Roger Beaujolais at The Red Lion, Isleworth.

On Monday, Robyn made me go out, as part of her campaign to cheer me up.

I probably would have made it anyway - it was Roger Beaujolais, on Vibes, at The Red Lion, Isleworth.

Roger Beaujolais is a favourite of mine - Modern Jazz through window of the Vibraphone. A very special sound indeed.

Trevor Tomkins was on drums, Robin Aspland on keyboards and Simon Thorpe on bass.

Meanwhile, outside and in, it was in the 90's.

Hot and sultry, smoky and seductive; we got an evening of the greats of modern jazz.

Neil Harris
(a don't top till you drop production)

Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

Simon Spillett and Roger Beaujolais at The Red Lion.

After our draining Monday we went to our Jazz Club at The Red Lion, Isleworth armed with a Christmas Stollen to say thank you to the friends who helped us in the morning.

As it turned out, one of them doesn't eat sweet things?!

But I was in for a real treat - just about my favourite line up.

Trevor Tomkins as ever provided some immaculate drums.

This is Simon Spillett looking immaculate in his MOD suit and a narrow tie straight out of the 1960's.

Now who do I know who dresses like that?

I love his playing and the choice of music was very much in my Thelonius Monk and Charlie Parker world.

Next to him is Roger Beaujolais on Vibes - we even got a Milt Jackson solo from him;

On the back row you can see Alec Dankworth playing Bass and John Critchinson on keyboards;

But both Robyn and me were shattered after our day, lets hope it worked out OK.

But Monday night?

That was magical.

Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)

Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

Simon Spillet and Roger Beaujolais at The Red Lion.

This is the fabulous line up at The Red Lion, Isleworth Jazz club; it's Simon Spillet looking very cool on Saxophone and Roger Beaujolais sounding pretty cool on the Vibraphone.

I love Jazz Vibraphone and it's been a while since I've heard them; especially on Milt Jackson's ' Heartstrings'.....made for the vibes, obviously.

Simon Spillet is a very fine Sax player - I really enjoyed Wayne Shorter's 'Tom Thumb' at the end of the first set. 

I also liked Joabim's 'Favela', a sound of Brazil on a cold night.

Trevor Tomkins was great on drums as usual, and Robin Aspland covered keyboards, Simon Thorpe on bass.

It was one of those evenings that just flew away, it was that good.

Simon Spillet also had with him his new book; The Long Shadow of the Little Giant';




                                       


It's his biography of the legendary Tubby Hayes, one of a handful of brilliant, British Bebop pioneers - he played with everybody - both sides of the Atlantic.

Simon Spillett is not only an accomplished saxophonist, he is also an expert exponent of the music of Tubby Hayes, so it's natural that he should write a biography of him.

It's a real labour of love, I think it took him 12 years to write it.

I haven't seen a copy yet but if you are interested, the reviews are good.

Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)

Home:  helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me:  neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com


Equinox

Best month, ever.

Monday, down at The Red Lion with Robyn was a dream.

This is Kelvin Christian on the Baritone Sax, which meant a feast of Gerry Mulligan and some rather deep notes.

Highlight of the evening was Roger Beaujolais on the vibes;

I used to feel that the vibes were a jazz instrument I didn't want to hear too often - I'm changing.

And this?

I always used to associate the Jazz flute with the 1970's in general and Gil Scott Heron in particular (nothing wrong with Gil - deeply missed) but not a hint of 70's jazz tonight.

Just good sounds, good company and a warm last evening of June.

Best month of the year.

Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)

Home:  helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

The view from the front row.

D

 

That’s what I saw (no really) when I staggered off to my Jazz Club. Now I can see who I really am listening to.

It’s been quiet for some weeks and I can live with that. We get all the best musicians on a Monday night when it’s quiet and they play all the swish places at the weekend to earn a living. Us alley cats got a special deal, the rich kids pay extra. After an evening of Northern Soul (Keep The Faith) a seat up the back for some quiet jazz was about all I could cope with.

But when I turned up it was packed out, no seat, no standing room even. So I had to go right up to the front to find somewhere to sit. I was about a foot away from the musicians - there were so many things I’d never seen before – they have hands, faces, expressions even. Now I know who I'm watching.

Mind you, last week up at the back I thought my camera needed a longer lens, now I think it needs a shorter one.

This is Trevor Tomkins from up close:

 

  and this is Mick Hutton on the bass:

 

My old camera couldn't cope with the front row players without flash and I wasn't about to blast them from a foot away.

It was an evening with a smattering of original compositions. Alex Hutton on piano contributed ‘Clouds’, quiet and dreamy while Kelvin Christian on Sax gave us ‘frequency’.

Roger Beaujolais’s ‘Jobim’ was exquisite, combining Kelvin Christian’s flute with Beaujolais’s vibes and the samba beat brought out TT’s signature sound of a stick in one hand and a brush in the other. It hit the spot and was a real homage to Jobim’s music.

‘Laura’ always presses some sad buttons for me while Clifford Brown’s blues ‘Sandu’ had the room moving in time with the piano.

I could get used to the view from the front row ...and the sound.

Neil Harris

(a don’t stop till you drop production)