Rachael Cohen’s alto sax playing just gets better and better. How can it be that she hasn’t recorded an album in her own name since 2012? On Friday evening she called a very slow ballad tempo for “Tea for Two” – the Blossom Dearie tempo, she told me – and her solo on it had astonishing coherence and flow. Another highlight for me was at the opposite end of the speed scale. She launched into the first number of the second set, and played chorus after chorus in which the ideas and the rhythmic inventiveness seemed unstoppable, unquenchable. Phil Woods would have been proud to have played liked that – seriously, and I know that the moment is going to stay in my mind for a very long time. The tune was “End of a Love Affair”… so I guess she had the thoughtfulness…discretion (or was it the devilish humour?) *not* to actually name it out loud in front of an audience packed with Valentine’s Day couples…
The members of her quartet last night were very well matched. When I see guitarist Artie Zaitz play, unflappable, standing incredibly still, I note how always has so much time and space… I want to paraphrase the very great West Indies cricketer Brian Lara: for Artie Zaitz the battlefield of the bandstand, it seems, “is not a place where you want to lose your composure.” It’s probably an entry for Pseud’s Corner, but the truth is: he’s so good.
I hugely enjoyed Mirko Scarcia’s really positive, pro-active, highly melodic bass playing. Drummer Kai Macrae is remarkable too. He picks up and responds to everything going on around him with Maddren-ish levels of empathy, speed of reaction and responsiveness.
The quartet were joined by Ladbroke Hall jazz host Zhenya Strigalev on tenor sax for the final number. He has done a remarkable job building this venue – it was sold out/full last night. And some of the names he has coming to this former car showroom in Barlby Road are very special. Next Friday there is a group led by French-Guadeloupean drum hero Arnaud Dolmen, who has won every prize going in France, and had a substantial role in the Netflix series The Eddy. Definitely worth hearing…
Set 1
Punjab (Joe Henderson)
My old flame (Arthur Johnston)
Tea for two (Youmans)
A Small Hotel (Rodgers/Hart)
Set 2
End of a love affair (Edward C Redding)
Señor Blues (Horace Silver)
Days of Wine and Roses
Swingin at the Haven (Ellis Marsalis)
I love you (Cole Porter)
