We were delighted to return to the Black Swan on 28th May to a warm and receiving audience to perform some incredible tunes from our favourite big band composers and arrangers.
Review
Bold by name bold by nature the Bold Big Band took the A Train on the ride of its life. This wasn’t the relatively sedate Ellington/Strayhorn opus but a chart by Don Sebesky. A wild dissonant arrangement closer to Kenton or Sun Ra than Billy Strayhorn. It would have made a great soundtrack for The Taking of Pelham 123. Utting and Armstrong the soloists.
Utting stayed in the driving seat alongside Crissi Booth on Dancing Men and Crissi had a solo feature on Metroliner. 5-5-7 saw Davies doing some shredding with Pippa impressive on soprano and MD Wicks playing baritone and sit-down comedian.
Anna Heslop, a new addition to the band, like most big band singers was gowned and gorgeous. Let There be Love was a good arrangement with a few bars of Charlie Barnet’s Skyliner thrown in by the band. The band won on Hallelujah I Love Her so but Anna came out on top with Come Fly With Me where the balance was much better revealing a pleasing voice.
The set finished with the Beatles’ Blackbird with Billy Bradshaw growling like Cootie then taking it out with some screamers à la Cat.
The second set followed along the lines of the first. A skull busting opener, Parthenia, a drum solo, Patience, Bill Holman’s arrangement of After You’ve Gone, a smooth Basie number, Count Me In, then more vocals from Anna.
A good gig. Two 45 minute sets and a short interval the perfect recipe. Catch them when next you can. Lance
Lineup
Vocals: Anna Heslop
Saxes: Pippa Morgan, Max Storey, Crissi Booth, Lucy McCartan, Brian Wicks
Trumpets: Billy Bradshaw, Sam Armstrong, James Bateman, Andrew Marshall
Trombones: Alex Utting, Bertie Marks, Josh Scott, Kieran Parnaby
Guitar: Ben Davies
Keys: Alex Ngeyu
Bass: Joe Sharples
Drums: Dan Arenstein
Pieces
Take the ‘A’ Train
Dancing Men
Metroliner
5-5-7
Let There Be Love (v)
Hallelujah I Love Her So (v)
Come Fly With Me (v)
Blackbird
Parthenia
Patience
After You’ve Gone
Count Me In
It Had To Be You (v)
Almost Like Being In Love (v)
High Maintenance
Still Alive (v)
The Incredibles