Exciting times for Guildford Jazz last night as a packed house enjoyed the first night at their new venue. The Pavilion, at Guildford Rugby Club near Godalming, proved to be excellent in sound, atmosphere and parking which all bodes well for future gigs.
Marianne Windham, who runs Guildford Jazz, gathered some amazing musicians for the opening night and the energy and talent throughout both sets gripped the crowd. Two amazing alto sax players - Alan Barnes and Tony Kofi - stunned with their range and musical talent, working together and separately, moving through compositions by Barnes himself and well known tunes by Duke Ellington and Miles Davis. Alan's droll sense of humour was an enjoyable addition to the introductions to various numbers, and also revealed itself in his composition, The Snail, a wonderfully uplifting bossa nova. Alan's CV is staggering and too long to list here but Pasadena Roof Orchestra, Humphrey Littleton, Stan Tracey and BBC bands all feature and of course, numerous awards. Tony Kofi is also mutli talented, a player of alto, britone and soprano sax as well as the flute. He has also won many awards and composed original music for his 10 piece group, the Afro jazz family, and his quartet and trio.
Making up this dynamic quintet were John Turville on keyboards, Rod Youngs on drums and Marianne on double bass. John is an incredibly smooth pianist, rippling across the keys with ease, despite only having had 2 hours sleep! Marianne, who we should remember may not have played with these guys before, hit the fret board running - playing some incredibly complicated pieces and providing a very strong bass line to every number. Modest as ever, she attempted to keep her solo spots short, but Alan was having none of it and simply strolled away leaving her to delight the floor with another phrase or two. And last but far from least, Rod Youngs was simply one of the most mesmerising drummers I have seen. A quote from the Guardian once said, “Rod doesn’t so much hit the drums as massage them.. total mastery.” And that truly sums him up - he is totally immersed in his playing, moving from some very solid, incredibly rhythmic solos to gentle whispers with his drum brushes - totally hypnotic and wonderful to watch.
Writing it down reminds me that it is all the more amazing that these guys, who play some major international venues, came all the way to Guildford to play at the The Pavilion - or 'Fleet' Alan kept calling it, with his tongue in cheek humour. But we all knew it was Guildford Rugby Club and I am sure most of the audience will be going back for more.
The next gig at The Pavilion is on Weds October 8th - Martin Shaw plays Miles Davis.
For details of all Guildford jazz gigs visit www.guildfordjazz.org.uk Twitter: @guildfordjazz
The Pavilion
Broadwater Sports Club
Marianne Windham, who runs Guildford Jazz, gathered some amazing musicians for the opening night and the energy and talent throughout both sets gripped the crowd. Two amazing alto sax players - Alan Barnes and Tony Kofi - stunned with their range and musical talent, working together and separately, moving through compositions by Barnes himself and well known tunes by Duke Ellington and Miles Davis. Alan's droll sense of humour was an enjoyable addition to the introductions to various numbers, and also revealed itself in his composition, The Snail, a wonderfully uplifting bossa nova. Alan's CV is staggering and too long to list here but Pasadena Roof Orchestra, Humphrey Littleton, Stan Tracey and BBC bands all feature and of course, numerous awards. Tony Kofi is also mutli talented, a player of alto, britone and soprano sax as well as the flute. He has also won many awards and composed original music for his 10 piece group, the Afro jazz family, and his quartet and trio.
Making up this dynamic quintet were John Turville on keyboards, Rod Youngs on drums and Marianne on double bass. John is an incredibly smooth pianist, rippling across the keys with ease, despite only having had 2 hours sleep! Marianne, who we should remember may not have played with these guys before, hit the fret board running - playing some incredibly complicated pieces and providing a very strong bass line to every number. Modest as ever, she attempted to keep her solo spots short, but Alan was having none of it and simply strolled away leaving her to delight the floor with another phrase or two. And last but far from least, Rod Youngs was simply one of the most mesmerising drummers I have seen. A quote from the Guardian once said, “Rod doesn’t so much hit the drums as massage them.. total mastery.” And that truly sums him up - he is totally immersed in his playing, moving from some very solid, incredibly rhythmic solos to gentle whispers with his drum brushes - totally hypnotic and wonderful to watch.
Writing it down reminds me that it is all the more amazing that these guys, who play some major international venues, came all the way to Guildford to play at the The Pavilion - or 'Fleet' Alan kept calling it, with his tongue in cheek humour. But we all knew it was Guildford Rugby Club and I am sure most of the audience will be going back for more.
The next gig at The Pavilion is on Weds October 8th - Martin Shaw plays Miles Davis.
For details of all Guildford jazz gigs visit www.guildfordjazz.org.uk Twitter: @guildfordjazz
The Pavilion
Broadwater Sports Club
Guildford Road
Godalming
Surrey
GU7 3DH
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