We got rhythm. We got music. Who could ask for anything more?

Apollo Big Band featuring Kitty Mazinsky

at Sutton Hall Stockcross

on Friday, March 7

Review by KENDALL GORDON

ACCORDING to the great Duke Ellington’s song, “It Don’t Mean A Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing”. Fortunately, for those lucky enough to be in Stockcross on Friday evening the Apollo Big Band with guest singer Kitty Mazinsky had ample swing and more to spare.

The set list as usual was varied, with big band instrumental standards, well known jazz vocal numbers and workings of other tunes.

We had the band bring us in by strutting their collective stuff on Buddy Rich’s Big Band Swing Face and end the first half with a lively rendition of Woody Herman’s Woodchoppers Ball, featuring solos from bandleader Les Bruce on alto sax, Trevor Heyward on tenor sax and Brian Yule on trumpet.

The band also gave us an excellent version of the well-known One Note Samba with a solo from Lorna Mountford on flute, transporting us to the Rio Di Janeiro shoreline.

Perhaps less well known, Raw Bones featured trombonists Diane Prince and Martin Holstead trading solos.

Then there was Mercy, Mercy, Mercy, the closing instrumental piece of the night. This rousing and interesting arrangement of this Joe Zawinul number, with lively solos from Clive Rowley on keys, Andy Richardson on tenor sax and Jed Rylance on trombone, was a fitting climax, setting up audience calls for an encore.

Guest singer Kitty Mazinsky from Hungerford, had a busy night, entertaining us with a total of definitely not ‘unlucky 13’ numbers, starting with a swinging version of It’s Only A Paper Moon and we then had Cliff Rowley on keys set her and the band up for a well-received iconic Nina Simone version of My Baby Just Cares For Me. After this we were treated to the aforesaid Ellington song, and swinging indeed it was.

Among other fare on offer from Kitty was a suitably bluesy version of At Last, Etta James style, and an animated rhythmic Mardi Gras feel version of I Wanna Be Like You which struck a chord with those present judging by the level of the applause.

Equally well received was the big band working of the song I Will Survive made famous by Gloria Gaynor, as was the number delivered up by Kitty for the encore, an entertaining version of Paolo Nutini’s Pencil Full of Lead.

To paraphrase the words of a well-known Gershwin brothers standard, “we got rhythm, we got music, who could ask for anything more?”