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| © Richard Morris |
It would be hard to find a better modern jazz quintet to the one formed for this one off concert at Llandudno Jazz Club as part of regular Monday evening jazz at this venue.
All five musicians have a great reputation in the UK jazz industry and to put them all together made a wonderful evening with over two hours of high class music over two sets which could not be bettered at any of the top UK jazz clubs. We are very fortunate in north Wales to have this club on our doorstep.
The concert kicked off with Henry Mancini’s Days of Wine and Roses. The next two tunes were by Clifford Brown namely Sandu and Joy Spring (the title being a pet name for his wife). Throughout the concert Dean and Neil were happy to take a seat from time to time and allow the rhythm section of James and Gaz together with Andrzej take centre stage.
Solos were made available
for all five musicians to show their range and virtuosity. Whilst Dean is well
known for his powerful driving tenor sax playing he was equally adept and
sensitive on the ballad Easy Living.
Dean, James and Neil (with a nod to Miles Davis) enjoyed solos in Softly as in a Morning Sunrise.
Set 2 opened with Antônio
Carlos Jobim’s Triste followed by the
1934 jazz standard It Could Happen to You.
Andrzej is one of my very favourite jazz piano players and his stunning solo on the Benny Golson tune Whisper Not was
a highlight.
James, despite living in
the Birmingham area, is a regular at Llandudno Jazz Club and as always together
with Gaz provided a solid rhythm section to this fantastic quintet.
The evening concluded with
a staggering version of the anthemic Straight
no Chaser by Thelonious Monk.
Hats off as ever to Neil
Yates for curating this concert and to the landlord Mark at the Penrhyn Arms
for supporting jazz over many years in Llandudno. The food and drink here are
of a similar high quality to the jazz and other genres of live music that are
available at this award winning pub. Richard
Morris
Set list: Days of Wine and Roses; Sandu; Joy Spring;
Easy Living; Softly as in a Morning Sunrise; Triste; It Could Happen to You;
Whisper Not; Straight no Chaser
Llandudno Jazz Club, Penrhyn Arms, Pendre Road, Penrhynside,
Llandudno LL30 3BY
Mondays @ 8pm. £10 cash entry pp, no booking required but
recommended if dining.
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