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| © Richard Morris |
A wonderful sextet assembled for the usual Monday evening of quality jazz at Llandudno Jazz Club. Led by Neil Yates on trumpet (his flugelhorn needed repairing) the band’s horn section was completed by Andor Jensen on tenor sax, a Scouser, now based on the Wirral and a Licentiate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and Colin Campbell, a fellow Scouser on alto sax. Add to that one of the UK’s top jazz piano players Andrzej Baranek from Chorley and two Mancunians: Luke Flowers on drums and Joshua Cavanagh- Brierley on double bass. Luke is a longstanding member of the Cinematic Orchestra and rarely does two weeks go by without me seeing Joshua playing in the north west of England or Wales.
The first tune
played was Voyage composed by American pianist Kenny Barron. It was
therefore apt that Andrzej on electronic keyboards was prominent on this fast
swinging and up tempo number. Colin was terrific on alto sax and his
appearances at Llandudno are always enjoyed. A larger than life figure his sax
playing is quite remarkable. He blended well with the other two members of the front
line both in the ensembles and individually.
Horace Silver’s
Song for my Father, a tune regularly played at the club, followed and
was much appreciated by the knowledgeable audience who also showed their
approval of the arrangements featuring the three piece brass section which was
larger than normal for concerts here. Wayne Shorter’s Speak no Evil featured
another sparkling solo by Andrzej.
Cafe Regio’s, composed and
produced by Isaac Hayes for the 1971 film Shaft, had Andor playing a beautiful tenor solo.
Following a pizza
break for the band they opened up with Mambo Influenciado a tune by the
legendary Cuban pianist, bandleader, composer and arranger Bebo Valdes
(1918-2013). Valdes was a central figure in the golden age of Cuban music,
especially due to his big band arrangements and compositions of mambo,
chachacha and batanga, a genre he created in 1952. Whilst not a big band the sextet
punched above its weight and played a wonderful version of this tune. Colin
soloed on alto and the rhythm section of Andrzej, Luke and Joshua were truly formidable
as indeed they were throughout the concert.
Andor had
brought with him music for two tunes played by the One For All band who
were on the Criss Cross music label in Amsterdam. These were Smooth and The
Good Life.
The concert concluded with On Green Dolphin Street and Charlie
Parker’s Anthropology. The latter played
fast and furiously.
Live jazz takes
place each Monday from 8.00pm at this venue which is a dog friendly and award
winning traditional rustic style pub - the Penrhyn Arms where the food is as
good as the music. It has a large tropical beer garden. Modern and - traditional jazz usually alternate each week. However, next
Monday September 14 there is modern jazz in the form of intergenerational Qow Trio comprising star saxophonist
Riley Stone-Lonergan, double bass player Eddie Meyer and 80 year old drummer Spike Wells, stlll going strong, who
has played with the greats including Ronnie Scott, Tubby Hayes, Stan Getz and
many others. Neil Yates will be guesting with them on some tunes. Richard Morris
Set list included:
Voyage; Song for my Father; Speak no Evil; Cafe Regio’s; Mambo Influenciado;
Smooth; The Good Life; On Green Dolphin Street; Anthropology
Llandudno Jazz
Club, Penrhyn Arms, Pendre Road, Penrhynside,
Llandudno LL30 3BY
Facebook: The
Penrhyn Arms
Mondays @
8pm.£15 cash entry pp for Modern Jazz and £10 pp for Trad jazz, no booking required
but recommended if dining. Tel Mark on 07792 834707 to book a table.
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