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| © Colin Muirhead |
A full house at the Fire Station! Ahead of the main event, there was a relaxed atmosphere in the Engine Room next door, as people enjoyed a good selection of food and drinks in this vibrant eatery. It’s an excellent venue for the monthly Jazz Sundays gigs by the Michael Young Trio (the next one is on February 15 with guest Jason Holcomb). Meanwhile, in the Fire Station foyer, concertgoers we treated to music by pianist Daniel Chandler and his trio. Daniel has previously been recognised by BSH as one to watch and he was given a generous shout-out later on by the headline performers.
Speaking of whom
… Natalie Williams told the audience that the Ronnie Scott All Stars had been playing
together for nearly 20 years, and their highly polished performances bore this
out. Each member played their role to
perfection, both musically and – in the case of James, Natalie and Alex – conversing
with the attentive attendees. Along the
way, we discovered that Sunderland is the furthest north (!) that the All Stars
have performed; and that many of the audience had been to Ronnie Scott’s, but only
one person had been at the club’s original venue in Gerrard Street, prior to
the move to Frith Street in 1965.
A key feature
of the evening was the use of photos and videos, which provided a keen sense of
place and time, and outlined concisely the history of the club. Ronnie himself was prominent in these, along
with many of the notable musicians who appeared there over the years. Alex’s request to the audience to name some
of the saxophonists in the photos largely drew a blank. However, even if they couldn’t put names to
the faces, those present greatly enjoyed the All Stars’ rendition of Sonny
Rollins’ Alfie’s Theme, along with many other top songs.
Ronnie’s love
of “modern jazz” was made clear from the start of the show and whilst nearly
all the songs on the set list were at least 60 years old, they’ve undoubtedly
stood the test of time. In short, the
All Stars have hit on a winning formula, and I and the other attendees were richly
entertained.
Plus, a pleasant surprise on the way out: flyers were being handed out in the foyer for the return of the Ronnie Scott’s Soho Songbook to the North East this autumn! The show – featuring guest vocalist Polly Gibbons – will form part of the Durham Jazz Festival in late October. So, if you haven’t yet heard the Songbook, be sure to check out https://durhamjazzfestival.co.uk/ for details of this and other events at the festival. Colin Muirhead
Set list: Groovin’ High; Falling in Love with Love; But Not for Me; Detour Ahead; Sing, Sing, Sing; How High the Moon; That’s Life; Cubano Chant; Alfie’s Theme; Moody’s Mood for Love; I’m Going Back Home; I Put a Spell on You; I Wish I Knew (How It Would Feel to Be Free); It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got that Swing).
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