Photograph of Double Double by Pam Mann

SATURDAY AT BRECON JAZZ FESTIVAL, 09/08/2025

URSULA HARRISON & SYLVIE NOBLE DUO, THE MUSE

Sylvie Noble – lead vocals, Ursula Harrison – double bass, backing vocals

Vocal and double bass duos are something of a rarity in the jazz world, which makes the combination of bassist Ursula Harrison, the 2024 BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year, and vocalist Sylvie Noble all the more intriguing.

Both come from a distinguished jazz lineage. Harrison is the daughter of bassist, multi-instrumentalist, composer and educator Paula Gardiner and Noble’s father is the distinguished pianist, composer and improviser Liam Noble. Both Paula and Liam have featured extensively on the Jazzmann web pages over the years – now it’s the turn of the next generation.

Harrison and Noble recently delivered a stunning performance at the Black Mountain Jazz Club in Abergavenny. My review of that event, which contains further biographical detail regarding both Harrison and Noble, can be found here;
https://www.thejazzmann.com/reviews/review/ursula-harrison-and-sylvie-noble-duo-black-mountain-jazz-the-melville-centre-abergavenny-27-07-2025

It’s only been a couple of weeks since that Abergavenny show and assuming that the set list was likely to be very similar I wondered if the duo would make such an impact on me as the first time around. I needn’t have worried, today’s performance was just as magical and compelling as the first. This is a musical partnership that is really something special.

In addition to her work as a jazz bassist Harrison also has aspirations to make a career as a singer – songwriter, and it would appear that Noble is also moving in a similar direction.
“I think it’s maybe just the way we’re going in general in society, like it’s not so fashionable to do just one thing any more.” Harrison recently told Victoria Kingham in an interview for Jazzwise magazine.
Harrison’s songwriting finds an outlet in both the folk / jazz sextet Orbit Street and the duo with Noble. Today’s programme included a fascinating mix of jazz standards, covers of songs by such influential songwriters as Joni Mitchell and Gillian Welch, a traditional folk tune and a clutch of exceptional original songs written by the members of the duo.

The title of the opening “Country Song”, a Harrison original, alluded to the folk / country band with which the duo performs. A strummed bass intro led into a song with lyrics that explored both philosophy and human relationships. Harrison is not only a virtuoso bassist but also a highly talented songwriter with a particular gift for an evocative lyric. This first song demonstrated the almost telepathic understanding between the members of the duo as they complemented each other’s lines.

Harrison’s evocative and literate “Distant Haze” was today segued with Noble’s “New Eve”, the lyrics of the latter song inspired by the Angela Carter novel “The Passion of New Eve”.

Described by Noble as a “palette cleanser” following the duo’s somewhat introspective originals the standard “I’m Putting All My Eggs In One Basket” was a more playful and jaunty affair that included one of the numerous scat vocal episodes that featured throughout the set.

Although both are based in Cardiff Harrison and Noble studied at different institutions in the Welsh capital and first met at a summer school at which both Paula Gardiner and Liam Noble were teaching. They subsequently began to work together in various Cardiff based bands, including that folk / country group, an experience which influenced them as songwriters.

Another significant influence for the duo is the American singer, songwriter and guitarist Gillian Welch and the graphic “My First Lover” was the first of Welch’s songs to feature in today’s set. Welch’s lyrics reference the Steve Miller song “Quicksilver Girl”. If Harrison and Noble ever decide to go more determinedly down the indie folk / country route I humbly suggest that ‘The Quicksilver Girls’ would make a great band name for them.

A segue of original songs followed, Harrison’s bittersweet “Who Knew I’d Miss The Rainfall” and Noble’s “Ode”, a showcase for her flawless wordless vocalising.

Noble may sometimes use her voice as an instrument, but her wordless lines never stray into the realms of extended technique. This is a duo that is primarily about serving the songs rather than demonstrating individual virtuosity. That’s not to say that they’re not both brilliant technicians, but they deploy their ‘chops’ tastefully and in the service of the music, but that doesn’t mean that they’re lacking in adventure either. Their compositions and arrangements are often audacious and improvisation remains an essential part of their creative process.

Harrison’s song “Arizona” featured highly personalised lyrics added to a melody that the bassist had written some six months earlier. The words were given due expression by Noble’s yearning vocals.

Next we enjoyed a Harrison arrangement of the traditional folk tune “I Once Loved A Lad”, a song that I already knew from a gender altered version by the folk rock group Oysterband. Harrison and Noble weren’t aware of that particular rendition but took their inspiration from a version by folk singer Olivia Chaney. It’s a lovely song with a timeless lyric about thwarted love, and just like Chaney and the Oysters the duo very much made it their own.

The Gillian Welch song “Dark Turn of Mind” was the first song that Harrison and Noble first played together a duo, some three years ago now. Today’s blues tinged rendition was introduced by a passage of unaccompanied vocalising from Noble and later included Harrison’s off mic harmony vocals, a pleasing addition to the duo’s sound.

It was back to the jazz repertoire for a vocalese version of “Joy Spring”, a tune written by the late, great trumpeter Clifford Brown. The duo weren’t sure who added the later lyrics but this was still a terrific interpretation that gave the performers plenty of opportunity to demonstrate their considerable improvisational ‘chops’ via scat vocal and unaccompanied double bass episodes, in addition doing the song itself justice.

The duo paid homage to the great UK jazz vocalist Norma Winstone with “Just Sometimes”, a track from Winstone’s ECM album “Stories Yet To Tell”. Written by Armando Manzanero the song features vocalese lyrics written by Winstone. This was another piece to feature a virtuoso double bass solo from Harrison, who sang along quietly to her improvised melodic inventions.

In a neat follow on from the previous day’s Hejira gig the duo’s version of the classic Joni Mitchell song “Coyote” featured Noble’s well enunciated vocals plus an engaging series of scat vocal / double bass exchanges.

To finish we enjoyed a final Harrison original, “I Was Alone”. This song also concluded the Abergavenny performance but today’s rendition was very different with Harrison taking up the bow for the first time, her deep and brooding arco bass sonorities an effective contrast with the purity of Noble’s winsome vocals.

Despite the early start there was a substantial audience for this gig and the crowd was attentive and supportive from the very beginning and gave the duo a rousing reception at the end.

For the second time in as many weeks Harrison and Noble had given a brilliant performance and it’s much to their credit that I enjoyed both shows equally.

We also learned that in the days following this Festival performance they were duo to go into the studio to record their debut album. A record deal is yet to be finalised, but during the course of my conversation with Ursula and Sylvie at Abergavenny I suggested that they aim straight for the top and send the finished tapes to Manfred Eicher at ECM. This kind of intimate musical performance would represent a perfect fit for a label that prides itself on its high audio standards and which is the recorded home for an increasing number of British musicians, among them Norma Winstone, Kit Downes, Sebastian Rochford and Alice Zawadzki.

It would also be perfect for the British label Edition Records, founded by pianist, composer and RWCMD alumnus Dave Stapleton. It’s the label that released Paula Gardiner’s “Hot Lament” (2008), the album that represents the then infant Harrison’s recording debut (playing recorder) so there’s a neat symmetry there, and as somebody else pointed out it maintains the Cardiff connection.

Wherever it appears the release of the album will represent a major event in British jazz – and you read about it here first.

The recording of the album is being financed by a GoFundMe campaign launched by Sylvie Noble. If you enjoyed the duo’s performance please help them document their music by making a donation here;
https://www.gofundme.com/f/ursula-and-sylvies-debut-duo-album-recording

SULTAN STEVENSON TRIO, MARKET HALL

Sultan Stevenson – piano, Jacob Gryn – double bass, Luke McCarthy – drums

Sultan Stevenson is a young Londoner of Caribbean heritage who studied at the Julian Joseph Jazz Academy and with the Tomorrow’s Warriors organisation. His 2023 debut album “Faithful One” appeared on the Whirlwind record label and attracted the praise of critics and the jazz public alike.

The title of “Faithful One” reflects Stevenson’s Christian faith and his music combines a sense of spirituality with sheer unbounded joyousness. The album was made with the rhythm team of bassist Jacob Gryn and drummer Joel Waters, two more hugely talented young musicians, The recording also features guest appearances from trumpeter Josh Short and tenor saxophonist Denys Baptiste.

Stevenson is a product of Tomorrow’s Warriors, the Julian Joseph Jazz Academy and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. His influences include the spiritual jazz of John Coltrane and Pharaoh Sanders and he also names pianists McCoy Tyner, Duke Ellington, Cyrus Chestnut, Kenny Kirkland, Geri Allen, Thelonious Monk, Wynton Kelly, Herbie Hancock, Bheki Mseleku and Ahmed Jamal as sources of inspiration. Of these Tyner, who played with the legendary Coltrane quartet that recorded “A Love Supreme”, is the most obvious point of reference.

In May 2024 I was fortunate enough to witness the trio of Stevenson, Gryn and Waters perform at that year’s Cheltenham Jazz Festival, an appearance that is reviewed as part of my Festival coverage here;
https://www.thejazzmann.com/features/article/friday-at-cheltenham-jazz-festival-03-05-2024

Earlier in 2025 I enjoyed seeing the trio play again, this time with Luke McCarthy in the drum chair, at an all too rare jazz event at The Edge Arts Centre in Much Wenlock, an event I attended solely as a ‘punter’.

As I opined at the time of the Cheltenham Jazz Festival performance “there’s a bit of a buzz about Sultan Stevenson” and I’m pleased to report that he attracted a pretty substantial crowd to the Market Hall for this early afternoon event.

Stevenson released his second album “El Roi” in March 2025, featuring the trio of himself, Gryn and Waters plus guests Short (trumpet, flugel) and Soweto Kinch (tenor sax). Today’s show commenced with the opening track of the new recording, “Unspeakable Happiness”, which features the two guests but was here presented in a highly interactive trio arrangement. The musical relationship between Stevenson and McCarthy was particularly significant with the pair set up facing each other on stage. The Tyner influence was evident during Stevenson’s virtuoso piano soloing.

The Brecon Festival date was the last of a wider European tour that had seen the trio visit Germany, Poland, France and Bulgaria and the music had been very much ‘played in’. Although rooted in the ‘spiritual jazz’ of the past this was vibrant, often complex contemporary piano jazz of a very high order.

“Free”, which featured at Cheltenham but which is yet to be recorded, commenced with a neatly constructed brushed drum intro from McCarthy. Stevenson then picked out the theme on the piano before soloing more expansively and ecstatically, with McCarthy switching to sticks as the music gathered in terms of momentum and intensity.

Introduced by the combination of piano and double bass “Summer Was Our Holy Place” from the “Faithful One” saw Stevenson again channelling the spirit of Tyner via an expansive and often highly percussive piano solo. This highly effective updating also included features for the excellent bass and drum team of Gryn and McCarthy. The recorded version is very different with Short and Baptiste both making powerful contributions.

“To Be Seen”, from the “Faithful One” recording was introduced by a passage of unaccompanied double bass from Gryn, to which were added the sounds of cymbal shimmers and piano. This was a piece that presented a more thoughtful and lyrical side of Stevenson’s playing, with McCarthy again initially deploying brushes. The composition seemed to grow organically, gathering momentum as McCarthy graduated to sticks. This was a piece that made effective use of dynamic contrasts and which ended almost as quietly as it began.

Gospel music is a particularly significant source of inspiration for Stevenson, as exemplified by his performance of the hymn like solo piano piece “He Has Made Me Whole”. The recorded version on “Faithful One” is presented in trio form with Gryn and Waters providing sensitive support on double bass and brushed drums respectively.

Finally we heard “Safe Passage”, also from Stevenson’s debut. This featured a tumultuous piano solo from the leader which was particularly notable for its strong left hand figures. Stevenson really is a superb technician, in addition to being a composer of considerable ability. The performance also included a feature for rising drum star Luke McCarthy, who has also worked with vibraphonist Jonny Mansfield and with the band Empirical.

The Stevenson trio’s performance was warmly received by the Brecon audience and after the show business at the merch stall was brief with the affable and likeable Stevenson more than happy to sign autographs and pose for photographs with fans. I finally managed to get hold of a CD copy of “Faithful One”, which I’ve enjoyed listening to while writing this.

Stevenson was an artist who very much bought into the spirit of the Festival and I subsequently spotted him on numerous occasions wandering around town soaking up the Festival atmosphere and checking out the other acts.

The only downside was that he’d sold out of his trade mark hats – the Bulgarians loved them apparently. To explain; in addition to his music Stevenson is known for his colourful range of bucket hats, all made and decorated by himself and named for other famous pianists – the Monk, the Tyner etc. Alongside his work as a musician he runs his own hat making business and his unique range of headwear is usually on sale at the merch desk. I remembered that they had also been extremely popular in Cheltenham and over the course of that Festival weekend I spotted numerous people, of all age groups, sporting Sultan Stevenson hats. It was a shame that Brecon had to miss out. Next time, perhaps.

DOUBLE DOUBLE, THE GUILDHALL

Paula Gardiner – double bass, acoustic guitar, Ursula Harrison – double bass, Liz Exell – drums

Over at the Guildhall this special Festival set featured the talents of the mother and daughter team of Paula Gardiner and Ursula Harrison, both known as superb jazz double bass players. They were joined by drummer Liz Exell who has regularly worked with each of them on the fertile Welsh jazz scene.

Before taking up the bass Gardiner’s first instrument was the guitar and it’s an instrument that she still likes to feature as often as she can, although this is something of a rarity thanks to her reputation as a ‘go to’ bassist.

Today’s performance allowed Gardiner to demonstrate both sides of her talent in an unusually configured instrumental trio that delivered an intriguing set of largely original music.

The trio began with a lengthy segue of original compositions beginning with “Double Bows”, which commenced with the sound of Gardiner’s bowed bass, eventually joined by Harrison, also playing arco. The deep, dark and evocative sonorities drew heavily on the avant garde but were thoroughly compelling. For me this represented an unexpectedly thrilling start from a trio who were clearly prepared to ‘push the envelope’.

Exell joined in, adding mallet rumbles and cymbal shimmers, before Gardiner put down the bow and established a more orthodox pizzicato bass groove as Harrison continued to flourish the bow.  Gardiner’s subsequent plucked solo was augmented by Harrison’s startling high register bowing.

Eventually Harrison also switched to the pizzicato technique and together with Exell the two bassists developed a series of deep, but loose limbed grooves that somehow reminded me of the music of the much missed Polar Bear, the music simultaneously highly melodic and deeply rhythmic.

Gardiner subsequently put down her bass and took up her acoustic guitar, subsequently soloing on this instrument as this first sequence, which had also featured the tunes “Pulse”, “Blues in A Minor” and “The SA” finally drew to a close. An adventurous and highly absorbing start.

Gardiner had spent some time in Cape Town between 2008 and 2012, an experience that informed the “The SA” (or maybe even “The Essay”), a title bestowed on Gardiner’s tune by Exell.

“Minor Odyssey”, a second piece in A minor saw Gardiner continuing on guitar and was a composition that was variously inspired by the blues and by a Bach lute suite. Gardiner’s unaccompanied guitar intro was subsequently augmented by Exell’s subtle drum colourations and eventually Harrison’s plucked double bass, her bass groove forming the bedrock for her mother’s subsequent guitar solo, with Gardiner utilising an array of effects pedals.

Gardiner continued on guitar for the next piece, accompanied by an undertow of Harrison’s plucked double bass and Exell’s brushed drums. Harrison subsequently emerged as a double bass soloist, followed by Gardiner on guitar. This twenty minute sequence also saw Gardiner take up the double bass again, her bass groove underpinning a second Harrison bass solo.

Following a wealth of original material the next piece was rather more familiar, the tune “Blues In The Closet”, written by another bassist, the late, great Oscar Pettiford (1922-60). Harrison’s arrangement featured the intertwining lines of the two basses, underscored by Exell’s brushed drums. “Double Double”, indeed.

The new Gardiner composition “Knitting” was inspired by Gardiner’s tenure with a Balkan style band led by guitarist Dylan Fowler. The phrase “I am knitting a jumper” acted as a kind of musical mnemonic for the tune’s complex 11/8 time signature. Gardiner’s expansive guitar solo was propelled by Exell’s drums and Harrison’s vigorously plucked bass, with Gardiner making effective use of her distortion pedal. The “Knitting” title could equally have been applied to the way that the rhythmic lines generated by Gardiner, Harrison and Exell meshed together.

Described by Gardiner as “a beautiful little composition” Harrison’s original tune “Blood” was also given its title by Exell. Introduced by a passage of unaccompanied bass from the composer this was a piece that was possessed with the kind of sombre beauty suggested by its title and also featured the sounds of acoustic guitar and brushed drums. It has to be said that Exell has a way with titles to rival that of Swedish drummer Magnus Ostrom. The former E.S.T. member was invariably responsible for the evocative English language titles that he bestowed upon the instrumental compositions of pianist and leader Esbjorn Svensson.

Gardiner’s guitar also featured on “Bagatelle”, one of her original compositions dating back to 1998. Again she shared the solos with Harrison as Exell provided appropriate drum commentary.

The performance concluded with “Lullaby”, another Gardiner composition featuring her guitar playing as she encouraged the audience to sing along with the tune’s simple melody.

Overall I was impressed by this performance from Double Double, an ensemble that wasn’t afraid to take musical risks and which embraced an admirably wide variety of music. I did rather feel that the trio played their best shots early on and found the pieces featuring the twin double basses more interesting than those featuring guitar. The sound of two double basses interacting still seems exotic and exciting, even though it’s not exactly new – the ECM album “Music From Two Basses” by Dave Holland and Barre Phillips came out in 1971!

It will be interesting to see if Double Double becomes more than just a one off project. There was a lot of excellent original music played here today and it would be interesting to hear the results of a recording session by this trio.

 

BEN SHANKLAND TRIO, BISHOP’S GARDEN

Ben Shankland – electric piano, Josh Vadiveloo – double bass, Dom Holyoake -drums

It has been something of a source of pride for the BJF organisers that the Festival line-up includes not only the BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year, Ursula Harrison, but also her Scottish and Irish counterparts,  pianists Ben Shankland and Nils Kavanagh.

Scotsman Shankland is something of a rising star and Jazzmann contributor Colin May enjoyed a live performance by his trio in Oxford in October 2023. Colin’s review can be found here;
https://www.thejazzmann.com/reviews/review/ben-shankland-trio-the-mad-hatter-oxford-17-10-2023

Colin was very impressed by Shankland and the trio and his favourable comments made me determined to catch something of his set at Bishop’s Garden during a short window between more formal ticketed events. I had also enjoyed hearing Shankland’s playing on the 2023 album “What’s Wrong With Rain?”, a recording by the Birmingham based bassist and composer Thomas Marsh.

I was able to catch around half an hour of Shankland’s set. Playing electric keyboard he favoured an electric piano or ‘Rhodes’ sound and was accompanied by a new trio featuring Birmingham based musicians Josh Vadiveloo on bass and Dom Holyoake drums.

During my short visit I enjoyed a segue of the Shankland original composition “Instinct” and the little known jazz standard “I’m All Smiles”.

The ballad “A.T.” was adedication to Shankland’s grandmother.

Not every tune was announced. The third piece I heard included a drum feature from Holyoake while Vadiveloo featured with a melodic bass solo on a second ballad, a standard I think, although I couldn’t pin down the title.

The last piece I heard was the Shankland original “Looking Glass”, ushered in by Holyoake and featuring solos from Shankland and Vadiveloo. I was to see the bassist again the following day when he performed with saxophonist Soweto Kinch at the Market Hall. More on that later.

I was impressed by Shankland’s playing and writing and would welcome the opportunity of seeing him playing a ‘proper’ piano at a more formal venue. That opportunity may come when he plays for Birmingham Jazz at the 1000 Trades venue in the Jewellery Quarter on September 12th 2025.

I don’t think he’s recorded as a leader yet, but I’d be very interested in hearing the resultant album when he does.

I’m pleased that I was able to catch something of this set. An exciting new discovery and a name to watch out for in the future.

 

REMI HARRIS HOT CLUB TRIO, THE GUILDHALL

Remi Harris – lead guitars (acoustic & electric), Tom Moore – double bass, Chris Nesbitt – acoustic rhythm guitar

One of the fastest selling tickets at the 2025 BJF was for guitarist Remi Harris and his Hot Club Trio.

Herefordshire born, Worcestershire based Harris is something of a local hero in the Midlands and the Welsh Marches but has also developed into a musician with a national reputation. This is largely based on the consistent excellence of his live performances. Audiences at a Remi Harris show tend to come back for more. The fact that Harris gigs almost relentlessly has seen him develop a loyal and massive (in jazz terms) following both locally and nationally, basically deploying the same kind of work ethic that turned Pat Metheny into a jazz superstar.

Harris doesn’t possess Metheny’s compositional ability but he is an absolutely brilliant guitarist with technique to burn. And he’s not just the master of one style of music. Harris may have made his name as a gypsy jazz guitarist in the style of Django Reinhardt but he was first inspired to play guitar by listening to his dad’s Led Zeppelin records and retains a fondness for rock and blues music.

In recent years Harris has brought elements of this back into his jazz performances. Far from alienating his jazz fan base he has actually increased his following and his live shows have become more interesting and varied as a result. Even Harris himself has admitted that playing Hot Club style music exclusively can become restrictive and he has welcomed the opportunity to revisit his rock and blues roots.

His current projects include his Hot Club Trio, which focusses, but not exclusively, on gypsy jazz. Then there’s Man Of The World, a tribute to Fleetwood Mac founder Peter Green, an electric quartet that includes vocalist Dave Small and drummer Shane Dixon. Bassist Tom Moore features in both groups, playing double bass with one and electric bass with the other.

Recently Harris’ electric band have been playing gigs under the name The Remi Harris Rock and Blues Roadshow, which has seen them broadening their repertoire to include material by Led Zeppelin, Rory Gallagher, Free, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Jimi Hendrix and more. I recently saw this version of the band give a terrific performance at The Marr’s Bar in Worcester, another show that I attended as a ‘punter’.

As a resident of Harris’ local area I get to see a lot of his shows either in my capacity as a reviewer or as a satisfied audience member. I can honestly say that I’ve never witnessed bad one. In April 2025, with my reviewer’s hat on, I covered a brilliant Hot Club Trio performance at a sold out Kidderminster Jazz Club, which is reviewed here;
https://www.thejazzmann.com/reviews/review/remi-harris-hot-club-trio-kidderminster-jazz-club-st-ambrosess-parish-centre-kidderminster-worcs-04-04-2025

Today’s Festival performance maintained the customary high standards and even though I’d seen much of the material performed on numerous previous occasions it was still a hugely enjoyable musical experience.

Harris set his stall out early on, combining his love of jazz and pop with a gypsy jazz arrangement of The Beatles song “Can’t Buy Me Love”, which has proved to be a popular addition to Harris’ Hot Club repertoire.

A more conventional Hot Club number followed, an arrangement of “Honeysuckle Rose”, a song written in 1929 by Fats Waller and subsequently recorded by Reinhardt and violinist Stephane Grapelli, In addition to Harris’ own virtuoso guitar soloing this piece was also a feature for bassist Tom Moore, a graduate of the Jazz Course at Birmingham Conservatoire.

A passage of unaccompanied guitar from the leader introduced “Pennies From Heaven”, with Moore subsequently picking up the melody on the bass as he duetted with Harris. The introduction of Nesbitt’s rhythm guitar saw the music accelerating in true Hot Club style, prompting another dazzling solo from Harris and a further bass feature from Moore.

The next piece was unannounced but featured Harris’ use of a finger slide as he merged gypsy jazz with elements of blues. I suspect that this may have been the gypsy jazz staple “Joseph, Joseph”, a tune on which he ha deployed slide in the past. Again the pace of the song accelerated prompting further exhilarating solos from Harris and Moore. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Moore featured quite so prominently at a Harris show before.

Harris moved to electric guitar for the Peter Green song “I Loved Another Woman”, a blues featuring gently keening electric guitar underpinned by Moore’s double bass and Nesbitt’s acoustic guitar strum.

This was followed by an effective Harris arrangement of the Duke Ellington tune “In A Sentimental Mood”, an ingenious adaptation that saw the Ellington song re-imagined in the style of Green. In addition to Harris’ own soloing Moore’s melodic double bass was also featured.

Harris is a true guitar fanatic and he now unveiled a beautiful resonator guitar of a type also played by Green and Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler among others. He deployed this to perform a blues infused arrangement of the classic Nat Adderley composition “Work Song” as he shared the solos with Moore.

It was back to Reinhardt style acoustic guitar for a playful Hot Cub style arrangement of the Duke Ellington / Billy Strayhorn composition “Take The A Train”, with solos from Harris and Moore plus a further series of exhilarating guitar and bass exchanges.

A gypsy jazz version of “Exactly Like You” followed in an arrangement by rhythm guitarist Chris Nesbitt.

A closing medley commenced with “Embers”, a Harris original actually written around a campfire. This short but attractive solo guitar piece was segued with a gypsy jazz style arrangement of the jazz standard “All of Me” that included solos from Harris and Moore and which incorporated another unaccompanied guitar passage from the leader.

The deserved encore saw Harris reverting to electric guitar for the performance of a George Benson tune, which I think was “The Man From Toledo”, a song that has featured in previous Hot Club Trio set lists. This was notable for Nesbitt’s only solo of the evening as he followed Harris and Moore.

The biggest Guildhall crowd of the weekend gave Harris and the trio a terrific reception, the audience comprised both of seasoned Harris admirers and excited first timers. The gig was a triumph for Harris and I’m sure he made a lot of new fans today.

Moore and Nesbitt played their part too, the former is a brilliant bass soloist and a highly capable and versatile accompanist.

Nesbitt was content to focus on rhythm guitar duties all night, a specialist, much like Dave Kelbie. However his contribution shouldn’t be under rated, his playing in this vital role, allied to Moore’s bass playing, provided the necessary impetus for Harris’ guitar pyrotechnics and Moore’s regular forays into the spotlight. As I’ve said before this trio is a phenomenally tight unit and the playing of the unsung Nesbitt is a vital component of it.

The only damper on the day’s proceedings was the absence of Harris’ wife and manager Dani who is currently recovering from an operation to remove a brain tumour. All at The Jazzmann wish her well and hope that she makes a full recovery. I wasn’t able to convey these thoughts to Remi on Saturday, he was besieged by well wishers, but I hope he reads them here. We are thinking of you both. And as ever, thanks for another great musical performance.

 

GEOFF EALES TRIO, MEMORIAL THEATRE, CHRIST COLLEGE

Geoff Eales – piano, Matt Ridley – double bass, Sophie Alloway – drums

Pianist Geoff Eales, originally from Aberbargoed in the Welsh Valleys, spent forty eight years living in London but has recently returned to Wales.

During the course of a lengthy musical career dating back to the 1970s Eales has established himself as one of the UK’s leading jazz pianists and his music has explored a wide variety of jazz genres as well as embracing classical, folk and world music influences – and much more besides.  Eales’ website http://www.geoffeales.com offers an insight into the sheer breadth and variety of the pianist’s musical activities.

The Jazzmann has reviewed a number of Eales’ recordings, these embracing a variety of musical styles and featuring a number of different line ups. I’ve also enjoyed a number of live performances by various Eales groups, including several previous Brecon Jazz Festival appearances.

The 2024 BJF saw Eales performing a hugely successful ‘Homecoming’ concert at The Guildhall in the company of bassist Ursula Harrison and drummer Liz Exell, effectively the Festival rhythm section.

This year’s show in the comfortable environs of the Memorial Theatre at Christ College saw Eales paying with his old London colleagues Matt Ridley on double bass and Sophie Alloway at the drums, a veritable Rolls Royce of a rhythm section.

The programme featured a mix of jazz standards, original compositions and homages to some of Eales’ favourite jazz pianists. With other events taking place around the town concurrently this year’s event didn’t attract as many watchers as the 2024 BJF show but those that went elsewhere contrived to miss what was one of the outstanding gigs of the Festival.

Eales himself was in terrific form, and benefited enormously from the presence of a wonderful grand piano, which presumably belongs to the College. He was given brilliant support by the stellar rhythm team of Ridley and Alloway, both in huge demand on the London jazz scene and both bandleaders in their own right.

The trio commenced with a swinging version of the Victor Young composition “Beautiful Love”, which included virtuoso solos from Eales and Ridley, plus a drum feature from Alloway that incorporated a series of scintillating exchanges with Eales.  This was a good introduction to the individual musical voices within a tight and highly interactive trio. In truth many of the pieces performed this evening followed a very similar format, but with playing of this quality that hardly seemed to matter.

Next up was another well known standard, “Stella by Starlight”, introduced by a passage of unaccompanied piano that combined silvery, shimmering right hand arpeggios with deep, dense left hand figures, all a reminder, perhaps, of Eales’ classical heritage. The addition of double bass and brushed drums saw the music gather momentum with Eales soloing in more conventional jazz fashion, followed by further features for Ridley and Alloway.

A Latin style arrangement of “On Green Dolphin Street”, another familiar jazz standard, was again ushered in by a passage of solo piano, this incorporating a quote from Sonny Rollins’ “St. Thomas”. Once again there were also features for Ridley and Alloway.

Things quietened down a little with “Blame It On My Youth”, the most famous composition by the polymath Oscar Levant. Again introduced by a passage of solo piano this ballad arrangement included brushed drums and a melodic bass solo from Ridley, who also flourished the bow at the close.

“Someday My Prince Will Come”, from the Disney movie Snow White, maintained the relaxed mood with Alloway again deploying brushes until the music began to gather momentum. A playful Eales squeezed a number of amusing musical quotes into his solo and that playfulness extended into the series of musical exchanges between himself and Alloway that led up to a rousing collective finish.

The first of Eales’ originals was “The Battle Of Bryn Owain”, honouring a Welsh victory over the English in 1402 at a battle fought at Stalling Down, just outside the town of Cowbridge. Eales’ highly percussive, Tyner-esque piano, allied to the robust rhythms laid down by Ridley and Alloway was meant to signify the “blood and guts” of the battle. Once again Ridley and Alloway enjoyed individual features, with Alloway’s drum solo combining power with a neat construction.

A run of original compositions continued with “Celtic Roots”, a homage to Eales’ Welsh heritage expressed via a simple, folkish melody that formed the basis for the solos of both Eales and Ridley.

“Return To The Home Country” completed this sequence, commencing with a passage of solo piano before developing to include the soloing of Eales and Ridley, the pianist cheekily inserting a quote from “Sospan Fach” into his solo, to the amusement of the audience.

A temporary return to the standards repertoire saw the trio tackling “If I Were A Bell”, a Frank Loesser song from the musical “Guys and Dolls”. Again this incorporated solos from both Eales and Ridley.

The trio had already been playing for well over an hour when Eales announced that the next batch of tunes would be pieces paying homage to four of his favourite jazz pianists, namely Bill Evans, Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett and Oscar Peterson. In 2007 Eales released he album “Jazz Piano Legends” and the pieces that he was intending to play here all appear on there. In 2016 he brought the project to BJF for a performance in the ballroom at the Castle Hotel.

The first piece we heard was Evans’ “Waltz For Debby”, a delightful performance of this much loved classic featuring the sounds of brushed drums and the lyrical soloing of Eales and Ridley.

However on a very hot evening the bassist was clearly struggling – apparently no bottles of water had been provided backstage apparently and Ridley begged a drink from a member of the audience.

With this in mind Eales took the reluctant decision to cut the Corea and Jarrett tributes but felt obliged to honour Oscar Peterson in the centenary of Peterson’s birth. Thus the evening concluded with a rollicking rendition of “Night Train”, a tune written by Jimmy Forrest but indelibly associated with Peterson. This included solos from Eales and Ridley plus an effervescent series of exchanges between Eales and Alloway.

Eales had clearly enjoyed himself immensely, as had his audience, and despite the omission of the Corea and Jarrett tunes the trio had played for an hour and three quarters, easily the longest set of the Festival. With no pressure on them to finish to make way for another act they were able to play on, and would probably have hit the two hour mark if the other two tributes had been included. No wonder Ridley was flagging.

Nevertheless this gig was one of the best of the Festival, a real highlight that featured some terrific playing from an exceptional trio.

 

RUBY TURNER, MARKET HALL

Ruby Turner – vocals, Nick Marland – guitar, Jason Thompson – keyboards, Clint Williams – electric bass, Simon Moore – drums

The fact that the Geoff Eales gig overran by about half an hour meant that we missed the start of the Ruby Turner gig at a sold out Market Hall.

We arrived as Turner was delivering a version of “This Train” and were immediately impressed by the soulfulness and sheer power of her singing. What a voice!

Jamaican born but Birmingham raised Turner’s music is rooted in soul, blues, r & b and gospel. She’s had a number of hit singles and successful albums, worked as an actress and in addition to her success as a solo performer is also a featured vocalist with the Jools Holland R & B Orchestra, where she regularly steals the show. She has also been a featured vocalist on recordings by Steve Winwood, Bryan Ferry, UB40 and Mick Jagger.

Not surprisingly this was a gig that got people up and dancing and as a late arrival I spent the rest of the gig on my feet, so this won’t be my usual song by song account.

Turner was supported by a well drilled band with guitarist Nick Marland and keyboard player Jason Thompson both delivering plenty of neat and tasty solos while bassist Clint Williams and drummer Simon Moore provided plenty of rhythmic drive.

From Turner’s 2020 album “Love Was Here” the break up song “Why Didn’t We Try?” was given a powerful and emotional reading and included a particularly arresting section featuring just the raw soulfulness of Turner’s voice allied to Thompson’s piano.

“Stay With Me” was Turner’s last top forty hit in 1994. Originally recorded by the American soul singer Lorraine Ellison in 1966 it has been transformed by Turner into a lighter waving power ballad, with tonight’s version including another voice and piano sequence. Thompson impressed throughout and one suspects that he may act as Turner’s musical director, although I have no concrete evidence for that.

In between songs Turner told us something about her acting career as a member of the Company at the Bristol Old Vic and playing the character of Eunice in the Tennessee Williams play “A Streetcar Named Desire”.

The Old Vic production of “Streetcar” featured a soundtrack by Turner that was later released as an EP that included the song “That’s My Desire”. Tonight this was performed as voice and piano duet. It’s a composition with the feel of a jazz ‘torch song’ and featured Turner’s gospel tinged, Billie Holiday-esque vocals augmented by the sensitive accompaniment and soloing of the consistently impressive Thompson.

From the same EP “Blow Top Blues” featured the entire band and included solos from Thompson and the similarly impressive Marland.

The guitarist was also to feature with a slide solo on “Under Your Sky”, another song from the “Love Was Here” album. Combining elements of blues and gospel this song saw Thompson adopting an organ sound.

Soul and gospel combined on Curtis Mayfield’s “People Get Ready”, written for his group The Impressions and a song that became a signature tune of the Civil Rights movement.

“Runaway”, also from the “Love Was Here” album incorporated extensive features for bassist Clint Williams, whose solo incorporated slap bass techniques, and drummer Simon Moore.

The show closed with Turner’s interpretation of Etta James’ much covered soul / blues classic “I’d Rather Go Blind”. Turner’s version was a hit single for her back in 1986 and remains a staple of her live shows. Tonight’s rendition featured a series of dynamic contrasts with voice and piano episodes alternating with full band passages, including the powerful blues guitar soloing of Marland. This eventually lead to a resounding closing section featuring the extraordinary, highly impassioned vocalising of the remarkable Turner.

This was a show that I enjoyed far more than I thought I might. Turner proved to a superb vocalist and an engaging stage presence and her band was an admirably tight and disciplined unit that also contained some excellent individual soloists. It was my first time at a Ruby Turner gig, I’d always considered her a bit too mainstream for my personal tastes, but based on this performance I’d certainly be happy to go and see her again – and for the whole show next time.

 

 

 

 

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