Eden Court Theatre, Inverness, Saturday 7 June 2003

THE SNJO embarked on their first extended Highland tour with this concert at the Eden Court Theatre in Inverness on Saturday. The group are no strangers to this venue, but their subsequent explorations will take them into virgin territory in the Highlands and Islands.

That is a remarkable achievement in itself. The band only formed under their director and driving force, saxophonist Tommy Smith, in 1996, but they have made rapid progress in that time, both on the bandstand and in terms of the spread of their activities. They perform both jazz ‘repertory’ material and new work in the course of their activities, and have already racked up an impressive record in both areas.

The music for their tour is drawn from the first category, but offers a radically contrasting experience, with Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s delicate and elegant reworking of Tchaikovsky’s ‘Nutcracker Suite’ in the first half, and some visceral, full blooded music by Charles Mingus in the second (their concert at the St Magnus Festival will feature a new piece, ‘The Orcadian Suite’, alongside the Ellington).

The jazz version of the ‘Nutcracker’ is typical of both the musical sophistication and the quirky humour expected from the Ellington-Strayhorn combination, down to some re-titling of sections. ‘The Dance of the Reed Pipes’ became ‘Toot Toot Tootie Toot’, for example, while ‘Russian Dance’ was transformed into ‘The Volga Vouty’ (both owe something to Los Angeles hipster Slim Gaillaird’s invented ‘vout’ language, methinks).

The music constantly belied those daft titles in its textural richness, and the band played beautifully throughout. Solos were brief and cogent, but the players had a chance to stretch out after the interval in the course of extended treatments of four compositions by Charles Mingus.

Mingus was an ardent devotee of Ellington, but evolved a characteristic style which was much more raw and elemental than his hero, although his glorious elegy to Lester Young, ‘Goodbye Pork Pie Hat’, revealed a different side of his multifaceted musical personality. The surging ‘Moanin’’, with its famous baritone saxophone lead (expertly dispatched by Allon Beauvoisin), the colourful ‘Tijuana Gift Shop’ and his searing tribute to Charlie Parker, ‘Gunslingin’ Bird’, all generated real excitement, and provided ample soloing opportunities throughout the band.

The line up for the tour is: Tommy Smith, Paul Towndrow, Laura Macdonald, Martin Kershaw, Allon Beauvoisin (saxes/reeds); Chris Greive, Ewan McAllan, Lorna McDonald (trombones); Tom MacNiven, Ryan Quigley, Philip Cardwell, Linsey MacDonald (trumpets);  Steve Hamilton (pianos); Mario Caribe (bass in Mingus); Aidan O’Donnell (bass in Ellington); John Blease (drums).

The SNJO perform at the Town Hall, Stornoway (9 June 2003); Arainn Chaluim Chille, Skye (10 June); Aros Hall, Tobermory (11 June); Arainn Shuaineirt, Ardnamurchan (12 June); Pickaquoy Centre, Kirkwall (25 June); Bowmore, Islay (19 September).

© Kenny Mathieson, 2003