Mozes Rosenberg Trio @ The London Gypsy Jazz Festival, Toulouse Lautrec, London - Apr. 16

Mozes Rosenberg (guitar); Filippo Dall'Asta (guitar); Andy Crowdy (double bass) 

A first visit to Toulouse Lautrec Jazz Club. From Kennington underground, little more than five minutes' walk and there it was, an unprepossessing corner site, back in the day, likely as not a south London boozer. The reason for the excursion? The London Gypsy Jazz Festival, specifically the Mozes Rosenberg Trio!

A ground floor restaurant offering French cuisine, a first floor piano bar and, on the top floor,  Toulouse Lautrec's well-appointed jazz club. All of the cabaret style tables occupied, the lights dimmed, the evening's MC introduced the great Mozes Rosenberg. Joined by Italian guitarist Filippo Dall'Asta and the UK's string bassist Andy Crowdy, Rosenberg would play for seventy five minutes. 

Festival publicity indicated Rosenberg would offer 'fresh takes on jazz classics'. From Django Reinhardt to Paco de Lucia, Rosenberg dazzled, then some. Prodigious technique, endless invention, that was the Main Man. And what of Dall'Asta and Crowdy? Rhythm guitarist Dall'Asta proved to be a revelation. A rhythm master, yes, but, the man could take a solo! How do these guys do it? Bassist Andy Crowdy we knew from way back. Secure as they come, Crowdy too enjoyed his time in the soloist's spotlight. From All I Do is Dream of You to Polka Dots and Moonbeams and more, the Mozes Rosenberg Trio could do no wrong. Fabulous. Russell