Tim Kliphuis (violin); Nigel Clark (guitar); Roy Percy (bass)
A trip into deepest Northumberland to see one of
masters of gypsy jazz violin, and his highly accomplished band. In recent years
Tim has fused gypsy jazz with other genres to produce some highly original
music, featuring plenty of improvisation. This tour was to promote his
rearranging of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, based on his two
frustrations. Firstly that the original contains some great melodies that are
only played briefly, and secondly that it tends to be played by orchestras that
don't give it that essential swing.
This band can certainly swing, although not always in a traditional gypsy jazz style. All three are accomplished soloists, with Tim sometimes supplying the rhythm by strumming his violin, and Nigel getting a different sound from a nylon strung guitar. Roy got his fair share of solos, featuring plenty of great slap bass.
They started with four Gershwin numbers, followed by a Grappelli composition, before the 17 minutes of Rhapsody in Blue, which featured a range of styles including jazz, classical, and folk, and which was a real tour de force
The second set featured some gypsy jazz standards, before another rearrangement, Copeland's Hoedown, starting with Fanfare for the Common man. This was another tour de force with multiple styles along the way, demonstrating the trio's great musicianship
The band were well received by an audience of music lovers, although not necessarily jazz fans. Wooler Music Festival features a range of music, including classical, folk and jazz, so this gig had something for everybody. Ian Hodgkins
The Man I Love; It Ain’t Necessarily so; Someone to Watch Over me; Fascinating Rhythm; Piccadilly Stomp; Rhapsody in Blue; I Surrender Dear; J’attendrai; Nuages; Hesitation (Grappelli); Hoedown (Aaron Copland, from Appalachian Spring); Morgen! (Richard Strauss)
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