Live
BIG BAND Britannia Night 19/0610 @ The Barbican
Eight decades of british big band music were celebrated in an exhaustive and extensive programme again led by the ubiquitous Guy Barker.
The rich legacy was played out from magical pre-war tunes such as 'Crazy Rhythm' and 'Nocturne' muted horns and wailing plunger trombone from the inspirational Mark Nightingale and Richard Pite's visually impressive display of old style 20's drumming was simply sensational. Britain's magical moments were relived in glorious musical technicolour.
The cross fertilisation that was going on in the heyday ensured british musicians were revered from across the pond besides Coleman Hawkins, Fats Waller and Benny Carter visited these shores and utilised the homegrown talent to their full advangtage. "Waller's composition 'Whitechapel' (From the album 'Fats Waller - London Suites', One of six pieces he wrote in one day, on a visit to London in 1939. This was a stunning arrangement and a particular highlight of the evening, sublime stuff!
'Elegy' a Victor Feldman tune (surely one of the best UK jazz exports to the US ever) was fog thick with horns a sultry late night evocative composition that oozed class and seeped out like a good single malt should do! Guy and the band paid fitting tributes to the all the UK bandleaders Jack Hylton, Spike Hughes, Ted Heath to name but a few.
The second half of the programme concentrated on the '50s and upwards. Stan Tracey a living institution along with tenorist kicked off with the moody 6/8 groove of 'Afro Charlie' underpinning the whole evening was the exceptional double bass playing of Alec Dankworth and the imperious Ralph Salmins on drums an electrifying and exciting player to watch.
On they strolled heavyweights from the past Pete King (who played at the opening night of Ronnie Scotts) the delightful Stan Sulzmann on soprano for his tune 'Jack Stix' and Norma Winstone vocalesed throughout the whole of 'Gentle Piece' without pausing for breath!
Some post modernist come Steve Reichian composition from Jason Yarde offered a different flavour to the proceedings, performance art meets jazz held together by a hip hop Poogie inspired beat from the inimitable Ralph Salmins
The last section of the night was dedicated to the late great Johnny Dankworth whose towering presence has not been forgotten especially by Guy Barker who spoke fondly of the man. 'Zodiac Variations' originally recorded with Clarke Terry needed someone special to fill his boots, who should that be, but the special visiting guest of the moment Wynton Marsalis who absolutely nailed it! His mellifluous tone filled the auditorium and the swing he put on it was more than the world cup ball's performance!
Cleo Laine also guested and told funny anecdotes about her late husband and got something of a standing ovation for her two songs 'Hallelujah' and the poignant 'It Amazes Me' - Finishing the tribute Guy and the band played Johnny's last ever composition the bossa inspired 'World Jazz', a fitting Eulogy to the evening.
Encore wise a very fitting South African groove tune 'Andromeda' from Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath, a barnstormer that was made special by Claude Deppa's piercing trumpet that rose over the orchestration like a thousand vuvuzelas. This was an evening of "Epic proportions" honouring the past and present, the british big band jazz community as never before seen. Special nights like these do not come that often.
VORTEX POST SHOW JAM...
Celebrations conitinued with the stalwart 'Jazz Jamaica' blasting some blessed skank well into the night in the foyer of the Barbican. Gary Crosby's troop kept the reggae rolling and "burning Bobby B," Robin Banerjee, swung hard on his trusty Gibson 335 with some choice guitar soloing. The ubiquitous Noel McKoy guested on vocals too. The vibe was mighty and their familiar trademark rhythms now infiltrate the globe!!
So onto the Jam next saw Wynton Marsalis, off duty, but still going strong at 2am at the packed Vortex - where members of the big band such as Shabaka Hutchings (sax) and other london jazz alumni (Ivo Neame Piano, Mike Mwenzo, vcls and the ferocious James Morton,alto) were tearing it up. Rounds and rounds of soloing on Jazz standards such as 'All The Things You Are' and 'Nostalgia in Times Sq' was the order of the day, nice to see harmonica player Adam Glasser too whose melodic sweetness was giving breathing space by the heavy hitting jazz jammers hell bent on an incendiary path!
Wynton had woken up this city with his passion and undying love of jazz and like Fats Waller a love of London, the multicutural number one melting pot,l est we forget and we all came to pay our respects with sound and feeling intact a fitting end to a magnificent evening.
Words Emrys Baird
