Newbury’s Apollo Big Band gave us different guises plus surprises
Apollo Big Band
at Sutton Hall, Stockcross
on Friday, May 9
Review by KENDALL GORDON
On this occasion The Apollo Big Band gave us what might be described as an evening of “different guises plus surprises”. Different guises because across the evening they delivered up big band standards from an array of the big band “greats”, taking on the guise of those bands in the process. As for the surprises, more on that later.
First up was an upbeat Buddy Rich Orchestra version of Cole Porter’s Love For Sale and sell it they did with lively solos from George Wicks on guitar, Cliff Rowley on piano and Trevor Hayward on sax.
They then moved through Count Basie’s Jumpin At The Woodside, Tommy Dorsey’s Song of India and Pots and Pans, a funky Bob Mintzer piece that included a lively bass trombone solo from Andy Waterson.
After came a “name that tune challenge” from musical director Les Bruce. It started with an excellent self-composed piano solo from Cliff Rowley which gave little clue, and it was only when the whole rhythm section came in that the familiar opening refrain of Duke Ellington’s C Jam blues was heard and we could identify it. There then followed excellent solos from Andy Richardson on tenor sax, Jed Roylance on trombone, Lorna Mountford on baritone sax and Benedict Wood on trumpet.
The band gave us another Glen Miller, String Of Pearls, an appropriate tribute to VE day in the finely union jack bunting bedecked Sutton Hall. On this we had solos from Laura Ridge on alto sax, Brian Yule on trumpet and a “duetting solo” from Trevor Heyward and Andy Richardson both on tenor sax.
As usual space doesn’t allow detailing all numbers and all the fine solos, but to mention a few there was the clarinet solo from Les Bruce in Benny Goodman’s Paganinni Caprice XXIV, Jeff Anderson’s trumpet solo on Basie’s Li’l Darling, Brian Yule’s trumpet solo on Glen Miller’s St Louis Blues March and not least James Hearn on trumpeting hitting the high notes on Maynard Ferguson’s Brazil.
What of the surprises? Well, the first was when the audience were told they had work to do, provided with various percussion instruments and urged to find a rhythm to accompany the band on Stan Kenton Orchestra’s Peanut Vendor. Great fun it was too.
The second came in the form of the call to the microphone of special guest singer Chloe Long. The evening had been billed in advance as only featuring the Band, so no singer was expected by the audience. Chloe, who in the past has sung with the National Jazz Youth Orchestra and happens to be the daughter of band trumpeter Jeff Anderson, delivered three well received numbers including an excellent Ella Fitzgerald version of Cole Porter’s Too Darn Hot.
For the encore we had the Apollo in their final guise as Harry James Orchestra with their Trumpet Blues and Cantabile giving us a barnstorming finish that, despite the title, worked the whole orchestra not just the trumpets.
As usual with the Apollo the audience left on a high, appreciating the tour around big band greats that had been presented to them.
