Byron Wallen at the Blue Vanguard Jazz Club, Gipsy Hill Hotel, 22nd August, 2019

Pic by Nick

Survival and Surrender

In my recent review of Byron Wallen’s excellent album Meeting Ground here, I concluded with the observation: Imagine my happy anticipation of seeing Wallen play at Exeter next week.

That gig last night fully lived up to the expectation, wonderfully so as I will explain shortly. As ever, The Blue Vanguard Trio excelled in their support and individual solos, these accompanying the warm personality and hot playing of Wallen. A set of standards began the evening, opening with Nat Adderley’s Sack O’ Woe, which included a glorious elongated trill on the horn; a John Coltrane number, and others I have [as usual] failed to remember by name.

I had to leave at the interval, but the song played just before this is what made the evening for me, truncated as it was. Wallen introduced his self-penned song as ‘something outside the box’ and it was to be Freedom Struggle from his album Meeting Ground. He explained a little about his travels to North Africa and meeting and playing with musicians there, expanding to also briefly talk about Morrocan Gnawa music and all these links to the song which was in many respects about personal survival and surrender. The playing was sublime, the start a soaring flight over Milverton’s piano layers, with horn-squeals at its peak, to eventually break into the rhythmic percussion of Al Swainger on bass and Coach York on drums, this sustained palpably to its end [especially in the sense that one couldn’t sit still to its playing and instead had to move with it - for me anyway], Coach, in particular, keeping the fire alive.

I was reliably informed this morning that the post-interval set was also superb, but I was so pleased to have heard my final number. It was memorable.

Christian Brewer at the Blue Vanguard Jazz Club, Gipsy Hill Hotel, Exeter, 23rd May, 2019

Velvet Red Bop and Baby Blue Ballads

The GH Hotel lounge walls have been transformed in baby blue, as have a variety of new cushions and chairs, and I wanted to think of American ‘57 Chevy Cool, but others corrupted that image with allusions of their own. However, in the playing room the curtains over side doors and at the performance end were their familiar velvet crimson-red, like rows of smoking jackets hung to coalesce with the smokin’ set that would be underscored, as ever, by the Blue Vanguard Trio. I can only repeat: the various soloing was exemplary, as were the accompaniments to all songs intuited by jazz knowing rather than lengthy rehearsal.

Last night’s guest was Christian Brewer, a saxophonist who played with blistering pace and gusto on a number of interpreted standards, as well as beautiful touch and feel on a couple of ballads. Never good at remembering titles, I am good at remembering the class of what I hear, and he treated us to many classy moments. It is always good to see the guest artists being so appreciative of the house band, as Brewer so obviously was, and of course it is the amalgam of such fine musicianship that makes these evenings so superb to attend.

Quentin Collins - The Blue Vanguard Jazz Club, Gipsy Hill Hotel, Exeter - 27th September, 2018

Jazz and Beards

As a generally generously hirsute person, and even after a recent light trim still fully bewhiskered [also having two like-faced friends attending with me: one goateed, the other stubbled] it is a good thing Quentin Collins played such an exemplary trumpet and flugelhorn – including one most beautiful, sublime version of Lover Man – because I’ll therefore forgive him for mentioning near the beginning of his guest-spot last night at the Blue Vanguard Jazz Club how he was from East London where the gigs normally played were attended by many twats in beards.

Quentin and Craig

To be fair, he did say they also wore tweed, and I alternatively had on my psychedelic shirt beneath denim, and he was also setting a contrasting and humorous scene where playing at the BV was like going back in time by at least 40 years. As a building and internal décor, he was spot on. And to be fair once more [yes, he really is that good to secure this fulsome clemency] he was most appreciative of the full attendance, as it always is, and he’s not the first well-travelled and well-respected jazz musician to comment on the impressive welcome from The Gipsy Hill Hotel venue compared with many other and perhaps ostensibly more ‘prominent’ jazz clubs.

One final quote from Quentin to secure an absolute pardon was the observation on his further pleasure to be playing with these swinging cats that are the Craig Milverton Trio house band that includes Coach York and Al Swainger. This too is a regular comment from knowing and experienced guests – though not as aptly as Collins’ coolly jazzy vernacular – on just how tight this band is and how the extraordinary lack of rehearsal time [one hour last night] still delivers such an accomplished performance.

All together

Craig on keys and Al on bass had as ever their own exemplary solo spots – and these never cease to impress – but I’m giving the biggest shout-out [next to Collins, naturally] to Coach for his on-fire drumming. I do like his solo insertions into closing bars where last night horn and keys alternated and York interjected with both his subtleties and blasts – and there were some explosive drum ‘n’ horn detonations in unison as well.

Coach

I'm looking forward to listening to the QCBA Beauty in Quiet Places album [Quentin with saxophonist Brandon Allen] and hearing more of Collins' supersweet tone as well as dynamic, virtuoso runs.

Quentin's trumpet trills visualised

[Opening pic from stubbled Marti, next three from goateed Timbo, final from a shaking Some Awe]

Renato D'Aiello - Blue Vanguard, Gipsy Hill Hotel, Exeter - 19th July, 2018

Rapport

Another fine night of jazz at the Blue Vanguard with guest saxophonist Renato D’Aiello, the UK based Italian player who must be enjoying our summer even though he has claimed he lives here for the weather, not particularly liking the heat of ‘home’, and probably does a fine cover of Goodbye Pork Pie Hat.

He is a sublime player, reminding me at times of the breathy style of Benny Golson [my touchstone range isn’t huge but this is a genuine feeling], especially on the ballads, two gorgeous ones played last night, the second the Gordon Burdge / J. Russel Robinson Portrait of Jennie.

As ever, and as ever I will present this anaphora [I’ve been marking Lit papers…], the Blue Vanguard Trio was also superb, Coach York and Al Swainger consistently providing their two thirds of the sterling worth, and I only separate this time round in reviewing as Craig Milverton and Renato did share a particular rapport in their playing – a symbiosis in musicianship as well as physical proximity: Renato touchingly often playing very close to Craig, if you’ll excuse the punning indulgence – and it would seem obvious they share a deep friendship as well as their musical closeness.

Photos by Tim

Forthcoming events look like more of the excellent same. Brilliant.

Jim Mullen at The Blue Vanguard Jazz Club, Gipsy Hill Hotel, Exeter, 14th December, 2017

Memorable Mullen

It was an excellent evening seeing legendary guitarist Jim Mullen playing last night at The Blue Vanguard Jazz Club held at The Gipsy Hill Hotel, Exeter.

The two sets of jazz standards were brilliantly played, the ‘house’ band of Coach York on taut, crisp drums [and great soloing], Al Swainger on perfectly perambulating bass [and great soloing] and the superb keyboards of Craig Milverton [and great soloing] supporting Mullen’s resonant playing.

Covers included the Styne/Cahn I Fall in Love Too Easily, Earth, Wind and Fire’s After the Love is Gone, the Sinatra classic All the Way, the Duke/Gershwin I Can’t Get Started, with the finale an apt if surprising choice of College Boy, the theme tune to the TV programme University Challenge which Mullen playfully introduced as a shoehorn for the informed and jazz-educated audience.

Vocalist Zoe Francis sang a couple of songs too, and her interpretations, the first a Billy Holliday number, were wonderfully concise and fitting, conveying a palpable sense of the jazz era embraced by the whole night’s main musical focus.

I have not been an avid follower of Mullen’s career, and being now honest in acknowledging my ignorance, was unaware of his work in the music of the 70s that I did follow, for example Mullen in the band Pete Brown & Piblokto!, especially his co-write and beautiful playing on one of my all-time favourites High Flying Electric Bird, and his time with Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express when I most likely saw Mullen playing at an early 70s gig at Ipswich Civic College.

Any look at Jim Mullen’s entire and illustrious musical career will show his status as one of the great jazz guitarists is well-earned, and it was a privilege to have this confirmed last night be seeing him perform so expertly, and with the support of that sterling band. A bonus was seeing him at The Blue Vanguard Jazz Club, Gipsy Hill Hotel, Exeter, which is a fine venue for such memorable entertainment.

Jim, Zoe and band at last night's gig. Thanks to Timbo for pic