Just getting back to Imperial Wharf for the Jazz festival was a real 'punch the air' feeling for me. The bonus was a whole day of Jazz, an array of bands and styles quite outside what I'm used to.
That's why we were there.
A great day.
It didn't start out that way - the first act involved a Ukelele, a Banjolele and some comical trousers. If you know me you'll know that's not for me.
And they were only too prepared to do an encore. It nearly needed security to carry them off the stage.
Heck, I'd have done it for free.
At least this was a familiar face; the anchor was BBC Radio London's Jumoke Fashola who brightened up the whole day as she always does.
It soon got interesting, the second band up were 'GoGo Penguin' from Manchester and currently very fashionable; I saw Wayne Hemingway the 'style commentator' on the table next to us. I'm available for tips, Wayne.
They gave us a wide range of musical influences beginning with some evocative Tibetan 'singing bowls' and the dreamy sounds of Trip Hop/Massive Attack followed by some very definite 90's dance beats.
Nice percussion;
Next up came 'The Lianne Carroll Trio', this was more conventional jazz.
Lianne gave us some gutsy vocals and a range of songs with even wider influences than the GoGo's; a lot of Tom Waits, some Dr Nina Simone and Donald Fagen's 'Goodbye look' and 'Walk between the Raindrops' which are from his solo 'Nightfly' album.
If you don't know it, check it out.
"Very listenable" according to Robyn G. May.
Here's Lianne at the piano;
By late afternoon we started to get spoilt;
Antonio Forcione was playing virtuoso acoustic guitar; wonderful sounds backed up with some tremendous percussion from the Brazilian Adriano Adewale;
Apart from the drums, here we got birdsong and the sound of rain from rattling seed pods; electrifying.
Dusk was falling and the music was getting livelier.
I needed an injection and then I was ready for the last two acts - I'll do them tomorrow.
Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com
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