Trinity Laban student trumpeter Ferg Kilsby returned to his home town via a concert engagement in Monaco - someone has to do it! - to headline a gig at Queen's Hall. Since the inception of the monthly Sunday Jazz concert series this one is up there with the best of them.
As sidemen go - Luis Verde (alto sax), Ben Lawrence (keyboards), Andy Champion (bass) and local lad, drummer John Hirst - it would be difficult to come up with a better ensemble. You'd be so nice to come home to opened the programme. An excellent choice in what would be two varied, well-paced sets.
A Kilsby original, Cuddy's Cave, held its own in a raft of largely 'modern jazz' standards. Cedar Walton's Martha's Prize, Monk's Reflections (Ben Lawrence excelling - when doesn't he?), Woody Shaw's The Moontrane from Larry Young's Unity album, time and time again Kilsby's quintet hit the heights. A marvellous first set. It couldn't get any better, could it?
Second set: As Ferg K introduced Chris Potter's Invisible Man alto saxophonist Luis Verde interjected: Superman! (referring to C. Potter), Ferg and co played it, Señor Verde took off into the stratosphere- -wow! Jimmy Van Heusen's Like Someone in Love (Luis and Ben laying down killer solos), Wayne Shorter's Pinocchio (from Miles' Nefertiti) featuring John Hirst, Trane's After the Rain (beautiful melody, said Ferg) to the set-closing Bheki Mseleku number Blues for Africa*, this Queen's Hall gig is in the running for gig of the year.
Hearing Ferg Kilsby leading a band like this, the revelation was the quantum leap the Tyne Valley trumpeter has taken in the last year or so. If Art Blakey had still been with us, Ferg might just have got the call.
* In 1992 Bheki Mseleku played a memorable Jazz North East concert at the Corner House, Heaton, Newcastle. Russell
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