Photograph of Mick Hutton sourced from http://www.titleyjazz.com

SUNDAY AT TITLEY JAZZ, 27/07/2014.

A third day of glorious summer weather saw Titley Jazz 2014 finish in style with the performances of five bands ranging in size from the duo of Jim Mullen and Mick Hutton to the seventeen piece National Youth Jazz Orchestra conducted by Mark Armstrong. The music played embraced a variety of jazz styles and was drawn from several different eras of the music’s history as the fifth Titley festival signed off in style. 

JIM MULLEN / MICK HUTTON DUO

The relaxed Sunday morning duo slot has become something of a Titley institution since the first hugely successful performance by the pair of double bassist Hutton and pianist Dave Newton back in 2011. Subsequent collaborations have involved the bass and piano teaming of Andy Cleyndert and Stan Tracey in 2012 and the duo of Cleyndert and pianist Steve Melling in 2013.

All of the two handers have combined a relaxed atmosphere with a high degree of musical sophistication and 2014 was no exception but it did offer something different to the now familiar format with guitarist Jim Mullen stepping into the breach and breaking the pianistic stranglehold. In a nice piece of symmetry/serendipity he was partnered by Mick Hutton who had done so much to create the duo tradition in the first instance.

Mullen is a gifted and highly fluent improviser with a flair for melody and he proved to be an ideal partner for Hutton, a musician who has proved himself to be one of the most musical double bassists around. Restored to full fitness after a nasty hand ligament injury sidelined him for a while Hutton has returned as an even more gifted double bass soloist, his amended technique seeming to have brought out of him a greater melodic awareness and even higher levels of fluency and dexterity.

In an unbroken performance lasting around an hour Mullen and Hutton treated us to a series of relaxed yet musically rigorous duets that set the template for the day by embracing a variety of jazz styles and eras. This admirable diversity was taken a stage further by an unscheduled guest appearance from singer Zoe Francis who added her voice to a couple of songs towards the end of the set, but more on that later.

The duo commenced with the Rogers & Hart song “Blue Room” with Mullen demonstrating his unusual thumb picking technique, his style strongly influenced by that of the late Wes Montgomery. Hutton’s solo incorporated several of the elements of the bassist’s art, slides and stops plus intricate work around the bridge of the instrument yet never losing the feel of the tune and with everything grounded by a strong melodic sense and an innate musicality.

Mullen, the urbane Glaswegian, described Kenny Burrell’s enduringly popular “Chitlins Con Carne” as a “boogaloo hit” as he put his stamp on a tune by another musician who he (Mullen) would no doubt credit as a significant musical influence. Mullen informed us that Burrell (born 1931) is still alive and well and musically active.

The Mancini/Mercer classic “Moon River” represented another excursion into the show tune repertoire with the duo delivering a beautiful interpretation of this much loved classic.

Horace Silver’s “Sister Sadie” was a second item from the Blue Note canon with Mullen dedicated the tune to its recently deceased composer, one of several Silver tributes performed over the weekend in various contexts and a timely reminder of the enormity of Horace’s talents.

As he revealed at Saturday’s performance with his Organ Trio Mullen is a huge fan of the cinema hence his choice of Sammy Cahn’s song “I Fall In Love Too Easily” from the movie “On The Town”. He dedicated the performance to audience members Peter and Celia who were celebrating their wedding anniversary, a nice touch that neatly summed up the friendly spirit of this little festival. The performance was crowned by a brilliant solo guitar cadenza.

Zoe Francis joined the duo to sing Jobim’s “Dreamer”, demonstrating both her linguistic and vocal abilities as she delivered verses in both English and Portugese. She also sang the Ray Noble song “The Very Thought Of You”, the English born composer being another writer who was well represented over the course of the weekend.

It was left to Mullen and Hutton to round things off with a playful romp through the theme from “University Challenge”, a tune whose jazz possibilities had previously been explored by Mullen’s organ trio (albeit not this weekend).

As ever the Titley duo slot had delivered as Mullen and Hutton got the final day of the festival off to an excellent start with Francis’ vocals providing some additional variety. A laid back Sunday morning crowd were more than satisfied with what they’d heard.

De JONG’s CLEYNDERTS

Andy Cleyndert’s drummer-less quartet were one of the surprise highlights of the 2013 festival and David Masters elected to award the excellence of their performance with a return booking. Again bassist Cleyndert led an ensemble featuring guitarist Colin Oxley and trumpeter Martin Shaw but with pianist Ross Stanley unavailable this year the versatile Barry Green took over the piano stool and acquitted himself superbly.

It’s to Cleyndert’s credit that he had prepared an entirely new programme for the group rather than merely repeating last years successes. However the core principles of the ensemble remained in place, despite the “chamber jazz” nature of the line up the music was again surprisingly rhythmic, due not just to Cleyndert’s bass but also Oxley’s assured comping and Green’s adroit use of the left hand. Sharing the rhythmic duties these three also demonstrated great fluency as soloists as the whole band were featured on the opening number, an arrangement of Sam Jones’ “Unit Seven”.

The chamber jazz setting offered Cleyndert the opportunity to express himself with the bow, something he did superbly on the introduction to Brazilian composer Oscar Castro-Neves’ “Rio Dawning”, his supremely melodic, cello like lines shadowed by Green at the piano and cushioned by Oxley’s gentle comping. Green and Shaw (on flugel) were the other featured soloists on this lovely excursion into the world of Brazilian jazz.

Last year’s performance included a number of arrangements by Tamir Hendelman with whom Cleyndert once worked as a member of Barbra Steisand’s band. A Hendelman arrangement of Herbie Hancock?s “Driftin’” featured Shaw on muted trumpet plus further solos from Green and Oxley.

Dizzy Gillespie’s “Con Alma” was performed as a waltz with solos from Shaw on flugel, Oxley on guitar and Cleyndert at the bass. Oxley was particularly impressive here with his cool, pure, unadorned tone and strong melodic sense.

Hendelman’s arrangement of “Cape Verdean Blues” represented another tip of the hat to Horace Silver. Cleyndert described his quartet’s version as being “a bit of a roast” (cue a number of Sunday Lunch jokes from the crowd) and the piece developed from a lively piano/bass introduction through further solos from Shaw on trumpet, Green on piano and Oxley on guitar plus a further series of piano and bass exchanges.

I was expecting this to be it for the first half but instead the set concluded with a brief but beautiful rendition of the Billy Strayhorn ballad “Blood Count” . Cleyndert had arranged the piece for a Radio Four play of the same name which explored the musical and personal relationship between Strayhorn and his employer, Duke Ellington. I remember hearing the transmission earlier in the year. Today Cleyndert movingly dedicated the piece to one of his former employers, the much missed Stan Tracey.

Set two commenced with Henry Mancini’s “Two For The Road” with Oxley using the body of his guitar as a form of percussion and with solos coming from Green, Shaw on flugel, Oxley and Cleyndert.

The quartet’s version of John Coltrane’s “Blue Train” was arranged by Cedar Walton and was introduced by the duo of Green and Cleyndert prior to solos by Oxley, Green, and Shaw on muted trumpet.

Jobim’s “Song Of The Sabia” offered another showcase for Cleyndert’s arco skills and also acted as a focus for Shaw’s velvety, wonderfully fluent flugel playing.

Nat Adderley’s “The Old Country” centred on Oxley with his unaccompanied solo intro followed by a later orthodox jazz solo. Shaw’s yearning, muted trumpet was equally effective and there were also features for Green and Cleyndert.

It was perhaps appropriate that the performance should conclude with a tune by a bassist with Ray Brown’s bouncy and exuberant “Ray’s Idea” ending the proceedings on a joyous note with Cleyndert’s fast bass walk providing the springboard for closing statements from Green, Shaw, again on muted trumpet, and Oxley.

Once again de Jong’s Cleynderts had delivered with two sets of superbly played music in an exposed musical situation. Each musician contributed memorable solos whilst simultaneously excelling as a member of a well drilled team. The supremely versatile Barry Green, also a superb accompanist to adventurous vocalists such as Emilia Martensson and Brigitte Beraha, was an instant hit with the Titley audience, connoisseurs who know a good piano when they see one. As before, so again, a triumph all round.

NATIONAL YOUTH JAZZ ORCHESTRA PLAYS DUKE ELLINGTON & COUNT BASIE

Previous Titley festivals have included big bands led by Don Weller and Robert Fowler and David Masters was very excited at having secured the services of NYJO to perform at the festival in 2014. He was also delighted at being able to programme them in an afternoon slot thus being able to avoid paying for nearly twenty bed and breakfasts!

By deploying two drum less acts as openers the organisers also ensured a quick turn around as NYJO were able to set up pretty much as soon as they arrived by bus, having survived the traditional Herefordshire hazard of getting stuck behind a tractor!.

There was a link to previous festivals in that the band were conducted by their Music and Artistic director Mark Armstrong who had appeared at the 2013 festival as part of a group led by drummer Clark Tracey. Armstrong conducted his young charges superbly, was an amusing and informative interlocutor between tunes, and even brought his horn along to deliver a couple of well received solos.

The concert was very much “a games of two halves” with the first set dedicated to compositions and arrangements associated with the Basie band before the focus shifted to the Ellington repertoire after the beer break.

The NYJO line up boasted five reeds, four trumpets, four trombones, piano, guitar, double bass and drums plus guest vocals from singer Jessica Radcliffe. They began in rousing fashion with “Jumping At The Woodside” , a 1930s Basie classic which included features for powerfully honking tenor saxophone plus muted trumpet, the latter played by James Copus, a young musician I’ve previously heard performing as a member of the Royal Academy of Music Big Band.  I didn’t catch the tenor player’s name clearly (sorry) ? it sounded like Dave Green but would that be too much of a coincidence? 

An easily swinging “9.20 Special” featured a mix of open horn and muted reeds and brass with solos from pianist Ashley Henry, alto saxophonist Jim Gold and trumpeter Tom Dennis on both muted and open trumpet. Riley Stone Lonergan was the tenor soloist, the talented young saxophonist being one of NYJO’s core “chair” musicians.

Armstrong explained something of the transition from “stomp” to “swing” in the 1920s as the more flexible double bass took over from the tuba at jazz’s “bottom end”. Sammy Nestico’s arrangement of “Moten Swing” combined elements of both and featured solos from Stone Lonergan, Copus and Henry.

Trumpeter Buck Clayton was an integral part of the Basie band, often co-ordinating their after hours jam sessions, and his “Avenue C” was the vehicle for solos by trombonist Tom Dunnett, tenor players Stone Lonergan and Green plus trumpeter Tom Dennis who again mixed muted trumpet with open horn. The piece closed with a feature for drummer David Dyson.

The accomplished young vocalist Jessica Radcliffe joined the band to sing two contrasting pieces. She was bright and vivacious on a Don Menza arrangement of “I Like It” before exhibiting great maturity on Bob Florence’s loping arrangement of the torch song “We’ll Be Together Again”.

“Shorty George” put the emphasis back on the instrumentalists with fine solos from Mike Mason on trumpet, Stone Lonergan on tenor, Henry at the piano and Dunnett on trombone.

Armstrong praised guitarist Rob Luft for his selfless work in the Freddie Greene role before introducing “Swingin’ The Blues” with solos from Stone Lonergan on tenor, Tom Dennis on trumpet and Green on second tenor plus a closing drum feature from Dyson.

Armstrong then featured his own trumpet playing on “L’il Darling” before a final sprint through Basie’s theme tune “One O’Clock Jump” featuring Henry in the Count’s role at the piano.

This first set was a hugely enjoyable and entertaining affair as the young band tore into the Basie repertoire with verve and an obvious relish with inspired solos coming from several members of an ensemble that also impressed with its overall skill and precision. Armstrong’s entertaining and informative presenting style was also a plus ? and we even got to hear him play. Great stuff.

The second set was given over to the music of Duke Ellington, and although less punchy and fiery the music was equally enjoyable and often more musically sophisticated, with many of the pieces very well known.

This time the set began with its subject’s signature tune, “Take The A Train"first recorded by the Ellington orchestra in 1943 with Copus the featured soloist on both muted and open horned trumpet.

Billy Strayhorn’s “Snybor”, the title a veiled swipe at the the Robyn’s publishing house, featured solos from Jim Gold on alto, Mason on trumpet, Stone Lonergan on clarinet and the uncredited bass player.

“Stomp Look and Listen” featured the trumpets of Copus, Nick Dewhurst and Armstrong himself, with Dewhurst and Armstrong both delivering some stunning high register playing. Lichfield born Dewhurst has previously appeared on the Jazzmann web pages in a variety of contexts and he is a born organiser as well as a highly talented young musician. It was revealed that today was to be his last NYJO performance before moving on to pastures new. The Jazzmann wishes him well, I’m sure we haven’t heard the last of Nick Dewhurst.

“Mood Indigo” found Tom Dennis fulfilling the role of Ellington trumpeter Harold “Shorty” Baker , his growling muted trumpet impressing, particularly in the opening duet with the double bass.

The Ellington classics just kept coming. “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” featured solos from two members of the trombone section plus Gold on alto. Radcliffe returned to add her sassy and classy vocals to “Caravan” with Stone Lonergan taking the instrumental honours on clarinet.

The lesser known “Lost In Meditation” featured Dunnett on trombone and Copus on trumpet before a lively “Cottontail” featured the entire sax section en masse.

“C Jam Blues” brought the session to a swinging close with Henry playing piano in Ellington’s patented “thumbs only” style, leading off a string of solos that included features for Dewhurst and Mason on trumpets, Sam Glaser on alto sax, Luft on guitar and Stone Lonergan on clarinet plus two members of the trombone section. Such was the audience reaction that the band were called back for an encore, something of a rarity at Titley due to the tight scheduling. This proved to be a brief but swinging “Jeep’ Blues” with Gold on alto the featured soloist. 

With this superb performance NYJO had more than justified David Masters’ faith in them. It was such a shame that he wasn’t able to enjoy the show for himself. The faithful Titley audience loved every minute of it.

If anybody can supply some of the missing names I’ll be happy to edit the above and even publish the line up in full.

ENRICO TOMASSO “SALUTE TO SATCH”

Enrico Tomasso’s is a name I’d frequently seen in the jazz press but up until this juncture I’d never seen him play. Somehow I’d always got the impression that he was an Italian musician plying his trade in the UK (rather like saxophonist Tommaso Starace) but instead Enrico turned out to be a stocky little chap from Leeds with a Yorkshire accent you could cut with a knife.

Jazz runs through Tomasso’s veins, his father was the clarinettist Ernie Tomasso, and as a seven year old child in the 1960s the young Enrico met Louis Armstrong himself when Satch came to Yorkshire to play a residency at the famous Batley Variety Club-it’s hard to imagine something similar happening now.

Armstrong was highly encouraging of the budding young trumpeter and Enrico has been in thrall to Armstrong and his music ever since, a living link to jazz’s illustrious past. But this is the modern world and Enrico also has a lucrative gig as the trumpeter in Bryan Ferry’s “Jazz Age” band and has appeared at many major festivals.

Tomasso’s two sets charted several phases of Armstrong’s career beginning with an unannounced piece from Armstrong’s “All Stars” era featuring Tomasso’s Armstrong style vocals as well as his trumpet playing. We also heard from all the other members of Tomasso’s sextet, Robert Fowler on tenor sax, Craig Milverton at the piano, Adrian Fry on trombone, Dave Green on double bass and Dave Barry at the drums.

“Potato Head Blues” saw Tomasso switching to cornet as he illustrated Armstrong’s early style alongside soloists Fowler on clarinet and Milverton at the piano.

“St. James Infirmary Blues” included both voice and trumpet with Fowler, still on clarinet, plus Milverton and Fry also featuring. As a singer Tomasso does a more than passable imitation of Armstrong (here with a touch of Cab Calloway thrown in) and the master would also have been proud of his closing high register trumpet cadenza.

From Armstrong’s Rhythm Aces repertoire we heard “Chinatown” which was delivered at a fast clip and incorporated solos from Fowler on clarinet, Fry on trombone, Milverton at the piano, Green on bass and Barry at the drums. Tomasso’s own solo included a tantalising snippet of “When The Saints..”, a teasing appetiser for what was to follow later.

“Dear Old Southland” was an inspired trumpet and piano duet which saw the versatile Milverton demonstrating his mastery of early jazz piano styles.

The full sextet was back to perform Armstrong’s 1930’s hit “Sweethearts On Parade” featuring Tomasso’s vocals plus solos from Fry on trombone and Fowler on clarinet.

“Struttin’ With Some Barbecue”  was a piece that Armstrong played throughout his career and Tomasso’s spirited version ended a lively first half with solos coming from Milverton, Fowler (tenor sax), Fry, Tomasso and Green. 

Set two began with the perennially popular “Basin Street Blues” which featured Tomasso’s vocals, he does an uncannily good impersonation of Armstrong and even has something of the same stance and build. Other solos came from Fowler on clarinet, Fry, Milverton and Green.

“Two Deuces” began with a startling solo trumpet cadenza before settling into a lazy blues idiom with solos from Tomasso, Fry, Fowler on clarinet and Milverton at the piano.

“The Song Is Ended” was a hit for Armstrong in conjunction with the Mills Brothers and featured Tomasso’s vocals alongside solos from Fry, Fowler on tenor sax and Green on bass.

The enduring “Wonderful World” was performed as an instrumental, introduced by a delightful trumpet/piano duet and featuring subsequent solos from Tomasso, Milverton and Fry.

It was perhaps inevitable that “When The Saints Go Marching In” should close the proceedings with Barry’s drums leading the way.

The Titley faithful were warmly appreciative of this loving salute to a bygone era and to one of the founding figures of jazz.  To be honest it’s not really my favourite style of jazz but I could appreciate both Tomasso’s skill and the love and sincerity he brings to his Armstrong project. It’s possible that for some audience members this was a festival highlight and the inclusion of Tomasso’s Satch tribute certainly brought something different to the Titley programme.

TITLEY JAZZ SEXTET

The 2014 festival concluded with the stage packed with festival stalwarts. A variation on this line up has habitually opened the festival but this year they were assigned the duty of closing it, something that Alan Barnes and his colleagues Don Weller, Art Themen, Dave Newton, Andy Cleyndert and Steve Brown did with aplomb over the course of two sets brimming with good humour and good music.

“Broadway” opened the proceedings with Barnes’ alto leading off the solos followed by the contrasting tenor sounds of Weller and Themen plus the piano of Newton. Horns and piano then traded choruses with the immaculate Brown at the drums.

“Like Someone In Love” began with a bleary, bluesy blend of horns with subsequent solos coming from Themen on tenor, Barnes on baritone, Weller on tenor, Newton at the piano and Cleyndert at the bass.

The three horns grappled with the theme of Thelonious Monk’s “Well You Needn’t” before the two tenors led off the solos followed by a tongue slapping Barnes on alto, Newton on piano and finally Brown at the drums, his rolling toms the fulcrum of a skilful and engaging feature.

An unannounced ballad saw the band reduced to a quartet with Themen on tenor the featured horn as he shared soloing duties with Newton and Cleyndert.

Finally Hank Mobley’s soul jazz classic “This I Dig Of You” ended a highly enjoyable first set with solos from Weller on tenor, Barnes on alto and Themen on soprano in yet another horn configuration. We also heard from Newton at the piano before Brown gleefully rounded things off at the drums.

“Cheek To Cheek” got the final set off the festival off to a swinging start with Weller and Themen locking horns on tenor followed by Barnes on alto and Newton at the piano.

Weller was the next saxophonist to feature as part of a quartet. His lovely original “Di’s Waltz”, a dedication to his wife was also revealed to be one of Neil Ferber’s favourite tunes. Weller’s performance here was sublime aided by Newton’s delightfully lyrical piano, Green’s sympathetic, understated bass and Brown’s tasteful and delicate brush work. An air of hushed reverence fell over the marquee on what was arguably the best single performance of the day and an undoubted festival highlight. Indeed it was ballad performances that constituted many of the festival’s best moments.

Barnes’ baritone feature on “You’ve Changed” couldn’t quite top this but was still impressive with the saxophonist’s agility and expressiveness on the big horn complemented by the contributions of Newton and Cleyndert.

Finally came another version of Ellington’s “Cottontail” as Titley Jazz 2014 ended on an energetically swinging note with Brown’s sizzling cymbals leading things off and fuelling lengthy solos by Barnes on alto, Newton on piano and Weller and Themen on tenors before a final series of scintillating group exchanges with drummer Brown. At one point the house lights went out, one of the very few technical glitches of the weekend, but this seasoned bunch of old pros played on in the dark , never missing a beat until light was restored once more. It was a moment that will doubtless linger in the memories of many who were there.

OVERVIEW

Titley Jazz 2014 represented yet another successful festival with audience numbers holding up well and with marvellous weather, good organisation and a strong musical line up combining to create yet another memorable weekend. Titley Jazz has developed into a much loved institution, as popular with its faithful followers as Appleby once was. Five festivals in its appeal shows no signs of abating and it is to be hoped that David Masters will feel able to organise another festival next year.

In the event that he is unable to do so he can rest assured that the five festivals to date have been a triumph and will be fondly remembered by musicians and audiences alike. Get well soon David,  I’m sure that everybody present at Titley Jazz 2014 would love to see you again next year.     

 

 

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