Ray Brook (flute); Neil Yates (trumpet, tenor sax); Huw
Warren (keyboards); Joshua Cavanagh-Brierley (double bass); Johnny Hunter
(drums)
A day trip to Anglesey in Wales is always a pleasure and never more so than when it is combined with a jazz gig. The Tequila Slammers are normally a quintet playing Latin jazz formed by flute player Ray Brook an outfit I have seen play a few times at different venues in North Wales sometimes with different personnel.
Huw Warren is an internationally renowned pianist and I
was fortunate to catch Huw and also Neil playing twice in two days having seen
them play at Llandudno Jazz Club on April 20. Johnny and Joshua both made the
long journey from Manchester. Johnny is one of the very best UK drummers and
Joshua seems to gig virtually every day and I last saw him a few days
previously at Alsager Jazz Club playing with Emily Masser and the Dean Stockdale
Trio. A brilliant band.
A packed venue thoroughly enjoyed the music from these high class musicians. All took great solos.
The
evening kicked off with Recado Bossa Nova followed by a beautiful version of Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise and I
particularly enjoyed Ray’s solo. Next up was a glorious extended version of jazz funk tune The Chicken by Pee Wee
Ellis. The first set concluded with the Chick Corea tune Armando’s
Rhumba which inter alia featured a magnificent drum solo by Johnny. You can
see Johnny regularly on Fridays at Frederiks Wine Bar in Liverpool playing with
the Secret Improvisers Club.
The tunes
played in the second set are set out in the set list below. A thoughtful set
list perfectly suited to the musicians on show. I always enjoy hearing Huw play
and he did not disappoint. Huw was a teacher of Mercury Music Prize nominee Joe
Webb who recently received Jazz FM’s award for best instrumentalist.
Hopefully jazz
will return to this venue in the not too distant future. Richard Morris
Set list : Recardo
Bossa Nova; Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise; The Chicken; After You’ve Gone;
Armando’s Rhumba; Brazilian Nights; Caravan; Recorda Me; Cherokee
Anglesey Golf
Club, Station Road, Rhosneigr, Anglesey LL64 5QX
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