Sunday night @ The Globe, Newcastle: Jack Pearce Quintet - Jan. 12

© Sheila Herrick

Jack Pearce (alto sax); Sam Hughes (guitar); Jascha Bingham (piano); Dan Sanderson (bass); Angus Haygarth (drums)

I wasn't sure what to expect. Five, unknown to me, young musicians on the first date of their first tour playing before  a relatively sparse  audience. However, they were alumni of the prestigious Leeds Conservatoire and I don't recall any duds emerging from there.

The jury was still out after the first number, Pearce's Icarus. An ephemeral composition that suggested they were still finding their way and not flying too close  to the sun. Another original, inspired by a town in Italy that Pearce had visited, saw them moving up a gear and, with Sam Rivers' Beatrice, it all began to fall into place. Their technical ability beyond question.

© Sheila Herrick

Norwegian Wood is always a bit of a paradox. Without the words it's not much of a tune but, as the words like so many Beatles' lyrics are nonsensical, it's a question of you pays ya money and ya makes ya choice. Wisely, apart from Sanderson's intro and outro they got stuck into it with all five musicians' solos gaining well-deserved acknowledgment from the audience who were rapidly warming to what the band were doing.

Come the interval, after Fellowship and Church Lane had raised the temperature, I felt that any inhibitions they may have had had been released.

And so it proved in the second set. My Favorite Things could have been like Julie Andrews and John Coltrane on a date except that Julie didn't turn up. Instead we had a wild solo from Pearce, an even wilder one from Hughes with Bingham somewhere in between.

© Russell

Christian McBride's Fried Pies was a swingin' hard bop blast in fact it was one of the swingingest, hardboppiest live number I've heard in many a long day's listening. Amazing drum solo and blasts from guitar and alto had the room on a musical high.

Jerry Bergonzi's Wiggy was another easy swinger and, once again guitar, alto and bass having their say. Another fine original then a Scarborough Fair to end all Scarborough Fairs. Except it wasn't the end. We weren't going to let them off that lightly!

Kenny Garrett's Jackie and the Beanstalk ran the clock down and I left feeling I'd been in on the  ground floor - not just of the Globe - of  a band about to make its mark on UK jazz and, if you weren't there then tough. In years to come you'll pretend you were! Lance