What a pleasure to hear and see this band of top-class musicians so obviously enjoying themselves, playing the music they love with colleagues whom they so clearly respect and want to play with! This was so much more than a competent trot through standards; Mark Nightingale has written new arrangements for the sextet, and his formidable arranging skills and encyclopaedic range of influences ensured that every tune sounded fresh, with new twists and musical surprises emerging even on old warhorses like “A Night in Tunisia”.
The concept was to take well-loved standards which had all been originally written as instrumentals (though some have had words added subsequently) and to write demanding arrangements for this particular rhythm section and group of soloists. The idea worked for me, more than a recent gig I went to whose concept was to play little-known tunes by great composers … maybe they are little known for a reason!
The band opened with “Straight No Chaser”, after which Mark kindly explained that the arrangement included no less than 18 quotes from other Monk numbers. I felt ashamed – I think I caught three. Bebop imbued the arrangement and the solos throughout (and indeed much of the rest of the gig); “A Night in Tunisia” came next followed by “Round Midnight”, then a brief excursion into Herbie Hancock territory with “Cantaloupe Island”. “Ornithology” closed the first set; I was grateful for Mark’s explanation beforehand that “there are so many notes to fit in that the bars are 6/4 instead of 4/4”! For me the idea worked brilliantly and typified the originality and creativity which musicians of this calibre can deploy on a tune they must all have played literally hundreds of times before.
The second set opened with a fast version of “Desafinado” with James Davison on flugel. This was technically brilliant, especially the ensemble bebop version of the head as the outro, but I personally would rather have heard it played slower and the tune caressed – exactly as Alan Barnes did beautifully with “Take Five”, mainly accompanied just by Graham Harvey. “Skylark” and Kenny Barron’s “Voyage” followed, and the set closed with a rip-roaring “St Thomas”, with Mark’s trombone doing a great job of imitating the hooter of the steamer entering the island’s harbour.
Alan Barnes unselfishly asked Mark Nightingale to announce most of the tunes, which he did with typical wit and erudition, but took over the mike himself occasionally to ensure that the audience appreciated Mark’s arrangements. They clearly did, and also his remarkable command of his instrument, surely unmatched in this country. Alan Barnes is of course equally a master of the alto sax; it gave me enormous pleasure to see the much younger James Davison (ex-NYJO, like Mark) holding his own in the front line with these two maestros.
Among the many impressive things about the band was the way they combined the ability to sight-read ferociously demanding brand-new arrangements and solo creatively when asked to do so. I found myself wondering, “What is the equivalent situation for equally outstanding musicians working exclusively in western classical music?” I’m sure they must have equally enjoyable musical experiences – but I struggle to see how they can equate to the extraordinary range of abilities on show with an improvising band like this one. A great evening of marvellous music by wonderful musicians to an appreciative full house. Please keep doing it, we love it.
Personnel
Alan Barnes alto sax
Mark Nightingale trombone & all arrangements
James Davison trumpet & flugelhorn
Graham Harvey piano
Jeremy Brown double bass
Ian Thomas drums
