Cheshire Cats - Jazz on Sunday

Jazz styles can be presented in many different ways and when a band appears without a trumpet and trombone you can see the apprehension on the faces of the ‘Doubting Thomases’, but the applause at the end of each number performed by the Cheshire Cats showed that the quality of the musicians and the fine arrangements were well received and appreciated.

Led by young drummer Jack Cotterill, the front line featured Matt Palmer on clarinet and tenor sax with the 18 years old Cornish pastie Amy Roberts on alto and soprano sax. Roger Browne’s piano touches often ‘a la Louis Hamilton’ and the slap master of the double bass Jim Swinnerton made up an ensemble of the highest class.

“China Boy” set the gig in motion with multi contributions backing Palmer’s vocal in the evergreen “Move the Body Over”. The two driving saxes tore through “See See Rider” whilst a modern arrangement of “Christopher Colombus” led by Palmer’s sax had several nuances of inter play between bass and saxes with swinging piano and drums. A nice slow “Careless Love” with Roberts on soprano, Palmer on clarinet and vocal with piano interlude gave way to dual saxes “Swing That Music” to the first interval.

Jazz on a Sunday was remembering one of their long standing friends, Harry Cameron who had passed away and the band dedicated the spiritual “A Closer Walk With Thee” with due reverence. “Go Down To New Orleans” arranged in a bossanova beat to the harmonies of Roberts’ alto and Palmer’s clarinet produced a different approach.

The floor was then given to Amy Roberts’ solo on flute with Browne’s gentle piano in “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square.”

Palmer’s clarinet solo of “St Philip Street Breakdown” always a favourite, and clarinet and alto duo leading “Sweet Sue” received much acclaim before travelling to Asia and the Far East with “Nagasaki” clarinet, and soprano sax interspersed with Browne’s boogie piano and Swinnerton’s bass solo, and an all flying swinging “Hindustan” when the talents of Jack Cotterill’s drumming brought the set to a close.

“Undecided” with Palmer’s tenor and Roberts’ alto got the show back on the road. The crescendo building of piano and bass complemented strong alto and soprano power in “St Louis Blues”, before slowing the tempo with Palmer’s soft tenor sax and smoky rhythm in “Try A Little Tenderness”.

A swinging arrangement of “S’Wonderful” for clarinet and alto featured Roger Browne at his best, as did the superb touches and individualistic nuances of the self effacing Browne with “Lady Be Good”, well blended by bass and drums, before flying away with great gusto as they all went “Running Wild”. Wow!