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| © Patti |
Sophie Speed (tenor sax); Dean Stockdale
(piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums)
An emerging talent honed and nurtured
by various north east jazz-inclined educational faculties culminating
with graduation from Leeds Conservatoire and involvement with NYJO, Sophie Speed's talent
shone through at this month's session at the Lit & Phil.
Despite some understandable hesitancy on the opener - Sophie had only met the trio less than an hour earlier - it wasn't long before four became a single unit.
Rollins, Joe Henderson, Ellington, Waller, Monk and a lovely take on that ballad to end all ballads, My One and Only Love, the feel was very much 1950s' Blue Note give or take a few stylistic nuances that looked both forwards and backwards as the number demanded.
When I first started listening to jazz the only women blowing jazz tenor were Kathy Stobart and Betty Smith followed by Barbara Thompson a few years later. Now there's a veritable abundance of them (I'm pleased to say) and a large percentage rank alongside their male counterparts.
Sophie Speed is very much one of them.
The tried and tested team of Stockdale, Champion and Bradford were, as ever, the rhythm section any soloist would want to meet.
One negative observation: a mic would have helped with the announcements and to enhance the sound for those in the back stalls.
Nevertheless, it was another enjoyable, sold out, lunchtime session. Lance
Sonnymoon for Two; Isfahan; Inner Urge; Jitterbug
Waltz; My One and Only Love; Rhythm-a-Ning
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