They met as students studying in Basel. After a while each of them would go their own sweet way, since then, as and when schedules permit, the four members of Happenstance have continued to work together. A recent alignment of the stars enabled them to undertake a UK tour, this Hexham date one stop on their travels.
Bassist Tommy Fuller was the familiar face, the others were unknown quantities. The others being, from the Czech Republic, saxophonist Zdeněk Tománek, from France, pianist Noé Sécula, and from Spain, drummer Luís Pérez-Villegas. English being his first language, Fuller would do most of the talking.
Tománek and the impressive Sécula provided the majority of the material heard here in Queen's Hall, Hexham. Tománek's Five and Sécula's Turkish Prose were but two first set original compositions, a set which would conclude with the afternoon's sole standard, Vincent Youmans' Tea for Two, pianist Sécula further demonstrating his command of his chosen instrument.
Second set, more of the same. Original compositions all the way. Sécula's A Twenty Year Question (in reality, pianist Sécula worked on his composition for something like two years, rather than two decades) featured a Fuller bass solo. Our bassist was at pains to point out Tománek's Chords contained lots of them - chords, that is. Pianist Sécula played them.
Sunday Jazz is on a roll attracting consistently good attendances. The series resumes in January, but before then, Paul Edis returns with his now annual treat - A Jazzy Christmas. Tuesday 16 December is the date, book now at: www.queenshall.co.uk. Russell
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