Mark Toomey (alto sax); Jeremy McMurray (piano); Peter Ayton (bass);Paul Smith (drums); and special guest Paul Donnelly (guitar).
Starting the new year with Mark's group as guest band certainly gave the audience a night of fine jazz played with passion and excitement by some of the area's most experienced jazz musicians. This also gave Mark the opportunity to both lead the band and have a platform to show his considerable skills as an original composer and arranger with several of his own compositions.
Starting the night with the popular jazz standard There Will Never be Another You showed how tight an ensemble they were and that we were in for a night of top class jazz.
The first of Mark's own compositions was a lively Latin number One More Try with an excellent drums and bass rhythm set up by Paul Smith and Peter enabling a great sax solo from Mark, guitar from Paul (Donnelly) and piano from Jeremy.
Be My Love, made famous by Mario Lanza, was a fine example as to how skilled jazz musicians can transform unlikely material into a beautiful a song.
Another of Mark's compositions was a ballad, Those Early Days, again with nice sax, guitar and piano solos.
The mood was then changed by Mark with an exciting Parker influenced intro to a fast, swinging, version of Cole Porter's What Is This Thing Called Love?. Great improvised solos all round followed before fours were traded with Paul on drums making for a great finish.
The first set closed with an aptly named composition of Mark's - These Changing Times - a medium tempo bossa nova played with great feeling.
A terrific swinging version of Cole Porter's Love For Sale started the second set with full band intro and well thought out sax, guitar and piano solos before Paul then demonstrated his wonderful drumming skills with a fine solo.
Mark's composition of Mouse in the House was a well played medium swing number before the tempo was once again upped on Mambo Inn with a wonderful Latin rhythm set up by Paul on drums and exciting solos all round.
The band then excelled themselves with the final number Sonny Rollins' version of Tenor Madness with driving rhythm from Paul on drums, Peter on bass a blistering guitar solo from Paul and exciting alto sax and piano solos from Mark and Jeremy bringing the night to a close.
It was a pleasure to listen to these truly professional jazz musicians, thoroughly enjoyed by the audience and clearly by themselves with excellent choice of numbers by Mark of both jazz standards and his own compositions.
The usual thanks go to the staff of Dorman's Club for their help and support.
Ron Hampton
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