Asked to justify the low level of grant support for jazz when compared to, say, opera, an Arts Council functionary once answered, “Jazz takes care of itself, doesn’t it?” In other words, grass-roots jazz promotion depends on unpaid enthusiasts and activists for its continued availability. For the love of it, you might say, so why would further subsidy be needed?
Which brings me to Imber Court in East Molesey, Surrey. Once the Metropolitan Police sports centre, it’s now a social club, its main room the home for the past several years of the monthly jazz gigs promoted by Carole Merritt. Yes, one of those volunteers not seeking profit but impelled to put this amazing music (and its practitioners) in front of an audience.
This time round, it was an impromptu collective of Mark Nightingale (trombone), James Davison (trumpet & flugelhorn), pianist Dave Newton, bassist Andy Cleyndert and drummer Sebastiaan de Krom. If Nightingale was counted the senior man when it came to announcements, that seemed about right. Perhaps it was his presence that had attracted a near-full house crowd. If so, they had made the correct decision for this was one of those jazz occasions where the whole was very much more than the sum of the parts.
The two brass-men had worked in tandem before, it turned out, so no problems there. And no hesitations about repertoire either. Straight into that Ducal staple, ‘In A Mellotone‘, taking turn and turnabout with the tune, Davison on flugel, Terry-like with those chortling figures, Nightingale imperious at first ahead of some tricky harmonic inventions, de Krom on brushes, the drive spot on. ‘Tangerine’, with Davison switching to the trumpet, revealed Nightingale as a warm-toned melodist, Davison picking up the ball and running with it, de Krom’s beat never better directed. ‘Skylark went well, too, that sublime theme given its mellow due, over a stop-time rhythmic pattern, the playing measured, Davison’s closing cadenza a mini-triumph. I’d guess that the late US trombonist Frank Rosolino was always a Nightingale hero, so his ‘Blue Daniel’ deserved and received a rousing run-through, Nightingale explosive, de Krom using mallets on his dampened snare. ‘Billie’s Bounce’ is always urgent, its boppish outline demanding a deep, top cymbal beat, Cleyndert surging powerfully, the swing locked in, Davison’s trumpet shapely, the outcomes dominated by Newton’s creativity, rolling tremolos and all.
Second half joys commenced with ‘Squeeze Me’, perky, with muted effects paramount, Newton again impressive. At Ms Merritt’s request – she’s a one-woman cheerleader for Newton’s piano playing – the horn-men ceded the stage to Newton for the pianist to first imply, and then confirm that the trio number was to be ‘Our Love Is Here To Stay’, the pianist at his inventive yet mysterious best, Cleyndert and de Krom ever-alert to his ebb and flow. More good things followed: ‘St Thomas’ in calypso style spotlighting de Krom in a solo which reproduced its melodic shape exactly, a technique that old-time drummers used to deploy. Good to hear it revived here. This modern-day percussionist may use a pared-down kit but he listens all the time, adjusting volume and altering his accompaniment to suit, brushes to sticks and back again, thunder followed by sunshine, the focus unwavering. Just another gig? Maybe, but a star turn too, with each man excelling.
Next event from Jazz at Imber Court will be on 19 May with Vasilis Xenopoulos/Nigel Price
