lead from Magnus Pickering, flanked either side by brothers Joe (fluent clarinet, laid back tenor sax) and Daniel (assured trombone), the Windy City outfit's excellent rhythm section (recent recruit Cornelius Corkery, guitar, Chris Hyde-Harrison, bass, and drummer Robbie Ellison) laying down the foundations.
The Vault's sold out audience loved every minute of two full sets, highlights were many, to pick out just one - Magnus P singing Fools Rush in (Where Angels Fear to Tread), no, make that two picks - the frontline's commendable consistency. At the end of the evening sustained applause won a thoroughly deserved encore. The Windy City signed off with a marvellous take on Rose Room. Russell
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