Friday evening at the Village Hotel opened with the first of the weekend's three Piano Professor sets featuring Morten Gunnar Larsen. The accomplished, elegant Norwegian pianist entertained an attentive full house. Three further sets would take us up to the 11:00pm finish when all present would adjourn to the Pub and Grill for the first of the Classic Jazz Party's late night jam sessions.
Trumpeter Torstein Kubban led a stirring Livin' High - Clarence Williams Blue Five set. Kubban, of the Norwegian Jazz Kings, has come a long way from his days - or rather nights - sitting in on the high-octane CJP jam sessions. This evening, Kubban led a top notch ensemble, including first timer Natalie Scharf (reeds) from Chicago, Andrew Oliver (piano) from Portland, Oregon and, from France, the wonderful Félix Hunot (banjo) and the equally wonderful singer Nicolle Rochelle.
CJP debutant Charlie Halloran presented the self-explanatory Creole Trombone: The Music of Kid Ory. Our man from N'Awlins played it bold as brass, Kid Ory-style. New Yorker Jon-Erik Kellso (trumpet) was in on the action, as were Swede Lars Frank (reeds) and the ace exponent of 'classic jazz' era string bass, Monsieur Henry Lemaire.
To conclude the evening session, CJP co-MD, Michael McQuaid presented a long overdue survey of bandleader Roger Wolfe Kahn's work. Roger Wolfe Kahn - On Top of the World featured Mike Davis as Miff Mole and the debonair Alistair Allan as debonair Jack Teagarden. New Yorker Davis had his fellow Americans Andy Schumm (cornet), Natalie Scharf (reeds) and, from the Big Easy, pianist David Boeddinghaus for company. A cracking end to the evening's entertainment. Now to the pub... Russell
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