The Colyer-Fergusson Hall proved to be a perfect venue for these two wonderful sets of performances organised by oboist Ian Crowther and the Gulbenkian, and performed by saxophonist and composer Paul Booth, his Bansangu Ensemble and the excellent Festival Chamber Orchestra (FCO) based in Canterbury.
In addition, vocal excellence was provided by singers Liane Carroll, Natalie Duncan and Ian Shaw. The show was conducted by award-winning composer and saxophonist Professor John Harle OBE and the balance of the sound between the vocalists / soloists and the two joined-up orchestras behind them could not have been bettered, no doubt a function of both the concert’s preparation as well as the hall’s excellent acoustics.
The show began with an interpretation of the “Charlie Parker with Strings” album recorded in 1950, opening with David Raksin’s “Laura”, including solos from Booth on alto sax and Ian Crowther on oboe. The balance instantly established between the Booth’s mellifluous playing and the expansiveness and flow of the orchestra strings in particular was very much in the spirit of the original album, added to with modern elements like a latin feel on many of the subsequent classic songs played. Percussionist Satin Singh and drummer Tristan Banks were particularly good in this context, with the latter’s playing on Gershwin’s “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” notable for its dynamics and swing. Harle’s conducting of the overall orchestra made it move like a Swiss watch. This was apparent on Porter’s “Easy to Love”, providing a perfect musical canvas for lovely contrasting solos from Jim Rattigan on French horn and Booth on alto, the former displaying a rich relaxed tone and the latter fast in the finest icy Parker style.
The second part of the programme, ‘Pet Sounds – Reimagined’, was dedicated by Paul Booth to the late Brian Wilson and follows on from Booth’s earlier complete transcription of the original 1966 album and its re-arrangement for his big band Bansangu, which included sell-out shows at Ronnie Scott’s in 2024. The Gulbenkian show added a further arrangement by him for an orchestra. The resulting interpretation of one of the greatest albums of all time, together with the addition of top-class vocalists Carroll, Duncan and Shaw, was sublime.
For the second set, the band returned in floral shirts, opening with ‘Pet Sounds’. The audience were treated to solos from trombonist Trevor Mires and percussionist Singh. Carroll then sang on the emotionally and musically complex “I’m Waiting for the Day” with guitarist Giorgio Serci impressing with a bluesy latin solo, followed by a beautifully contrasting one from the FCO’s Jeremy Ovenden on violin. Ian Shaw then told us he’d been waiting all his life to sing “The Sloop John B” and excelled delivering it, his strong and emotional voice fitting the lyrics perfectly.
For her part, Duncan gave a great soulful vocal interpretation of “Caroline, No” with Booth cutting loose on the soprano sax. That the three vocalists were loving singing with the band was obvious when they joined forces on “God Only Knows”, dedicated beforehand by Booth to his father, who passed away this year. The audience then listened entranced to his moving sax solo, full of emotion and intent.
Finally, Liane Carroll told the audience they were getting ‘what in rough places they call an encore’ before the vocalists and the band joyfully closed the evening with “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”. As Brian Wilson might have said, there really is such a thing as good vibrations. A special thanks must also go to Ian Crowther for pulling this wonderful musical evening together.
BAND
Paul Booth – featured soloist
John Harle – conductor
Ian Crowther – director
Festival Chamber Orchestra
Violin 1..Jeremy Ovenden (leader), Alison Wyatt/Iva Fleischhansova, Aleksandra Mansurova.
Violin 2…Florianne Peycelon, Catherine Fox/ Stelios Chatzilosifidis, Mark Butler.
Violas.. Virginia Slater, Kate Musker/ Ros Hanson.
Cellos. .Rosie Banks, Heidi Parsons.
Harp. Aisha Palmer
French Horn. Jim Rattigan.
Oboe. Ian Crowther
Members of Bansangu: Giorgio Serci (guitar), Trevor Mires (trombone), Sid Gauld (trumpet), Flo Moore (bass), Tristan Banks (drums), Satin Singh (percussion), Tom Cawley(piano)
Vocalists: Liane Carroll, Natalie Duncan, Ian Shaw
FIRST SET (Parker, Bird with Strings)
Laura
Summertime
I’m in the mood for love
They can’t take that away from me
April in Paris
East of the sun
Easy to love
Just friends
SECOND SET (Pet Sounds)
Pet Sounds
I’m Waiting For The Day
Sloop John B
Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)
That’s Not Me
I Know There’s An Answer
I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times
You Still Believe In Me
Let’s Go Away For Awhile
Caroline, No
Here Today
God Only Knows
Wouldn’t It Be Nice
