January Big Jamboree! Friday Jan 22nd

Friday 22nd January 2010 Doors 8 pm – Show at 8.30 pm

Featuring Rachel O’Reilly (vocals) and Jamie Thompson (alto sax / flute / clarinet)

with the band: Phil Mead (piano), Kevin Dunford (bass) and Dave Hawthorn (drums)

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Review – by Andrew

I had certainly been looking forward to this, the second Big Jamboree. This time another two regulars from the Wednesday evening jams, the woodwind wonder, James Thompson and vocalist, Rachel O’Reilly, were featured with the house band for alternating sets.

The first set got off to a fine start with James, a reedsman ably demonstrating his fluency on alto, clarinet and flute. What impresses is the beauty of tone Thompson achieves on all three instruments. The clarinet’s fortunes faded as Be-bop supplanted the Swing era and, for many many years, traditional jazz aside, just a handful of masters have continued to ply their wares on it exclusively. Perhaps better times are around the corner -  saxophonists do seem to be reaching for it more often, even if it is just for a number or two. Jamie certainly made a strong argument for its resurrection with, amongst other tunes, his re-working of Moonglow – well established into the jazz repertoire by Benny Goodman himself, and a particularly charming version of Ray Noble’s Very Thought of You. Repertoire is James’ strong suit. He is equally comfortable with classic American, and British, songs from the twenties and thirties and jazz classics from the fifties and later. He provided us with an immaculate choice of material from Arlen/Koehler’s Ill Wind (a choice hopefully not inspired by my selection of a veggie burger from the Heathcote’s supper menu!) through to the Dizzy Gillespie classic Tin Tin Deo (an appropriate choice as our hero does indeed bear a passing resemblance to Herge’s young reporter, now with the plus-fours supplanted by Levis!). Thompson is a witty improviser and in the bossa nova piece, Wave, even I noted his quote from Birk’s Works which he had played just a few tunes earlier. By day this fine musician is a teacher and his neat fingerwork and fine tone must be quite an example to his pupils.

Any discussion of what distinguishes jazz singing from other forms of popular vocalising would take up acres of space but, in the end, I feel it must come down to timbre (can we imagine Pavarotti launching into Take the A Train?) and a certain rhythmic pulse and flexibility, rather than actually improvising. Rachel O’Reilly is then a jazz singer and fate has been kind to her. Her voice is sweet but with a cool timbre well suited to the music and she can swing, emphasising the beat as she requires – a delight in every way. Even the mildly alliterative name Rachel O’Reilly is pleasing to the ear. Ms O’Reilly has an attractive repertoire embracing such Johnny Green classics as Body and Soul and I Cover the Waterfront, through to God Bless The Child, Time after Time and Djinji. I particularly recall a snappy version of I Thought About You where her elaborate tricks of timing were, I am sure, completely instinctive and un-rehearsed. I first heard Rachel sing some nine months ago at the Loaded Dog and, good as she was then, it is amazing how far she has come in such a short time. Her two high quality sets offered songs in a variety of tempos and moods.

We must not forget the Trio. The ebullient Phil Mead, the master of quotes, provided, as ever, a swinging backdrop, taking some great solos of his own. The trusty Kevin Dunford offered sterling support on bass and the new recruit on percussion, the dentist drummer, David Hawthorn, provided suitable rhythmic fill-ins. (Ok – not my best joke.) Now Mr Hawthorn is something of a rarity, a drummer who can and does play at a volume which presents no danger of drowning the band but still provides a strong rhythmic float to drive the music.

And the main downside to the evening – the poor attendance. Two such fine soloists, let alone the trio themselves, should have had no qualms about dragging their friends, family and work colleagues. Why did the drinkers in the pub downstairs miss out on the entertainment going on upstairs?  It really is such a shame that such good music cannot reliably attract a better audience.

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