Olly Styles (tenor sax); Josh Skyrme (trumpet, flugelhorn); Ben Davies (guitar), Amogha Ramasharan (keyboards), Jamie Watkins (bass); Jack Littlewood (drums), Chiara Todisco (vocals)
Over the last couple of years or so, Newcastle University music student Olly Styles has been seen and heard gigging around the region. Nauta, Newcastle University Jazz Orchestra and SwanNek are but three of tenor saxophonist Olly's interests, not forgetting regularly sitting in at the Black Swan jam session. This early August afternoon recital attracted a full house, comprising family, friends and several jazz fans.
Olly badged his recital The Olly Styles Experience: Live & Kicking, wryly noting the Jimi Hendrix reference. Six selections were up for examination, opening with a mere fragment of Ezra Collective's Victory Dance. The full band (the septet) got into its stride with Jimmy McHugh's On the Sunny Side of the Street, Chiara Todisco singing. Following a tune from almost a century ago, the remainder of Olly's set featured twenty first-century material. Bob Reynolds' Feedback cranked it up, then some. Excellent chops all round.
A return to the Ezra Collective sound for Everybody, vocalist Chiara encouraging audience participation - oh, no! Actually, nobody walked out. Concluding his recital of some forty minutes, Olly thanked his bandmates (Josh, Amogha, Jack, Chiara and the returning graduates Ben and Jamie), the tech staff, the examiners, his tutor (one L. Watson) and the audience. Students and non-students alike love to hear Roy Hargrove's Strasbourg St Denis. Olly, with Josh Skyrme (flugelhorn) alongside, took it out. An excellent recital.
Set list: Victory Dance; On the Sunny Side of the Street; Stop This Train; Feedback; Everybody; Strasbourg St Denis.
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