A not bad Monday night.

Monday night and I struggled off to my Jazz Club at The Red Lion, Isleworth and the celebrations for its third birthday. It was time to take my thrombosis out for the night.

To mark the occasion they had a sextet – that’s two more than I would want but then I’m in a minority of one on that.

Also I had to swallow all my prejudices as the excellent Mark Nightingale was playing his trombone – not one of my favourite modern jazz instruments.

 

 Dave O’Higgins plays a fine saxophone and duetted well with Quentin Collins on trumpet and flugelhorn. Trevor Tomkins drums and Tim Wells on bass made up the line-up except for a late substitution pianist whose name I’m afraid I didn’t catch.

Six musicians are frankly hard to fit into the cupboard that is the Red Lion stage but on several numbers they took full advantage of Mark Nightingale’s arrangements to revel in a big band sound from a small ensemble.

 

For the real Big Band sound, The Riverside is hosting an 18 piece Big band in a fortnight – more on that nearer the time. It’s a sound that isn’t heard these days – you need a lot of money or a wealthy sponsor to play that kind of music. Famously, Charlie Watts the Rolling Stones drummer fritters away his earnings to support his Big band and the BBC can afford to do the same every once in a while.

With The Riverside, the band is being charitable to us as I suspect their fee would barely cover the travel expenses for 18.

It’s going to be a good night and I’ll be plugging it!

Neil Harris

(a don’t stop till you drop production)