Various venues, Islay, 19-21 September 2003

THE BLACK BOTTLE Islay Jazz Festival recorded another instalment of its remarkable success story at the weekend, with its busiest programme to date, culminating with a spectacular premiere of a new work by Edinburgh-based drummer John Rae which will live long in the memories of all those who were present.

Featuring initially Rae’s jazz-folk group Celtic Feet expanded into a seventeen-piece orchestra – Big Feet – the music ranged and raged between Scottish traditional dance measures, marauding grooves and anarchic blowing.

The atmosphere this boisterous mob created in Port Ellen’s Ramsay Hall was already celebratory. But when the Islay Pipe Band joined in and Rae’s arrangements pushed both jazz and traditional music to their respective boundaries, the excitement became so electric that the only way to get the musicians offstage was to have the pipe band lead them all out into the street.

It was a fitting way to end a weekend that reinforced Islay’s reputation for high quality music, much of it played in makeshift, startlingly unusual or simply unassuming venues.

Three of the island’s seven distilleries hosted concerts. Trumpeter Colin Steele’s quintet played a wonderfully composed and orchestrated Saturday afternoon concert in Bunnahabhain. American cornettist Warren Vache’s ‘hair of the dog’ Sunday lunchtime session at Ardbeg delivered superbly eloquent standards as well as soothing hangovers (almost). And Bruichladdich rocked to Rumba Caliente’s Cuban sounds on Saturday evening.

Earlier on Saturday, just along the waterfront, Carol Kidd continued Bruichladdich Hall’s festival tradition of hosting concerts that would grace much more prestigious venues. Kidd was simply superb, alternating – as is her way – between mischievous party animal and world class interpreter of ballads, swing numbers and R&B classics.

Few festivals anywhere offer opportunities of hearing music in settings such as the impressive Islay House or the beautiful fishing village of Portnahaven. Singer Niki King and her ever-apposite accompanist, guitarist Marcus Ford, charmed audiences in both locations.

Islay’s newest venue, Ionad Chalium Chille Ile, was the rather more conventional location for a fine welcoming concert, featuring pianist David Patrick, bassist Mario Caribe and Islay’s own Brian Palmer (drums), and a very assured Saturday lunchtime session by alto saxophonist Paul Towndrow’s youthful quartet.

It also had its eccentric moments, though, as New York-based pianist David Berkman, a musician of no little experience and a raconteur of TV chat show host potential, established a career first of having to abandon a tune due to a coughing fit. His classy, imaginative playing, in duets and a trio with saxophonist Julian Arguelles and trumpeter Colin Steele, soon restored normal service, though.

Islay seems to attract such novelties. Friday’s first ever appearance on the island by the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra was only able to continue with the glow of Bowmore Hall’s wall-mounted heaters allowing the musicians to read their parts in the absence of stage lighting.

Once again, however, the music – Duke Ellington’s conciseness contrasting with Charles Mingus’ rampaging full bloodedness – transcended any novelty value as the orchestra gave another illustration of Tommy Smith’s diligent and astute musical directorship.

© Rob Adams, 2003