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| © Jeff Pritchard |
No drums tonight but all the musicians were experienced enough to make things swing and the tempos were spot on.
Most of the tunes were pretty familier ones from the jazz repertoire with the exception of London By Night, a great tune that seems well suited to the sound of trombone. I have always regretted not seeing the legendary Jay Jay Johnson when he was in the UK but, hearing Suzanne, I think that her sound and approach is very near to that of Jay Jay.
Suzanne got into a boppish groove on the Gillespie classic A Night in Tunisia with lots of interplay between trombone and tenor. Ken Marley was coming across loud and clear and Robin Dewhurst, who is capable of very interesting solos on a wide variety of styles including bebop, was holding everyone's attention.
I thought the sound balance improved somewhat when, during the second set, Suzanne moved from left of stage to standing next to Mike Hope and this was apparent on Night and Day although I thought the highspot of the set was Take the A Train.
One thing I did think was strange was the omission of a blues number but we certainly got to hear some well-known bossas. All in all, it was a very satisfying night with an appreciative audience. Next Sunday finds tenor sax player Sam Lightwing leading a quartet which will include Max Rosen, the young keyboard player who impressed me on his previous visit. Mike Farmer
Autumn Leaves; 'S Wonderful; London by Night; A Night in Tunisia; Quiet Nights; Softly as in a Morning Sunrise; Pennies From Heaven; Night and Day; Triste; Body and Soul; Take the A Train; Bésame Mucho
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