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| © Russell |
It's good that Lewis is back on the scene. After a period of time where his name was invariably pre-fixed with whatever became of? the ace tenor saxist is once again gigging and with a band worthy of a musician of his calibre. Truth is, all three are leaders in their own right making for an unbeatable combination.
The King's Hall was well-attended and the audience appreciative - how could they not be? The five originals by Lewis, unlike so many 'originals', were accessible and imaginative.
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| © Russell |
Song For Keith, dedicated to the late Keith Morris, has long been a staple part of the band's repertoire and the feeling and emotion it evokes couldn't be replicated by anyone else.
Times Past, according to the programme notes, is a 12-bar vamp in 3/4 time which leads into a 14-bar melody played over non-functional harmony. I guessed it was something like that! It may seem complicated but if you just close your eyes and listen it comes across as something beautiful.
Sonny's Disposition was simpler but no less effective in its own way. A calypso played over rhythm changes and, as the title suggests, inspired by Sonny Rollins.
The time had indeed passed and the set list with it. Lewis elected to go out with Prayer to be. An extensive bass introduction by Andy not only told the audience how good he was (they knew that already) but how great the acoustics were in the hall. It has a high ceiling but not so high that it distorts the sound. Likewise, even when the tenor was playing a trillion notes per bar there was no loss of clarity.
On guitar, Mark Williams did the business. Solos melodic and lyrical, comping, whether functional or non-functional, always on the money. Having Mark on the team is like having two strikers or one Isak.
John Bradford is now the man to call and this afternoon he was the perfect percussionist particularly with mallets.
All in all an excellent 45 minutes. Lance
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