Thursday, 25 June 2015

Tumultuous Tenors - Sam Walker & Kelvin Christiane

Sam Walker - Tenor Saxophone
When two tenor saxophones come together it is often like watching two stags rutting in nearby Bushy Park. They stamp upon each other up, puffing chests and locking horns. Not so at Twickenham Jazz Club (19/05/2015) with the twin barrels of Tumultuous Tenors Kelvin Christiane and Sam Walker. This was a thinking man's performance from two musicians not afraid to show their cerebral side, where the bond was brotherhood rather than battle.

Jim Treweek - piano
It would be easy to have gourmand eyes for just the main Tenor dish, but it was a gentle start and one that suited Jim Treweek on piano. He is no stranger to the finer arts and with sleek fingers to match his chiselled cheek and jaw he makes an excellent artist's model. He is no stranger to pencil and pad himself, like the bassist Larry Bartley it seems Treweek is one of our many renaissance men on London's Jazz circuit.

Akos Hosznos - Bass
Wayne Shorter's 'Down Under' was broken apart and reconstructed by the Tenors, it was a puzzler, a gilt edged jigsaw. It was Thelonious Monk's 'Well, You Needn't' though that really swelled the chests of musicians and audience alike. Its first breath was of discordant colours, but soon these were worn with pride on lapels, there was a dandy stride that reeked of confidence and the twin tenors of Christiane and Walker wore stripes and spots in a winning combination.

Kelvin Christiane - Tenor Saxophone
Walker excelled in broken short mouthed stabs that were an anthem for the anxious amongst us. His stride lengthened too and although the Monk tune was penned in 1944 the arrangement by Tony Faulkner made us think of more modern times. We strode with confidence down Twickenham highways, the Burger Kings slipped past, we were urban heroes who danced through the crowds, sidestep and jink took us past buzzing diners. There was a resistance and yet a revelling in the modern life, there was disquiet and still a joy in living.

Noel Joyce - drums
Walker was at it again on 'You Don't Know What Love Is' and he drew the crepuscular blanket across the gap in lazy day and lazy night. It was a languid flight of the bumblebee, thick with dreams and an insomniac night air.

Never forget 'Angel Eyes' herself, Lesley Christiane started the second set but will be performing the full repertoire at the next Twickenham Jazz Club art exhibition and barbeque on the 26th July 2015. Free entry and delicious food from 1-5pm.

Lesley Christiane
AL.

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