Sunday night @ the Globe: Freight Train Jazz Meets Folk - Jan. 19

© Ken Drew

Christine Tobin (voice); Liam Noble (piano, synth); Paul Clarvis (drums)

An interesting, unusual and not unpleasant gig by a trio that did what it said on the tin as well as injecting a few sub-genres. Tobin has a pleasing voice that is equally suited to the varied material presented be it blues, swing, jazz, contemporary pop or Irish traditional folk - the list is endless.

The strange part of the equation was the seamless joining of the songs, done three at a time with little or no space in between for the applause they deserved.

© Ken Drew

Gimme a Pigfoot (and a bottle of Beer) segued into Freight Train followed by The Old Church Yard painting a scenario of someone hoboing from a party in Harlem to the sombre memory of a departed soul in Dublin (or thereabouts). Churchyards are popular venues in both blues and folk songs.

Another Bessie Smith item, Young Woman's Blues, opened the next triad that also had What Will we do When we Have no Money? and I'm Gonna Take it With me When I Go (Tom Waits was still hanging out in Newcastle!)

The Isle of Innisfree, Just an Old Man and yet more Tom Waits with Innocent When You Dream.

That closed the first set and every one in the room seemed happy. Apart from Christine's pristine performance, there was some amazing brushwork from Paul Clarvis - he could also out-smile Steve Brown! Liam Noble did some amazing things on piano ranging from stride to complex harmonies verging on the avant garde.

Noble and Clarvis opened the second set with an instrumental take on Whispering that became Groovin' High and had both piano and drums going for the track record!

© Ken Drew

Tobin returned for Carole King's You've Got A Friend followed by a blast on that good old jazz classic There'll be Some Changes Made. Special mention again for Noble and Clarvis who had some tasty exchanges. Paul Simon's I do it for Your Love with that clever rhyming of tears and hemispheres was another vocal highspot.

Mose Allison's Was was sung by Christine before another instrumental - the Beatles' Love me do - had the duo once more in the virtual spotlight. Those pesky Beatles' Blackbird was given the vocal treatment before Cathy Jordan's Incurraghroe took her back to her homeland. A Moondog couplet (Marie Cherie?) and Johnny Cash's The Beast in me took us to the grand finale - an uptempo version of You go to my Head that went to everyone's head as singer scatted, piano and drums pianoed and drummed and the audience applauded albeit no one shouted 'more'. And why should they? Nothing could follow that! Lance