Joe Stilgoe tells a good tale and lays on the jokes as he sits at the piano noodling before launching into the next selection
Newbury Spring Festival: Joe Stilgoe Trio
at The Corn Exchange, Newbury
on Friday, May 24
Review by DEREK ANSELL
THE Stilgoe trio functions as an all-round entertainment provider with the singer’s bubbling personality leading from the piano. The singer/pianist is full of anecdotes about his showbiz favourites, from Fats Waller to Frank Sinatra by way of Danny Kaye, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis junior.
From his earliest days, Joe Stilgoe was into movies and the stars featured in them which inspired an early composition called Popcorn. This he said, was the only snack possible in cinemas back in the day. Joe Stilgoe certainly mixes it up playing a Chuck Berry song one minute, Dave Brubeck’s Take Five the next and rattling off a bit of boogie in between.
He can also tell a good tale and lay on the jokes as he sits at the piano noodling and joking before launching into the next selection. There is plenty to enjoy for jazz enthusiasts as he launches into a standard tune, fingers flying over the keyboard and ably supported by Loz Garrratt on bass and Ben Reynolds at the drums.
The extended version of Putting On The Ritz gave pianist, bassist and drummer the chance to shine in their respective solo spots. Lullaby Of Broadway somehow got tangled up with Lullaby Of Birdland , but it didn’t matter; the solos flowed engagingly.
Solo spots like the two Cole Porter songs he played indicated that Stilgoe can carry a show all on his own and probably has in the past. Particularly popular was his run down of Danny Kaye’s routine on The Emperor’s New Clothes. Here Joe managed to slide in a joke about an emperor making an important speech in the rain which produced laughter and a spontaneous round of applause from the audience. Who could he have been referring to?
Music from Cole Porter and the film Singing In The Rain ended a bright, lively concert which would most likely have pleased jazz and non- jazz folks equally. He is that kind of entertainer.
This was the last but one night of the NSF and there will likely be many voices raised in praise of the quality and diversity of the music played. And rightly so, for the standard was high.
However, with more than 40 concerts that fitted the European classical music categories, might it be possible to book a few more jazz and traditional folk music shows and yes, even two or three rock bands into the mix. It would surely increase the number of young people attending considerably.
Just a thought.
