(Theres a 7-Eleven nearby, a liquor store, always a yard sale or two in the area that should work.)
It kicks in hard with tenor Ernie Watts on Friday; (if youve heard his latest, the live To The Point, you know whats in store.) On Saturday, tenor Pete Christlieb takes over with that shiny horn of his and blows solid, swinging stuff. (His classic, Apogee, is a terrific stocking stuffer.)
On the Sabbath cometh Benn Clatworthy, a player who wanders off the blues map as often as not, looking over edges, soloing through unknown territories, smacking into unseen walls. Check out The Decider, a succinct display of his chops.
For Big Band Monday they brought in the great Med Florys JazzWave, whose massed brass and reeds playing Bird solos they render into large ensemble arrangements without dropping the tempo an iota.
On Tuesday it goes deep again, with Theo Saunders quintet, built around his imaginative Monkish-McCoy-flavored constructions, which let soloists go some serious places. Great jazz!
The trumpet players wind up the week with Jack Sheldon on the night before Christmas and Carl Saunders grinching up Christmas night itself.
For more information contact All About Jazz.
