A
superb evening was had by all who attended this concert at the Vortex Jazz Club
in Dalston, North London. For 25 years this club has served as a platform
for jazz, improvised and experimental music. It is one of the UK’s premier jazz
venues programming almost 400 performances annually in an intimate space. This
volunteer-led jazz club was winner of the Live Jazz Award category at the 2013
Parliamentary Jazz Awards.
All three musicians were known to me and in the past few years I have seen Will Sach and Will Barry on multiple occasions in different groups. I have seen Will Barry play live with Adrian Cox, Joe Farnsworth and Sarah Hanahan. I have been fortunate to see Will Sach play live with Wynton Marsalis, Joe Webb and Damian Lewis to name but a few. I had not seen Jason play so regularly but when I saw this lineup I knew I was in for something very special and they did not disappoint. All three musicians are in high demand in the UK and internationally and of course Jason, born in the US, has played with many of the greats such as Joey De Francesco and Monty Alexander.
Set
1 opened with All Too Soon a tune by Duke Ellington. This was
followed by an epic version of Tongue Twister by Mulgrew Miller. Next my
favorite tune of the evening Melodia Del Rio by the legendary cuban
pianist Ruben Gonzalez well known for his part in the Buena Vista Social Club
and for claiming that he never owned a piano! Will Barry was stunning in the standard There’s a Small Hotel. Set 1 concluded with Cedar’s
Blues by Cedar Walton.
At the interval I managed to catch up in person with Will Sach for the first time since seeing him play at the Barbican with Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Orchestra earlier this year. Also to congratulate him on his part as a member of the Joe Webb trio for their current album Hamstrings and Hurricanes which is one of the 12 nominees for the 2025 Mercury Music Prize. I am looking forward to seeing that trio at the Green Note on October 8 with Australian family and also at Pizza Express Live on November 14.
Set
2 opened with the standard You’re My Everything. An extended Bemsha
Swing by Thelonoius Monk brought the house down and I really enjoyed the
dynamic piano playing of Will Barry. The classic Peace followed next and
the concert concluded with the Benny Green tune Carl’s Blues.
A
wonderful evening. Living in North Wales I cannot get to the Vortex as often as
I would like. Every time I have been the standard of musicianship has been very
high. On this evening there were many young London based musicians in the
audience some I recognised some I did not and there was a great vibe. Richard Morris
Set list: All Too Soon; Tongue Twister; Melodia Del Rio; There’s a Small Hotel; Cedar’s Blues; You’re My Everything; Bemsha Swing; Peace; Carl’s
Blues
Vortex
Jazz Club, 11 Gillett Square, London N16 8AZ
https://www.vortexjazz.co.uk email : info@vortexjazz.co.uk Tel: 02033370993 (Mon-Fri 12-6pm)
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