Marius Neset and Pete Long’s Jazz At The Phil thrill at Jazz on a Winter’s Weekend

Happily, rescue was at hand and in no time at all, everything was once again up and running. Good news for the sell-out crowd this year and for those of us who relish organiser Geoff Mathews’ record for picking bands and performers that one is unlikely to hear elsewhere.

Along with international soloists and up-from-London star turns there’s always room at this hotel-based festival for local performers and young emerging players. Jam Experiment and the Birmingham Conservatoire Jazz Orchestra [of whom more later] carried the flag for youth this time while the invigorating Main Street vocal quartet with veterans Dave Lynane on bass and the very authoritative Dave Hassell on drums represented the north. Theirs was a late night session, more mellow than most, with some well-worked replications of the Hi-Los, the Four Freshmen et al. All clever stuff, and made more so by the creativity of supporting pianist Tim Lapthorne.

Jam Experiment, a student-based group hailing from Manchester, boasted the presence of altoist Alexander Bone, the BBC’s Young Jazz Musician of the Year, and earned all sorts of spurs with their set. Bone is an increasingly authoritative player, with a cool Desmond-ish alto sound, even making good on the dreaded EWI, who can write decent originals. Bassist Sam Quintana and pianist Toby Comeau also impressed. Next up was the ever-popular Alan Barnes/David Newton Septet, re-visiting their own compositions with a three-sax plus trumpet line-up, which included the happy presence of Derek Nash on baritone and tenor.

On this hearing, Newton’s way with a tune is worthy of praise, his Scotch Blues redolent of his Caledonian roots, the pianist’s sparky keyboard touch a fine reminder of his grace under pressure, with Nash’s rousing choruses another standout. Of the promised special festival composition, there was no sign. Late on, the engaging pianist/singer Theo Jackson had to make do with a makeshift band, this apparent dilemma resolving itself surprisingly well with tenorist Binker Golding responding brightly, Jackson’s expert pianisms a pleasure to observe.

Day two brought more rewards with Jump Monk, this led from the back by the Arnie Somogyi, a bassist who doesn’t just mark time but makes it sing, urging his fellows on in the most vital way on an array of Monk’s tunes [with extra Mingus] aided by Clark Tracy and the ever adroit pianist Liam Noble. Add in Jeremy Price’s trombone and the searing alto of Tony Kofi (above), with his flamethrower tone and vehement attack and you have music of real consequence. Haitian Fight Song had it.

Then came the initially puzzling duo of Marius Neset’s tenor (pictured top) and soprano saxophone with tuba virtuoso Daniel Herskedal. How could this pared-down ensemble work? Well, by allowing Neset to dip into his fecund imagination, his ethereal, folk-like sounds balanced by sudden, raucous eruptions, these much aided by the didgeridoo-like rumbles from his chum. A betting man might have laid odds on a muted response to this novel music, but the reaction from this open-minded audience was wholly appreciative. The reaction to the Dimitry Baevsky Quintet with US trumpeter Joe Magnarelli that followed was more guarded, divided between those who revelled in this one-off group’s hard-bop mannerisms and others who found the format all too predictable with the expected fireworks from top brassman Magnarelli largely missing. Still, there was nothing but praise for the diminutive Baevsky, a Russian altoist based in New York, whose command of the idiom pleased everyone.

Lower-key perhaps, Josh Kemp’s quartet also opened some eyes, mine in particular, this fine tenor saxophonist fusing disparate influences to create improvisations that breathed extra life into his intriguing originals. Still, with Tim Lapthorne bounding about the keyboard, the bass precision of Mike Hutton and the drive of drummer Mat Skelton how could Kemp go wrong?

The aforementioned BCJO directed by Head of Jazz, Jeremy Price, offered a demanding programme of pieces by Bob Brookmeyer, Jim McNeely and Maria Schneider, these generally pulled off well, with soloists Claude Pietersen on tenor, trumpeter Sean Gibbs and guitarist Gareth Fowler the names to watch. In a festival programme suffused with variety, it was Pete Long’s ‘Jazz At The Phil’ last-burst concert that set out to thrill with its expected no-holds-barred approach. And lo, reader, that is what happened, the audience rapturous with some prompted to stand for the final ovation.

Pianist Nick Dawson, guitarist Nigel Price and bassist Paul Morgan kicked off with Tenderly, drummer Ed Richardson soon alongside, with a massed front-line of trumpeters George Hogg and Ryan Quigley, trombonist Callum Au, tenorists Alex Garnett and Dean Masser, Long on clarinet and cheerleading. They jousted, they riffed, with Hogg and Quigley playing high-note chase while Garnett and Masser traded blows, high-revving on the final Lester Leaps In, Au similarly impressive, the rhythm section like a bludgeon, the swing palpable and hugely uplifting. Cue mass appreciation and smiles all round. Well done, Long, but very well done Southport, once more.

– Peter Vacher

– Photos by Robert Burns