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| © Richard Morris |
Sunday's 8.00pm slot concluded proceedings on the third day of the festival with an organ trio which is always a treat and not always on the menu at a jazz festival. I had not seen Lucas Kelly before and what a revelation this 27 year old graduate of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire was on his Nord C1 Combo organ. I noticed top Gwilym Simcock and Nick Smart grooving away in the audience to the tunes of this trio in their first set after hanging around for a further hydration break after the conclusion of their own concert which immediately preceded this one.
I have seen Tim play on many occasions having first come across him on live streams run by Jack Cotterill in his Stoke studio during the pandemic. Initially I saw him playing double bass and only later learned that his number one instrument is the guitar and he is one of my very favourite jazz guitarists in the UK. I have seen him play with the likes of Neil Yates, Dean Stockdale, Dean Masser, Adrian Cox and many more. I had not seen him for over a year so it was good to catch up.
Josh is a graduate of the Royal
Northern College of Music and an accomplished drummer and percussionist
specialising in jazz, session and theatre work. He had something of an epic
evening having played with Gwilym, Nick and their quintet in the preceding
concert. He's also the drummer in tomorrow's big band concert.
The trio opened with Grant Green's Jean De Fleur, an uptempo number which enabled all three to show their skills and virtuosity. The tempo slowed on the next number which was then followed by a quicker number - Grow Grove. Lucas’ organ dexterity was remarkable. As ever Tim was impeccable being both accurate and expressive. Josh at times was very powerful in his drumming but he also has a soft and sensitive touch. The band played a mix of slow and high tempo numbers. The ballad Your Song was nothing like the song with the same title by Elton John.
After a set break the band opened with
a fast and furious number followed by a slower tune. On the last two tunes Rob
Cope joined the band on saxophone with the concert concluding with a tumultuous
and brilliant version of Affirmation.
The Swan and Chequers is a modern,
recently refurbished town bar in the historic market town of Sandbach,
Cheshire. Housed in a historic late 19th century corn exchange, it
features an open plan interior, a large outdoor courtyard beer garden and has a
dog friendly policy. It hosts regular events such as live music to include jazz
and community gatherings. Richard Morris
Set list included: Jean De Fleur; Grow Grove; Your Song; Affirmation
Swan and Chequers, 16 Hightown,
Sandbach, Cheshire CW11 1AE Open 7 days
Facebook: Swan & Chequers,
Sandbach Instagram:
@swanandchequerssandbach
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