Jazz Northampton - NCJazz - promoting contemporary jazz in Northampton and Northants
Full House for Dave Newton!
Thursday 22 September 2011 - Dave Newton Trio with Martin Shaw
A full house greeted the Dave Newton Trio for the opening gig of the Autumn programme at the Castle. No-one left disappointed. This was one of the outstanding gigs in a year of excellent promotions by NC Jazz.
Completing the formidable Trio were Andy Cleyndert, bass, and Steve Brown, drums - now both surely two of the UK's leading and finest jazz musicians.
Steve Brown and Dave Newton are no strangers to each other. Steve was part of Dave Newton's trio on a 2005 recording with Scott Hamilton and Alan Barnes (Zootcase). Andy Cleyndert wasn't the bassist for the session, but, rather curiously, he was responsible for the sound mixing/mastering, photographs and design for the CD!
Guesting for the gig was trumpeter, Martin Shaw whose elegant and occasionally understated phrasing added another dimension to the Trio's ideas.
Dave Newton's success is based on his unique ability to take an audience with him on whatever path he chooses to follow. His offerings are both original and eclectic, doubtless arising from the many influences on his playing. An astute listener could easily detect traces of George Shearing (block chords), Errol Garner, Oscar Peterson, Victor Feldman, and Dave Brubeck - and probably a few others. One of Dave Newton's trademarks is an irresistible urge to 'hum' as he improvises, suggesting Keith Jarrett as yet another influence.
Andy Cleyndert and Steve Brown need no introduction. They are both evergreen and dependable. In one short passage, the blending of the Trio was virtually indistinguishable from the brilliant sound of Oscar Peterson's outstanding trio of Ray Brown, bass, and Ed Thigpen, drums, in full flight at its very peak.
Martin Shaw was a first-rate foil for the Trio. Subtle and discreet, and occasionally reminiscent of Art Farmer, yet frenetic and driving when the need arose, he added a sharp, yet welcome, contrast. His use of various mutes (particularly the 'bucket' mute) to achieve broader variations of tone was a feature of many numbers.
The combo played a wide variation - many being their arrangements of standards, such as Foolish Love, My Romance, Wave, and Caravan. The spellbound attention of the audience was punctuated by frequent bursts of spontaneous applause for the many fine solos; and the relaxed smiles of the players throughout were clear signs of both their enjoyment and appreciation of each other's efforts.
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