IKS Big Band & Strictly Smokin' Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre - June 5

Smokin' Big Band: Michael Lamb (MD, trumpet); Tom Ruston, Dick Stacey, Billy Bradshaw (trumpets); John Flood, Chris Kurgi-Smith, Mark Ferris, Kieran Parnaby (trombone); Steve Summers, Keith Robinson, Jamie Toms, Matthew Forster, Sue Ferris (reeds); Graham Don (piano); Pawel Jedrzejewski (guitar); Michael Whent (bass guitar); Jack Littlewood (drums), Alice Grace (vocals)

An evening of big band swing by two contrasting ensembles. One a hard-swinging outfit jam-packed with soloists, the other a powerhouse show band. Both had plenty to offer and they gave it their best shot.

First up was SSBB and the home team set a high bar. As always, Alice shone - her voice as sparkling as her gown. She dazzled on Lost in the Memory, Midnight Prayer and Cherokee. The latter tune had Alice scatting and trading fours with Steve Summers on alto. Less flamboyant, but equally talented was Sue Ferris on both piccolo and baritone. Toms and Forster on tenor, Robinson on alto, Summers on alto, soprano and clarinet - more of the latter instrument later - all rolled the sevens and elevens as did brassmen Parnaby, Korgi-Smith, Ruston, Bradshaw and leader Lamb Himself.

Jack Littlewood standing in (or replacing?) for Dave McKeague played a blinder with Don, Whent and Pawel as rock solid as ever.

Ya Gotta Try; Lost in the Memory; Lullaby of Bigfoot; Doxy; Midnight Prayer; Howdiz Songo?; Sister Sadie; Cherokee

During the interval the pundits, with Shearerlike authority, proclaimed that the German band would struggle to follow 'that'.

They were wrong! 

IKS Big Band: (Includes) Horst Aussenhof (MD); Stefan 'Chuck' Krapf (trumpet); Doris Kretzer, Ina Schneiker, Manja Löhr, Marie-Luise Hermann(reeds); Bernhardt Hain (baritone sax); Benedikt Hartfeil (trombone); Pavel Mozgovoy (clarinet, vocals); Marc Joliffe, Stefan Krämer (piano); Geeke Sieben (double bass); Fritz Röder, Jens Hunstein (guitar); Florian Hermann (drums) + Stella Lorenz (vocals); Christina Heinrichs; Frank Ebert (vocals) + Michael Lamb  (trumpet).

Opening up with All of me the power of the brass was such that I feared that the walls of the theatre, like those of Jericho, would come tumbling down. One O'Clock Jump featured Joliffe on piano. Joliffe and Lamb knew each other from their days at Uni which was what ultimately brought the concert about and Michael did indeed lend his fine trumpet playing to the section. The trombones did some choreographed slideology in the manner of dear old Glenn Miller.

Ain't That a Kick in the Head sang Pavel Mozgovoy throwing in a few dance steps just because he could. Count Bubba, arranged by the late Gordon Goodwin, had saxes, trumpets and 'bones playing intricate choruses (note perfect) with resonator guitarist Röder taking it out.

Bernhardt Hain (baritone sax) and Benedikt Hartfeil (trombone) showed their jazz chops on a Mulligan style arrangement of You Took Advantage of me. The trombonist, freed from the section's antics also blew beautifully on In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning. Denn Meine Liebe turned out to be I've Got my Love to Keep me Warm. Chuck Krapf was featured on Feel so Good and Stella Lorenz charmed us with What a Little Moonlight Can do.

Stella was joined by Christina Heinrichs, Pavel Mozgovoy and Frank Ebert for Stars Fell on Alabama, the quartet making like the Modernaires before moving into Man Tran territory with The Cat is High. This was followed by I Wish You Love and although it was well past the advertised clocking off time there was still time for Sing, Sing, Sing to feature the two drummers on one kit and for Summers and Mozgovoy to have a clarinet duet.

The audience remained seated they weren't going home until the grandest of grand finales - both bands blowing en masse on C Jam Blues!

I lost track of it all, solos galore. Michael looking at his watch and trying to halt the roller coast ride the two bands were having.

It had been quite a night my feet are still tapping, my pulse still  racing, my hands still sore from clapping.

Bravo! Ausgezeichnet! Lance (Photos © Russell)