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| © Sylvia |
Following on from a review of the same band playing the same tunes, even at a different venue, is a two-edged sword. Do you agree or contradict? It's difficult but someone has to do it and when it's a show of this quality then who's contradicting?
Unlike Crook, the Glasshouse didn't have a raffle and nor were there any Cadbury's Roses going free. However, the music more than made up for it - this was Quality Street.
Winter Wonderland: Dressed in a white gown Jo looked every bit the Angel of the North that MD Edis described her as - move over Anthony Gormley. The voice too was angelic but not without the suggestion of a devil lurking inside. Soloists abounded during the course of the afternoon Graham Hardy's being the first.
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| © Sylvia |
Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree did what it said on the tin and I'm sure there were some in the two tiers and a bit crowded room who were eager to shake it like they did last summer.
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| © Lance |
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| © Sylvia |
Santa Basie had Jo playing around with the Eartha Kitt classic and Basie's Splanky. The powerhouse closing riff with voice and band was, to put it mildly, sensational!
What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? is my favourite non-Xmas Xmas song and Jo and the gang did nothing to change that.
Like Jerry, I'd never heard of Feliz Navidad either but the audience knew it and they sang merrily along.
Not a dry eye in the house when Jo and Paul gave us Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - pure magic.
More merriment on God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. The band, during the previous duo number had sneaked off to reappear at strategic points on the periphery of the auditorium in glorious stereophonic sound.
This was the end except it wasn't and the band, after the traditional on and off and back on again finale, bid farewell with, unsurprisingly, White Christmas.
This had been the ninth year - I can't wait for next year. Lance
1 comment :
"Quality Street" - nice one, Lance! I, too, love the ending to Santa Baby - probably one of the loudest moments of the show. The crescendo of sound on their "walkabout" version of God Rest Ye.......is pretty impressive as well. For once, I didn't try to crane my neck and see who was playing behind me but focussed on the rhythm section instead as they built up a kind of wall of sound: Paul attacking the piano like Monk in demolition mode; Andy doing growly bowed bass and Matt "giving it some brush" on the high hats and cymbals. I don't think there was a tune involved just a rush of sound adding to the already surreal effect. Amazing!
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