Cleo Laine and John Dankworth preach the blues
Monday, October 16, 2006
Cleo Laine, John Dankworth and Friends raised the magnificently vaulted roof of St Luke's Church, Battersea on Saturday night with a rousing performance that contrasted the darker hues of newly written material with Ellington classics, Goodman stompers and heart-tugging ballads and blues.
Joined by the erudite empathy of trombonist Mark Nightingale, pianist John Horler, bassist Malcolm Creese and drummer Alan Ganley, Dankworth was on sprite form charging through the brisk bop of the ‘Tomorrow’s World Theme’, heading east on the recently composed ‘Son of Buffer’ and breaking sweat on ‘Stomping At The Savoy’. Performing with the sass of a singer half her age Cleo dug back to her earlier 1960s albums Shakespeare and All That Jazz and her debut 10in Esquire LP Cleo Sings British before finishing with the triple punch of Noel Coward’s ‘Mad About The Boy’, a storming ‘Creole Love Call’ and a knockout Billie Holiday blues, ‘Fine and Mellow’: a steamy heartfelt interpretation that brought the congregation to its feet. At this rate their 80th birthday celebrations next year are warming up a treat. Review: Jon Newey