Bath. Last year...

We seem to spend a lot of time in Bath. The city, that is. We were there last weekend, when I took no pictures whatsoever; and we were there for twice last year, too, the first time in September and then again just after Christmas.

The weather was excellent on both occasions. In September, I spent so long on a tour of the abbey tower – including the bells and the rather wonderful clock-works – that I ran out of time to look at the rest of the abbey; I put that right in December.

Bath remains full of gorgeous Georgian architecture, and I took pictures all around the city centre, too.

The blue sky showed off the honeyed sandstone.

More recent jazz...

Over a month ago, I went to one of the best gigs of the year so far. I’ve been meaning to write about ever since, but other things seemed to get in the way…

The gig was Colin Towns’ Mask Orchestra, the final night of Ronnie Scott’s celebration of British jazz. The Denys Baptiste Quartet were on first, and they played an excellent set of new tunes – some fine playing by all concerned, with great solos by pianist Andrew McCormack and Baptiste. They played some very enjoyable music. Baptiste has lots of ideas and an interest in science and complexity: one number was called Fractal Realms, another Quantum Sax. Schrodinger’s sax, perhaps…

In some ways, though, it was a shame that Baptiste was supporting Colin Towns: as far as I was concerned, it was very much Towns’ night. Towns’ 18 piece Mask Orchestra were crammed onto the stage, with Towns conducting from the front row of the audience together with some of the saxes.

It was an all-star band, featuring some of the best of British jazz, including Guy Barker and Henry Lowther on trumpets, and Alan Skidmore, Nigel Hitchcock and Julian Siegel on saxes. Siegel played a lot of baritone, producing a beautiful tone.

Towns writing and arranging is unique – the rich soundscapes he creates sound like no other composer: the standard yardsticks for big band writing don’t apply.

Much of the set was taken up with a suite based around themes from Kurt Weill – lots of “Mack the Knife” and “September Song”, but twisted and bent by Towns. He told a story about how he’d missed a call from his mentor, and by the time he could get back to him, Johnny Dankworth had died; he dedicated the suite to Dankworth.

The band made a glorious sound, lots of brass and saxes. On a hot summer’s evening, this was powerful music: the band gave it their all. Through it all, Stephan Maass’ energetic percussion powered away, bring a strand of continuity.

A rare outing for Towns’ orchestra, and a truly great gig.

* * *

I went to a venue new to me last week, the upstairs room of a pub in Kilburn, the North London Tavern. Fitted out with leather sofas, it felt much like someone’s front room, albeit one housing a jazz band. First up was Tom Hewson’s Treehouse, with Hewson on piano, Calum Gourlay on bass and Lewis Wright on vibes. I sat right by the vibes, and was impressed by the way Wright danced up and down the bars. It was fascinating watching the vibes up close, the motor spinning and the bars ringing. The band played gentle jazz, featuring tunes by Jimmy Guiffre and Oliver Nelson as well as Hewson. A lovely sound.

They were followed by Gourlay’s own band, with Jim Hart on drum, George Crowley on tenor, and Gareth Cochrane on a range of flutes. This was more muscular music, sax and flutes blowing along.

It was a really enjoyable evening – good to get to a new venue!