THE SOUTH COAST JAZZ FESTIVAL
Ropetackle Arts Centre, Shoreham By Sea - 21st 22nd 23rd & 24th January 2016
Ropetackle Arts Centre, Shoreham By Sea - 21st 22nd 23rd & 24th January 2016
Festival Review by Jim Burlong
Photographs courtesy of Brian O'Connor
imagesofjazz.com
Following it's highly successful launch by Claire Martin OBE and saxophonist Julian Nicholas in 2015 this years festival promised even greater things and delivered on all counts. Supplementing the seven live performances over four nights at this superb venue were workshops for up and coming musicians by pianist Gareth Williams and saxophonist Julian Nicholas along with an introduction to the music "For Absolute Beginners" by the highly acclaimed journalist and speaker Kevin Le Gendre.
Photographs courtesy of Brian O'Connor
imagesofjazz.com
Following it's highly successful launch by Claire Martin OBE and saxophonist Julian Nicholas in 2015 this years festival promised even greater things and delivered on all counts. Supplementing the seven live performances over four nights at this superb venue were workshops for up and coming musicians by pianist Gareth Williams and saxophonist Julian Nicholas along with an introduction to the music "For Absolute Beginners" by the highly acclaimed journalist and speaker Kevin Le Gendre.
The music kicked off on the Thursday evening with an engaging set from local band The Jack Kendon Quartet alongside singer Imogen Ryall . This is a post bop outfit highlighting the Freddie Hubbard like trumpet and burnished flugel horn sound of the leader alongside flexible and creative vocal sounds. Refreshingly most of the music was created from inside the band with outstanding lyric writing and wordless vocals from Imogen Ryall applied to compositions by the likes of Carla Bley and Larry Goldings. "Insomnia" an original piece by the outstanding young pianist Al Scott portrayed not only his wonderful composing skills but a maturity of approach to the instrument where time and space were to the fore throughout. The programme contained only one standard, Cole Porter's "Night and Day", the vocal being well delivered on Jack Kendon's fine arrangement. By the time co festival organiser Julian Nicholas joined the fray on Tenor the rhythm section completed by the majestic bass of Nigel Thomas and fine local drummer Pete Hill had really settled in and made telling contributions behind the extended front line. As the set concluded we were treated to a striking finale in the almost forgotten vocalese style to round off a most satisfying and high quality performance.
Second up for the evening was a band that can only truly be described as a "Super Group" Alex Garnett's Bunch Of Five", every member being a leader in their own right with musical cv's to match. Alex Garnett himself has been one of the highest profile musicians on the uk scene for many years, who these day's appears to rule over jazz in London, with his ebullient playing and humorous anecdotes in a way only ever equaled by Ronnie Scott. His sparing partner, also on tenor is the highly rated Australian Brandon Allen, with a rhythm team of first call pianist on the contemporary scene Liam Noble alongside virtuoso American bassist, professor of music and record label owner Michael Janisch and former Manhatten School Of Music graduate and New York City resident, the drummer Andrew Bain. This band is essentially a two tenor battleground where on up tempo pieces no quarter is asked or given, reminding one of the legendary Jazz Couriers where Tubby Hayes and Ronnie Scott fought it out on a nightly basis. After the early roaring tenor exchanges only calmed by thoughtful probing interludes from the piano the audience listened in awe to a twenty five minute sequence of two compositions penned by the leader. The first "Charlies World" a musical reflection of his young son with playful interjections from popular nursery rhymes amidst mid tempo improvisations from the two saxophones where the battle had calmed to quiet conversation. This was segued into the Bossa Nova like "Andromeda" by jaw dropping bass solo that proved beyond doubt that Michael Janisch has few peers on the instrument. The tenors continued in both collective and singular modes to create ethereal sounds of the highest order as the piece drew to it's calm conclusion. The very high standards remained as the set continued with originals in contrasting tempo's indispersed with the leaders hilarious recalls of his life experience. All too soon the penultimate number was announced, the great Woody Herman / Ralph Burns classic "Early Autumn". This was played by both frontliners with Getz like aplomb before the encore, "Delusions Of Grandma" which included a telling drum break brought the end to a superb evening in front of a highly enthusiastic audience.
Day two commenced in a far more minimalist and restrained way with the Gareth Williams And Dave Green tribute to Bill Evans and Scott Lafaro. Gareth Williams is a dynamic and highly talented Welsh pianist who has in the past been Musical director for Claire Martin and is soon to join Pee Wee Ellis for a three night residency at Tokyo's Cotton Club. Bass legend Dave Green has a career stretching back over five decades and has accompanied jazz masters such as Ben Webster, Sonny Rollins and Roland Kirk. Versatile is the word for this player who is more than comfortable in all jazz genres. It must be a difficult job for any musicians when deciding how to approach the work of absolute legends such as Bill Evans and Scott Lafaro. The duo at the Ropetackle nailed this superbly with a stunning set, mirroring the two greats but adding their considerable personalities and style to proceedings. We were treated to breathtaking performances of Evans favourites such as "Waltz For Debbie", "Spring Is Here", "My Foolish Heart", "Turn Out The Stars" and "My Romance". Piano and bass were as one with such superb interplay that you almost imagined you were at The Vanguard in sixty one. Although this is serious music for the head as well as the heart the atmosphere in the hall was kept light by the humorous interjections from the pianist between numbers, plus the addition of a fine vocal performance on the Johnny Mercer / Harold Arlen standard "Come Rain Or Come Shine". In essence the whole performance was a fine tribute to two American greats by two British greats both at the top of their respective games.
There was a huge ovation at the beginning of part two, for the star studded contemporary band The Printmakers. This group, the brain child of pianist, educator and composer Nikki Isles features the greatest pure jazz vocalist of her generation Norma Winstone MBE, whose recorded output during over four decades has no equal. Together they have assembled the perfect line-up to deliver a kaleidoscope of the most advanced musical colours whilst maintaining complete accessibility for the listener. The band is completed by tenor and soprano saxophonist Mark Lockheart formally from Loose Tubes and the ground breaking Polar Bear, alongside guitarist Mike Walker whose creative talents have led to performances and recordings with the likes of George Russell, Dave Holland and Steve Swallow. First call bass man Steve Watts and the award winning drummer Tim Giles complete this awesome sextet. Mike Walker opened proceedings with a stunning unaccompanied guitar solo on "Stars" a tune by the US pianist Fred Hersch with Norma Winstone's own lyrics delivered over the superb and restrained tenor of Mark Lockheart. This had set the standard for the set which was maintained throughout. The guitarists own composition "The Clockmaker" was introduced with an hilarious verbal recall of his early childhood in Salford, and featured a wordless vocal and delightful piano interlude. Ralph Towner's "The Glide" contained excellent base work along with an original lyric. The free form "O" by the late John Taylor received an emotional introduction and contained a heart felt wordless vocal alongside excellent mallet work from Tim Giles. Somehow the style was a reminder of the classic album from seventy two "Edge Of Time". Jule Styne's "Make Someone Happy" along with Joni Mitchell's "Two Grey Rooms" added contrast before Nikki Isles "Tideway", a song reflecting times spent with Norma in the coastal town of Deal, and "Highlands" with hypnotic soprano saxophone brought to a close a set of stunning impact and virtuosity.
Saturday commenced in the presence of BBC Radio 3 with a set from the Dublin born and now New York City resident, Christine Tobin, accompanied by Partisans co leader, and guitarist Phil Robson alongside bassist Dave Whitford whose impressive cv includes appearances with Steve Lacy, Kirk Lightsey and The NDR Big Band to name a few. This lady is a vocalist of immense talent who inhabits the world of advanced contemporary jazz with her unique honey tinged voice and impressive composing talents. Her output ventures into the darker side of life on many occasions, telling life's tales as they realy are. Her ten highly acclaimed albums to date are highlighted by the 2014 Leonard Cohen tribute, "A Thousand Kisses Deep". Indeed it was the Cohen anthem "Dance Me To The End Of Love" that opened the set over a highly integrated back drop of bass and guitar. Her own compositions, "The Intellectual Engineer" followed by "Brandy And Scars", which included a subtle reference to The Beatles "All The Lonely People", impressed before Paul Simon's "I Do It For Your Love" was performed with growing emotion and intensity and included a superb guitar interlude. A stunning bass solo introduced another Cohen classic "Story of Isaac" with a lyric so deep and troublesome to many that only a few singers would ever attempt it. The vibe lightened considerably with an up beat rendition of "Old Devil Moon" from Finian's Rainbow plus an unnamed Bossa Nova sung in Portuguese before a sensitive exploration of Billie Holiday's "God Bless The Child" brought this set of wonderfully high quality vocals to a close.
The South Coast audience waited expectantly during the break for a long awaited appearance of the young virtuoso clarinetist from Kolkata, Arun Ghosh. Over the last few years this young man has taken the instrument from a staple of traditional jazz to the forefront of modern music with his incredible technical ability and free thinking compositional approach to it's possibilities. His musicians, who are all from an Indian background and resident in London combine to produce a compelling mix of the leaders exciting compositions which are drawn from far reaching genres across a spectrum of jazz and Indian folk music, to rock and free form improvisation. Their line-up for the festival comprised of a rhythm section of guitar, electric bass and drums with the clarinet supported in the front line by tenor and alto saxophones The overall sound, immediately apparent from the opener, "The Gypsies of Rajasthan" , is a collective one with the three reed instruments taking the themes collectively often at the highest of tempos against a rhythm background dominated by Rastko Rastic a drummer whose flexibility, intense swing and total command was no less than both an aural and visual masterpiece for the whole set. Solo space was at a premium during high velocity readings of "Kalibans Revenge", "The Red Fort" and "Longsite Lagoon" but when they did occur there were brief but telling contributions from reed men Idris Rahmann and Chris Williams along with and centered approach of guitarist Shirley Tettah and the hypnotic bass of Liran Donin. Things calmed markedly but well in to the set with "After The Monsoon" a feature for the leader at a reduced tempo where the breadth of his enormous lyrical talent was at last on show in a performance of such grace and beauty to elevate it to perhaps the master work of the entire festival. Things remained in the same mode with the enchanting "River Song" from the South Asain Suite with once again stunning clarinet and guitar contributions. This remarkable performance came to a close with a sublime tribute to the late David Bowie on "The Man who Sold The World" followed by an audience demanded encore featuring the roaring flag waver "Aurora", followed by John Lennon's "Tomorrow Never Knows".
On Sunday the day began in the cafe area with a jam session with many highly talented local musicians in attendance hosted by Brighton Jazz Schools, Wayne McConnell. The scene was then set for the final sell out concert featuring Pete Long's Echoes Of Ellington Orchestra With Claire Martin. This mighty Big Band is packed with superb soloists, boasts a charismatic leader, who is just as great a humorous host as he is a fine clarinet player, and can recreate the Ellington magic at the drop of a hat. Multi award winning vocalist Claire Martin is thought by many to be among the the top four or five jazz singers in the World. With eighteen highly acclaimed albums to her credit, a long running and successful radio programme "Jazz Line Up" plus an incredible and easily recognisable singing voice she sits easily among today's Jazz Royalty. Set one opened with ex NYJO lead trumpet player Louis Dowdeswell outstanding on one of Duke's collection of signature pieces "Rockin' In Rhythm". After "Stay Awake" from Mary Poppins and a Blanton like bass feature on "Jack The Bear", where you could easily imagine The Cotton Club vibe of nineteen forty, it was time for the main attraction. As the performance was billed as a tribute to both Ella and Duke, there could have been no better choice for the first song than "Duke's Place". Looking every inch the glamorous super star she is, Claire delivered the vocal with firm assurance over an orchestra who by this stage was swinging in true Ellington style. After a fine and subdued "All Too Soon" it was more band classics with "Conga Brava" by Juan Tizol featuring valve trombonist Callum Au followed by great trumpet work and Dukish piano from Colin Goode on the little heard "Tootin' Through The Roof" from nineteen thirty seven. It was back to the vocals for"Just A Lucky So And So" plus "Beginning To See The Light" on Billie Strayhorn's arrangement before Scotsman Ryan Quigley delivered a fine trumpet solo on "I've Got It Bad And That A'int Good" as the interval arrived.
George Hogg's fine trumpet on "The Flaming Sword" and a further great contribution from Ryan Quigley with "Tootie For Cootie"got set two off to a flying start before the beauty of Colin Skinner's alto on a Billie Strayhorn's saccharin free arrangement of Jule Styne's "People" had the audience in raptures. Ella's song book version of the classic "A Train" was the next vocal with the four man trumpet exchanges adding to the electric atmosphere on this finest of Ellington anthems. Nothing is without humour when Pete Long is involved and so it proved on the clarinet and vocal exchanges to the wonderous " Caravan" before Billie Strayhorns composition "Le Sacre Supreme" only discovered in the nineties but written in forty four was given a very rare outing with Rico Tommasso out front on trumpet. Everything about this set had been superb but the bar was raised even further with an highly atmospheric ""Air Conditioned Jungle", a tour de force for the leaders clarinet over imaginative bass riffs was followed by Claire and the superb valve trombonist Callum Au on a recreation of "He Makes Me Believe He Is Mine" first sung with the Duke by Joya Sheryl way back in the thirties. The concert ended in up tempo mode with three more favourites "A'int Got Nothing But The Blues", the old warhorse "Cotton Tail" and finally "Don't Get Around Much Anymore", before well deserved thunderous applause once again filled the hall.
It had been a magic night and a fitting end to one of the best jazz festivals imaginable. Full praise must be given to Claire Martin and Julian Nicholas for their superb leadership, along with all the great staff and volunteers at The Ropetackle. Roll on 2017.
It had been a magic night and a fitting end to one of the best jazz festivals imaginable. Full praise must be given to Claire Martin and Julian Nicholas for their superb leadership, along with all the great staff and volunteers at The Ropetackle. Roll on 2017.
