A long weekend in London. 30 degrees and more. The second De Beauvoir Jazz Festival (a first time visit for BSH), based in De Beauvoir Town, a district a little to the north of King's Cross, bounded by the Regent Canal and neighbouring Dalston/Hackney.
On a seriously hot early Saturday evening, St Peter's Church offered refuge from a 'Mad dogs and Englishmen' burning sun. Globetrotting Adrian Cox breezed in with his trio (Honey Boulton, guitar, Alex Gilson, double bass), joining fellow clarinet star Giacomo Smith, our 'Clarinet Summit' duo intent on blowing up a storm.
Thanks a Million sang Cox/Pops. And then, at an impossible tempo, High Society. More than perspiring, sweat was dripping off the end of Cox's nose. It was hot, alright! Cox and Smith the focal point, the boys in the engine room couldn't be bettered - Kiwi Honey Boulton (guitar) and Parisian Alex Gilson (string bass). Our duelling liquorice stick maestros, to an extent a contrast in styles, dovetailed seamlessly.
Why? asked Cox, captivating it was. Ditto St Louis Blues, Cox the showman, standing, sans mic, projecting to all four corners. If there was a highlight, in truth, from first to last was a highlight, it had to be Tiger Rag. Rip-roaring, it was, with all four musicians tearing it up. Welcome to De Beauvoir. Russell
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