Nick Dewhurst – trumpet, flugel horn, guitar, valve trombone, Tom Lindsay – keyboard, vocals, Ben Markland – double bass, electric bass, Jonathan Silk – drums

An excellent turnout on a summer’s evening for the latest Corn Exchange Jazz Club presentation and a visit from a quartet led by the Lichfield based multi-instrumentalist and composer Nick Dewhurst.

I first encountered the playing of a then very young Dewhurst back in 2009 when he led his quintet Funktional at the 2009 Lichfield Real Ale, Jazz & Blues Festival. At the time the teenage Dewhurst was a student on the Jazz Course at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and the youthful quintet delivered an impressive set that mixed Dewhurst originals with tunes by such celebrated jazz composers as Herbie Hancock, Jimmy Smith and Darius Brubeck. Dewhurst featured on both trumpet and guitar and I noted at the time “Young Mr. Dewhurst is certainly a name to watch for in the future. “It was a well received set in front of a supportive home town crowd and my full account of Funktional’s performance can be found as part of my RAJB Festival coverage here;
https://www.thejazzmann.com/features/article/sunday-at-lichfield-real-ale-jazz-and-blues-festival-2009

Since those now far off days I’ve continued to keep an eye on Dewhurst’s career and we’ve retained a degree of contact, so I didn’t feel that I could miss his visit to Ross.

In 2011 he guested at that year’s RAJB with pianist and composers Tim Amman’s Xtet group. The following year I saw Dewhurst perform again at the 2012 Cheltenham Jazz Festival when he was part of the annual Birmingham / Trondheim Jazz Exchange event.

In 2014 he was part of the NYJO line up that appeared at the now sadly defunct Titley Jazz Festival in my native Herefordshire. In 2016 Dewhurst ‘depped’ very impressively with trombonist Tom Green’s septet at a Shrewsbury Jazz Network gig at The Hive venue.

I’ve also reviewed his playing on disc, most notably as a member of the Charlie Bates Big Band on the impressive 2017 album “Silhouettes”. Review here;
https://www.thejazzmann.com/reviews/review/the-charlie-bates-big-band-silhouettes

Dewhurst also appears as a member of the Birmingham Jazz Orchestra on the 2016 compilation album “Jazzdosnaygrowontrees - Jazz at the Spotted Dog”, a recording jointly co-ordinated by the Birmingham based musicians Richard Foote (trombone) and tonight’s drummer Jonathan Silk.

Since graduating from Birmingham with First Class Honours Dewhurst has continued to be an important figure on the Midlands jazz scene in a variety of capacities. He’s been a member of both the Midlands Youth Jazz Orchestra and the National Youth Jazz Orchestra (MYJO and NYJO) and has worked with the Syd Lawrence Orchestra. Meanwhile his early days of playing guitar in rock bands have not entirely been forgotten and he’s recorded with the heavy rock group Magnum.

As the leader of his own Nick Dewhurst Band he has released two albums, “Suspect in You” (2016) and “Skyrocket” (2019). Both recordings feature some of the Midlands’ leading jazz musicians and “Skyrocket” also includes a special guest appearance from the celebrated trombonist Dennis Rollins. The albums even feature some tunes dating back to the Funktional days in addition to more recent band originals

In addition to the NDB Dewhurst also leads the Swingin’ Standards Trio, the Fusion Line Quartet and performs in a guitar duo with six string specialist Tom Morgan. Dewhurst is a highly versatile musician who also presents jazz themed Christmas shows and leads Party at The Jazz Club, a jazz / dance ensemble developed in association with the Matt & Phred’s Jazz Club in Manchester.

Dewhurst also plays with the Lichfield Jazz Big Band and the Walsall Jazz Orchestra, two of the Midlands’ leading large ensembles.

As a Lichfield native Dewhurst continues to make a major contribution to the jazz scene of his home city and is a director of the annual Lichfield Jazz and Blues Festival.

He is also an acclaimed jazz educator and has recorded backing tracks for aspiring musicians to practise their improvisations to. These can be accessed via his Youtube channel and Bandcamp page. He has also published the music instruction book “Fun & Funky Tunes”.

Further details of all Dewhurst’s musical activities can be found on his website at http://www.nickdewhurst.com

The quartet version of the Nick Dewhurst Band that came to Ross included some of the Midlands’ leading jazz musicians and included bassist Ben Markland and drummer Jonathan Silk, both regular presences on the Jazzmann webpages. Markland has featured as the leader of his own groups and also with bands variously led by trumpeter Bryan Corbett, saxophonists Chris Bowden and Casey Greene and vocalist Sara Colman.

Drummer and composer Silk is the leader of his own big band, with whom he released the splendid album “Fragment” in 2016. He has also led the innovative FORJ Quartet. Originally from Scotland he is a key figure on the Midlands jazz scene as a promoter and educator and as a prolific sideman. As a drummer his credits include recordings with trumpeter Tom Syson, jazz composer Tom Haines, vocalist Sara Colman and pianist Jacky Naylor.  A skilled orchestrator, he also provided the string arrangements for Colman’s album “What We’re Made Of”.He has been part of the Birmingham bands Trope and Young Pilgrims and has toured nationally with saxophonist Soweto Kinch’s trio.
Review of the “Fragment” album here;
https://www.thejazzmann.com/reviews/review/jonathan-silk-fragment

New to me was pianist and vocalist Tom Lindsay, who appears on Dewhurst’s “Suspect in You” recording. Dewhurst returns the favour and is featured on Lindsay’s own album, “Now’s The Time”, which was released in 2019. Influenced pianistically by Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett and vocally by Kurt Elling and Diana Krall Lindsay is also inspired by music at the funkier end of the jazz spectrum, including Snarky Puppy, Jamiroquai and Vulfpeck.

During the course of this evening’s performance the affable Dewhurst and his Band delivered on the leader’s promise of a mix of jazz standards, original compositions and tunes written by, or associated with, Dewhurst’s favourite jazz trumpeters.

First up was the original “Bird Street Blues”,  the title a nod to a thoroughfare in Lichfield’s own “Jazz Quarter” and the street that is home to the George Hotel, one of the city’s leading jazz venues. Deliberately written with a New Orleans feel this piece was introduced by Dewhurst on trumpet and Markland on electric bass, with drums and electric piano subsequently added. Dewhurst stated the theme and took the first solo, and in addition to the New Orleans stylings there was also something of a funk undertow, as characterised by the use of electric bass and electric piano, with keyboard player Lindsay the next to solo. The subsequent dialogue between Markland and Silk evolved into a full on drum feature before Dewhurst returned to restate the theme. A good introduction to to the playing of all the band members this piece represented a lively and attention grabbing start.

There was a change of style and pace as the quartet demonstrated their gentler side with a Clifford Brown inspired version of “Easy Living”, a tune described by Dewhurst as “a lovely and lyrical ballad”. This featured the sounds of flugelhorn, double bass, brushed drums, and Lindsay’s electric keyboard on an ‘acoustic piano’ setting. Dewhurst’s mellow theme statement was followed by Lindsay’s ‘acoustic’ piano solo and the performance included a delightful solo flugel cadenza at the close.

The Dewhurst Band are currently working on their third album and it is intended that several of the original compositions that were played tonight will subsequently appear on that recording. Among these is the Latin / Brazilian styled tune “Sunset with Santana”, which represented Dewhurst’s first outing on guitar. The outrageously talented Dewhurst is more than ‘handy’ on his ‘second’ instrument and his guitar soloing actually reminded me more of George Benson than Carlos Santana – but what the hey?  Dewhurst was followed by Lindsay on ‘acoustic ‘ piano and Markland on electric bass. A guitar and drum dialogue was followed by a closing solo guitar passage that offered further evidence of Dewhurst’s six string virtuosity.

Another first with Lindsay’s vocal feature on his own arrangement of “If I Were A Bell”, a song that also appears on his “Now’s The Time” album.  I know it was written as a song for the musical “Guys and Dolls” but I’m more accustomed to hearing it as a jazz instrumental, by Miles Davis, among others, so seeing it being delivered as a vocal item once more took a bit of getting used to. Lindsay’s arrangement made good use of dynamics and featured his singing and piano playing alongside the sounds of flugel, double bass and Silk’s economical drumming.

Dewhurst’s second outing on guitar was an arrangement of the Erroll Garner composition “Misty”, still performed as a ballad but given a kind of 12/8 gospel vibe with Lindsay adjusting his keyboard settings to an organ sound and with Markland still on double bass. Dewhurst stated the theme and took the first solo, followed by Lindsay, who switched to an electric piano sound when soloing but reverted to organ when playing behind the guitar. The piece ended with an unaccompanied guitar cadenza.

The first set concluded with the title track of “Suspect in You”, an early Dewhurst original. This saw the leader returning to the trumpet and sharing the solos with Lindsay, who this time deployed an organ sound throughout. With Markland still featuring on double this piece was crowned by a dynamic drum feature from Silk, this representing a high energy conclusion to an excellent first half.

The second set mirrored the first by kicking off in a New Orleans style with an arrangement of “Bourbon Street Parade”, complete with military style drum rhythms and the leader’s strident trumpet soloing. Lindsay was also featured on piano and Markland on double bass before a series of closing drum breaks.

Dewhurst’s list of favourite trumpeters includes Dizzy Gillespie and the quartet’s version of the Gillespie / Charlie Parker composition “Groovin’ High” nodded both in the direction of bebop and Gillespie’s love of Cuban music with an arrangement inspired by Arturo Sandoval’s recording of the piece. With Markland on electric bass this was a high energy version that included solos from Lindsay on piano and Dewhurst on trumpet and incorporated a drum feature for the excellent Silk. Dewhurst’s stunning, high register trumpeting at the close represented a direct nod to both Gillespie and Sandoval.

This set’s vocal item was Lindsay’s own arrangement of the Duke Ellington / Billy Strayhorn composition “Take The A Train”, which also appears on “Now’s The Time”. I found this far more convincing and enjoyable and enjoyed the exchanges between Lindsay’s piano and Dewhurst’s guitar. A spirited, blues tinged interpretation of the song saw a further series of exchanges between Lindsay and Silk and also involved a degree of audience participation, with the crowd responding well to Lindsay’s exhortations.

Dewhurst is an admirer of the French trumpeter and composer Nicolas Folmer a regular performer at Paris’ famous Duc de Lombardes jazz club. The quartet’s version of his composition “James”, not to be confused with the at Metheny tune of the same name, was an unexpected set highlight. With Markland on electric bass this was a strikingly contemporary slice of jazz fusion with stop-start staccato rhythms framing solos from Dewhurst on trumpet and Lindsay on electric piano, the latter affecting a dirty and authentic Rhodes sound.

Another new original tune scheduled for the new album “Blues for Dave” was described by Dewhurst as a “cheeky little blues”.  It’s a joint dedication to Birmingham based keyboard player Dave Ferris and Lichfield based drummer Dave Tandy but was also dedicated tonight to Dave Logan, organiser of the Corn Exchange Jazz Club, who had set up this evening’s hugely successful event but was too unwell to attend on the night. This was a simple but genuine blues and an excellent framework for the soloing of Dewhurst on guitar, Markland on electric bass and Lindsay on organ, plus a full on drum feature from Silk.

Miles Davis had already been honoured, albeit rather obliquely, on Lindsay’s vocal version of “If I Were A Bell”. A version of the Davis / Victor Feldman composition “Seven Steps To Heaven” represented a more direct homage, albeit one inspired by a recording of the piece by the German trumpeter and vocalist Til Bronner. With Dewhurst on flugel, Markland on double bass and Lindsay on ‘acoustic’ piano this piece had a more orthodox jazz feel. Markland took the first solo, followed by Lindsay, whose piano solo incorporated a series of exchanges with Silk’s drums.

The deserved encore saw Dewhurst referring to the fact that the gig had been advertised as featuring the Nick Dewhurst Quintet. Feeling guilty at bringing a four piece band he now introduced the ‘fifth’ member, Dewhurst himself playing yet another instrument, in this case the valve trombone, as made famous by Bob Brookmeyer. This saw the group affecting a ‘West Coast Jazz’ sound on “Bernie’s Tune”, with Dewhurst displaying an impressive fluency on his ‘third’ instrument, one I’d never seen him play before. Further solos came from Lindsay on piano and Markland on double bass, with the latter evolving into a dialogue with Silk’s brushed drums.

This had been an enjoyable evening of jazz that included some excellent playing and singing, with Dewhurst displaying a frankly astonishing level of proficiency on four different instruments!

The instrumental virtuosity and versatility was complemented by an admirably diverse programme that mixed standards and originals and embraced a variety of jazz styles, with the group’s own tunes more than holding their own.

It was a set that was very well received by the Ross crowd and it was a shame that Dave Logan couldn’t be there to see it. All at The Jazzmann wish him well.

Thanks to Nick Dewhurst for chatting with me after the show and thus maintaining our long running association. On the evidence of tonight’s performance that third album from the Nick Dewhurst Band will be very keenly anticipated.

 

 

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