Take a professor of jazz and fourteen supremely talented young musicians, what have you got? The Fletcher Henderson Project, that's what! Professor Malcolm Earle Smith coaches a group of Trinity Laban music students and they've got themselves a regular gig at Jamboree, King's Cross, London. Our MD observed that his young charges are, understandably, into modern jazz. The music of Fletcher Henderson and his contemporaries - Ellington, Mary Lou et al - was new to most of them. How would they fare?
King Porter Stomp for starters, followed by Sugarfoot Stomp. You could say they played that thing! Wow! These guys really can play! Eighteen, nineteen, twenty years of age, great readers, excellent soloists, how do they do it?! T-shirts and jeans, cool, talented students - don't you just love 'em?
Ellington was in the pad, including Old Man Blues featuring the impressive 'bones, Charlie Mellon and Dillon Pinder. The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea sang band vocalist Kora Williams. Great singer! These Foolish Things...yep, great singer! Ms. Williams also reminded us It Don't Mean a Thing.
Don Redman's Chant of the Weed (recorded in1931) featured excellent ensemble work, the rhythm section right on the money. A marvellous first set was brought to a close with a stonking Swingtime in the Rockies.
Second set, the stonking continued with a fabulous Christopher Columbus, trombone and second tenor the soloists. A swift Happy Feet featured Malcolm Earle Smith pulling rank as the vocalist. Lead trumpet Tom Gaddes produced a mature performance tackling Vernon Duke's I Can't Get Started. Gaddes - nineteen, perhaps twenty. Note the name. As the early Sunday afternoon concert drew to a close with Basie's Jumpin' at the Woodside, one thing was for certain - BSH will be making a return visit to Jamboree. Russell
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