Reporter: Tony SHeldon
Date online: 12/06/2008

The first time I heard Martin Bennett’s Old Green River band, it left me cold but hearing the unexpected sometimes leaves the wrong impression.

Old gravel voice Bennett leads from the piano with new arrangements that often give a mainstream feel with New Orleans influences. The sound is quite unique and I found it exhilarating with a band of fine musicians.

Bennett runs a tight ship with short interval breaks and believes in giving the fans their moneys worth with music, music, music all the way.

A raucous beginning with everyone moving “Down in Jungle Town” set the scene followed by Bennett’s bluesy vocal version of “Pallet on the Floor”, Duke Ellington’s “Perdida” featured Howard Murray’s tenor sax, and trumpeter Dave Copperthwaite accompanied his own vocal in “Same Old Love” backed by the soft trombone of Kent’s Johnnie Finch.

A slow twenties arrangement of “Yellow Dog Blues” preceded Bennett finishing the set with a gospel vocal of “Nobody’s Fault but Mine” – terrific.

A long second set was full of surprises, ‘Copper’ singing “Junko Partner” with the hard driving piano of Bennett and the intense New Orleans drumming of the young talented Stuart Smith.

Smith’s rhythmic drumming was also a feature of Bennett’s vocal “Meet me Somewhere in Your Dreams”. “My Alice Blue Gown” was led by Murray’s sax with mainstream rhythm, and a cleverly crafted band blend provided a very unusual mainstream version of “Sleepy Time Girl”.

A superb arrangement of Armstrong’s “Sweethearts on Parade” brought a fine solo and vocal from Finch with the entire band in tangent, and Bennett’s piano and vocal led the bluesy “Pink Champagne” with a great entertaining finish to the second set.

The third set just got even better with “Good Morning Judge” given the Bennett piano and vocal treatment with the bass of Jim Swinnerton and Smith’s drumming, “St Louis Blues” with Copper’s vocal was almost eclipsed by driving trombone and boogie piano. “Careless Love” was sung by Bennett with tenor sax and rhythm, before Murray's sax led Ellington’s “Saratoga Swing”, a big band sound with multi mini-solos and the first real opportunity to showcase the talents of Mac Macdonald on banjo.

Copper sang and everybody swung to “Hello Central, Get Me Doctor Jazz” before Bennett led the band into “Stormy Monday”, bluesy piano and vocal, the front line firing on all cylinders and the banjo, bass and drums putting the finishing touches to a great night’s entertainment.

Old Green River Band
The Flying Horse Hotel
Sunday 21 October 2007