Manfreds saxman spices up Newbury big band show

The Apollo Big Band with guest Simon Currie at The Sutton Hall, Stockcross, on Friday, July 8. Review by GAVIN WILKINSON

Guesting with the Apollo Big Band was the ubiquitously talented saxophonist Simon Currie, long serving member of The Manfreds, and we enjoyed a night of variety, which ventured into the world of pop and blues.

The band warmed up with Buddy Rich’s Big Band Face, a mid-tempo swing number, with a good solo from pianist Rob Maycock, before Currie featured on his first piece of the night, an alto sax version of Norwegian Wood, the arrangement sticking closely to the tune before Currie settled himself in with a tonically melodic solo.

John Coltrane features heavily in any jazz saxophonist’s repertoire, and with Central Park West the slow, lush depth of the whole band set the basis for Currie’s intense solo on soprano sax, the assertive high timbre soaring above the combined force of the band.

Currie is a virtuoso on all the saxophones and flute, so he went head on into that great perennial All of Me on alto sax, effortlessly doubling his note runs while staying close to a 1930s swing style.

Back to Coltrane, with a sax player’s favourite Blue Trane, with bluesy altered chords in the arrangement, and solos from band members James Hearn on trumpet, and Diane Prince on trombone notably exploiting the tonal possibilities of her instrument. Currie topped it off with his first tenor sax excursion, using the higher range.

The band got into a funky 70s groove with Herbie Hancock’s Cantaloupe Island, always a favourite with horn and sax players, with its deceptively simple repeating three-chord sequence. Currie masterfully riffed his way through an extended solo with intelligence and percussive off-beat phrases, exchanging arpeggios with band leader Les Bruce on alto.

Currie toted the big baritone sax to open the second half with Moaning, repeating the two-chord riff until soaring into a deft solo, pushing the instrument up into the tenor register: an amazing piece of playing. I was reminded of Gerry Mulligan, as Currie produced a smooth, flowing articulation from the baritone, which is too often exploited for its honking, low-end effects.

On the big band arrangement of Eleanor Rigby, Currie played it straight to a bossa-rock beat, demonstrating that it doesn’t always have to be fireworks, and showing that a tenor sax can deliver smooth just as well as an alto.

On Lester Leaps In, Trevor Heyward joined Currie, the two tenors swapping passages, a dextrous demonstration of two very different tones and styles of the same instrument, the punchy definition of Currie’s 1980s Selmer and the smooth mellowness of Howard’s 1937 Selmer complementing each other.

There were so many wonderful highlights from Currie, this remarkable all-rounder. Particularly enjoyable was the light contrast of Isn’t She Lovely, Currie blowing an articulate flute just backed by the four members of the rhythm section, a beautiful counterpoint to the power of the full band. The evening was a showcase for the incredible talent of this creatively versatile improviser.