JAZZ AT MY TABLE NEWS AND VIEWS
WITH THE JAZZ CLUB OF WA AT YOKINE
We took a drive out to Yokine last Tuesday to take in Phil Hatton and His Manhattons at the weekly session of the Jazz Club of WA. It was a very pleasant evening in the company of the Club members and thanks go to President Catarina Ranieri and her committee colleagues for making us feel very welcome. There was wine and beer on tap and we had a decent meal while listening to some great New Orleans and Dixieland style jazz from Phil and the band. The dance floor at the Yokine Bowling Club was also well used throughout the session as members gave expression to their terpsichorean energies.
The music was great. Most would call it “trad” although it was clear from the band’s book that the music came straight out of New Orleans and Dixieland. There were a good few numbers from Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, Kid Ory and the like which the band handled very capably and very honestly, without the frills and flounces sometimes associated with trad jazz. These are accomplished musicians and, knowing Phil from his other musical personalities, able to express their versatility well. Benn Hodgkin’s driving trumpet was straight out of New Orleans and reminded me of some of those old timers I have seen (Alvin Alcorn comes to mind). Steve Searle’s shouting, gutbucket trombone gave a wise nod to Kid Ory while the leader’s mainly clarinet solos were fine examples of the art of New Orleans clarinet (he reminded me particularly of Jimmie Noone) with no unnecessary fripperies. Tony Celeberti, hidden behind his instrument, gave a solid display of mostly accompaniment and Manoli Voyucoulis provided the strong bass lines necessary for a band like this. Kim Anning on guitar and banjo was, as always, creative and versatile and Will Chew, who must have lowered the average age of the band by a good few years, did not attempt showiness but kept time like all good New Orleans drummers do (hear Zutty Singleton, for example). But when he was invited to take a solo (on Woody Herman’s “Golden Wedding”) he took his chance and showed his great technical ability. It was a good night out and you can experience it too, every Tuesday from 7.30 pm at the Yokine Bowling Club, $15 for members and $20 for non-members.
A NIGHT AT KALAMUNDA JAZZ CLUB
I happened on Kalamunda Jazz Club at around the point when it was celebrating its first anniversary. Congratulations to them and to all those who promote live jazz in Western Australia and across the country. The Club meets at the spacious Kalamunda Hotel in the heart of beautiful Kalamunda and you can have a fine meal from the varied menu before settling down to some great music in the intimate surroundings of an upstairs room with bar attached.
The Kalamunda Jazz Club concept is simple – you put seasoned musicians in a room and you play. It’s like a good old fashioned jam session, no rehearsals and relying on the wits and the musicianship of the artists. What a great evening!! Good vocal jazz from that fine singer Brenda Lee who gave us solid jazz standards and a second set that was devoted to Latin. The introduction of bongos to the line up for that second set gave it authenticity and you could feel the temperature rising a few degrees. Brenda got down and dirty with her vocals which were full of spice and sensuality. Also appearing to great effect was vocalist Tania Sims whose “blues shouting” style evoked singers as far back as Bessie Smith. She has a great future.
Thanks to Rob Anderson for putting all this together and for investing his love and passion for the music into a venture that has grown over the past 12 months into a regular feature of the live jazz calendar. The quartet is the “house band” and they invite guest singers and musicians to join them. So far the Club has featured Joyce Mathers, Libby Hammer, Catherine Summers, Simone Craddock, Harry Deluxe, Brenda Lee Jazz, Brenton Fosdike and blues guitarists Kerry B Ryan and Steve Rae. The full line up of the band is Rob Anderson (clarinet, sax and guitar), Tony Celeberti (piano), Jonathan Chen (bass) and Richard Pooley (drums). David Lazaro joined on bongos and the singers were Brenda Lee and Tania Sims. The Kalamunda Jazz Club meets on the second Thursday of every month at 7.30 pm at the Kalamunda Hotel. Check out their facebook page.
JAZZ FREMANTLE REVIEWS
MIA SIMONETTE AND THE DANNY MOSS JR. TRIO (SUNDAY 29th NOVEMBER 2020)
Long-time Jazz Fremantle Secretary Pamela Synes has noted that the closure of the West Australian borders owing to COVID-19 has meant that our musicians aren’t going anywhere (see below). And as we have some of the finest musicians around, it means that venues such as Jazz Fremantle can attract the best. On Sunday 29th November we were treated to the best – the sweet, soulful and melodic vocals of Mia Simonette accompanied by a world class trio led by Danny Moss Jr. Danny himself noted that the trio had been playing together for three years now and the interaction between and sheer cohesion and class of the three musicians aptly demonstrated this.
Adrian Galante (piano and clarinet) is simply world class except that the world doesn’t have access yet. So we can bask in the glory of his remarkable talent. Danny Moss Jr. (bass) is already the well known son of a famous jazz father (British saxophonist, the late Danny Moss), while Bronton Ainsworth (drums) has become a much sought-after rock-solid drummer on the local jazz scene. Each of the three sets led off with instrumentals from the trio opening the way to Mia Simonette’s vocals. Mia’s voice has matured rapidly into a sweet and sensuous instrument equally adept at lyrical ballads and up-tempo swingers. It was noted that she is, in effect, the fourth member of the band and it shows in the magnificent empathy between all four.
Highlights for me, well who cannot be wowed by Adrian’s voluptuous version of Michel Legrand’s “The Summer Knows” (from the movie “Summer of ’42”) that left us simply breathless. Mia’s treatment of sultry ballads such as “Alfie”, “Blame It On My Youth” and the little- heard “Baby You’re My Cente-piece” and her uptempo swinging through the standards – “Fascinating Rhythm”, “‘Swonderful” and “Cheek To Cheek”. The interplay of the trio was manifest through the instrumentals and I particularly like the treatment of the oddity “How are Things in Glocca Morra” (not really an Irish village although many have tried to find it!!) and the smooth rendition of Basie’s “Corner Pocket” – Basie meets Oscar Peterson!!
In all, a faultless and rip-roaring concert. I defy anyone to find any better anywhere in the world!!
JAZZ AT MY TABLE PHOTOS
