IAN SHAW QUARTET
At The Ropetackle Arts Centre Shoreham By Sea - 16th October 2016
Home of the highly successful South Coast Jazz Festival, The Ropetackle host's some of the most forward thinking and progressive jazz acts from all over the UK in a cabaret or concert style setting. This modern building is just across the road down the harbour, and includes a well appointed cafe and bar.
Double BBC Jazz Award Winner Ian Shaw has been a class act for many years and must now be in the top rank of "real" jazz singers alongside the likes of Kurt Elling and Mark Murphy. His delivery is uncompromising and his choice of material excellent. The groups latest album " The Theory Of Joy" has just been released on on the Jazz Village label following hard on the heels of the excellent "A Ghost In Every Bar" Ian's 13th studio release and a fine interpretation of lyricist Fran Landesman's works. For The Ropetackle performance the band was completed by: Barry Green a pianist of virtuostic talent who is now working with many high profile bands throughout the UK and Europe alongside his own groups, who now have seven albums to their credit. Mick Hutton on bass, a cornerstone figure on the British scene for over thirty years with gigs alongside Kenny Wheeler, Lee Konitz and Nigel Kennedy on his cv and David Ohm a drummer and jazz educator of high repute often seen at Ronnie Scott's, and with influences as far ranging as Stuart Copeland and Billy Higgins.
Double BBC Jazz Award Winner Ian Shaw has been a class act for many years and must now be in the top rank of "real" jazz singers alongside the likes of Kurt Elling and Mark Murphy. His delivery is uncompromising and his choice of material excellent. The groups latest album " The Theory Of Joy" has just been released on on the Jazz Village label following hard on the heels of the excellent "A Ghost In Every Bar" Ian's 13th studio release and a fine interpretation of lyricist Fran Landesman's works. For The Ropetackle performance the band was completed by: Barry Green a pianist of virtuostic talent who is now working with many high profile bands throughout the UK and Europe alongside his own groups, who now have seven albums to their credit. Mick Hutton on bass, a cornerstone figure on the British scene for over thirty years with gigs alongside Kenny Wheeler, Lee Konitz and Nigel Kennedy on his cv and David Ohm a drummer and jazz educator of high repute often seen at Ronnie Scott's, and with influences as far ranging as Stuart Copeland and Billy Higgins.
Before a packed and expectant audience the first set opened with the upbeat "Rollin" calmed only by Barry Green's measured piano interlude. We were then on to some of the great classic songs, Ian demonstrating how he really inhabits a lyric and makes it his very own. This was more than evident on Leonard Cohen's "Dance Me To The End Of Love", where his full vocal range was shown over subtle brush work from drummer David Ohm and the Guy Wood and Robert Mellin's emotional "My One And Only Love", a unique and inspired reading of the tune where voice and piano were in complete harmony.
A self penned Betty Carter tribute "All This And Betty Too" was followed by Clive Gregson's poignant ballad "Last Man Alive" which kept things at the highest level, evened out between numbers with highly hilarious tales and jokes on the subjects of Sexual Orientation, Barbara Streisand and even audience members mode of dress. Harry Warren and Al Dubin's great ballad "September In The Rain" from 1937, and made famous by Dinah Washington was next. The opening vocal and bass duet along with the wonderful scat sequence that followed made this one of the evening's highlights. The leader's song writing skills have so far been rather hidden from the public eye, but the lament on "My Brother" showed wonderful sentiment and lyrical skills, before "Everything" from A Star Is Born brought an exhilarating first set to it's close.
The opening of set two kept the audience on the edge of their seats with a robust and off the wall version of "Got To Pick A Pocket Or Two" from Oliver with tempo changes led from the drums and Mick Hutton's bass to the fore. Surprising twists and turns and tremendous swing followed on the Gershwin's "I Got Rythem" with the trio in full empathy with the vocal gymnastics.
Patrons were then treated to personal instruction in the delivery of collective harmony for an audience participation exercise on Joni Mitchell's anthem "Finding Love" from her 1991 recording Come In From The Cold. It was the only thing that did not work, all night long, it seldom does, except at pantomimes.
Following hilarious examples of the leader's vocal prowess on his previous excursions into tv advertising we moved on to a cover of "Love Is Lost" a particularly well recieved item from David Bowie's 2013 album The Next Day. The mood was held on "It's A Point Of Duty" with room for the piano and drums to really stretch out between vocals.
The concert reached it's close all too soon with a two number encore dedicated to the refugees in Calais. A heart wrenching and beautiful rendering of "How Do You Keep The Music Playing" segued into "Somewhere" from West Side Story, delivered with elegance and sincerity.
The huge success of the evening was confirmed by the smiling faces of the crowd as they streamed away from The Ropetackle into the star filled Shoreham night.
Reviewed By Jim Burlong
A self penned Betty Carter tribute "All This And Betty Too" was followed by Clive Gregson's poignant ballad "Last Man Alive" which kept things at the highest level, evened out between numbers with highly hilarious tales and jokes on the subjects of Sexual Orientation, Barbara Streisand and even audience members mode of dress. Harry Warren and Al Dubin's great ballad "September In The Rain" from 1937, and made famous by Dinah Washington was next. The opening vocal and bass duet along with the wonderful scat sequence that followed made this one of the evening's highlights. The leader's song writing skills have so far been rather hidden from the public eye, but the lament on "My Brother" showed wonderful sentiment and lyrical skills, before "Everything" from A Star Is Born brought an exhilarating first set to it's close.
The opening of set two kept the audience on the edge of their seats with a robust and off the wall version of "Got To Pick A Pocket Or Two" from Oliver with tempo changes led from the drums and Mick Hutton's bass to the fore. Surprising twists and turns and tremendous swing followed on the Gershwin's "I Got Rythem" with the trio in full empathy with the vocal gymnastics.
Patrons were then treated to personal instruction in the delivery of collective harmony for an audience participation exercise on Joni Mitchell's anthem "Finding Love" from her 1991 recording Come In From The Cold. It was the only thing that did not work, all night long, it seldom does, except at pantomimes.
Following hilarious examples of the leader's vocal prowess on his previous excursions into tv advertising we moved on to a cover of "Love Is Lost" a particularly well recieved item from David Bowie's 2013 album The Next Day. The mood was held on "It's A Point Of Duty" with room for the piano and drums to really stretch out between vocals.
The concert reached it's close all too soon with a two number encore dedicated to the refugees in Calais. A heart wrenching and beautiful rendering of "How Do You Keep The Music Playing" segued into "Somewhere" from West Side Story, delivered with elegance and sincerity.
The huge success of the evening was confirmed by the smiling faces of the crowd as they streamed away from The Ropetackle into the star filled Shoreham night.
Reviewed By Jim Burlong
