Clarinettist Julian Bliss visits Newbury with some of the best soloists currently playing in British jazz bands

Newbury Sprng Festival: Julian Bliss Septet at the Corn Exchange, on Saturday, May 20. review by Derek Ansell

Clarinettist Julian Bliss led the only straight ahead traditional jazz combo to appear at this year’s festival. Sponsored by Viking he featured some of the best soloists currently playing in British jazz bands.

The theme of Jazz In Hollywood was, I suspect, designed to encourage people who would not normally attend a jazz concert to come along. It’s unlikely that anybody would have been disappointed by this musical display though, which began with a reading of George Gershwin’s S’Wonderful. Colin Oxley on guitar took the first solo and everybody else had a short burst with Bliss leaving himself until last on clarinet. On A Clear Day was heard in a Barbra Streisand movie and here received a crisp clarinet solo by the leader, Martin Shaw’s singing trumpet and a free flowing vibes solo by Lewis Wright that kept the music swinging effortlessly. Lewis was the arranger for the band and his charts were both audience and musician friendly throughout this recital.

he featured some of the best soloists currently playing in British jazz bands

The combo tackled two pieces associated with traditional jazz reedman Sidney Bechet, one a haunting slow blues. Julian’s clarinet traced the solo lines of Midnight In Paris on clarinet with a trumpet obbligato from Martin Shaw. The first half reached a lively conclusion with The Sheik Of Araby featuring pianist Joe Webb and Sing, Sing, Sing, seen and heard in the film, The Benny Goodman Story and on this night featuring the explosive drumming of Ed Richardson. The second half offered us a throbbing Blues In The Night, complete with Bliss quoting from Gershwin’s Rhapsody In Blue and When You Wish Upon A Star from Disney’s Pinocchio.

Julian Bliss talked about jazz past and present and regretted the lack of good record shops these days. He did find one though and picked up an LP called Wasp Songs. He didn’t think it sounded like that though and then realised that he’d been playing the B side. Alright, I know, but jazz is and always has been about good music and bad jokes. The encore was Flying Home which Julian wasn’t sure had ever been in a film but I doubt that by then anybody cared one way or the other.