Cheltenham Jazz Festival: Friday Night is Music Night - Cheltenham Town Hall

Friday 1st May 2009

This is a Crackerjack review of Cheltenham Jazz Festival: BBC Radio 2: Friday Night Is Music Night. Do you agree? Rate and review this event.

Crackerjack rating: 9 / 10.

Cheltenham Jazz Festival, Friday Night Is Music Night, Town Hall 
This recorded concert for BBC Radio 2’s Friday Night is Music Night was a kind of who-dunnit. Or rather a who-wrote-it?

It told the story of jazz composer Billy Strayhorn, revealing that a significant amount of the music attributed to bandleader Duke Ellington was actually by Strayhorn.

The forces allocated were impressive. Not only narrators Clarke Peters (of The Wire fame) and Michael Brandon. But also musical evidence from the BBC Concert Orchestra, trumpeter Guy Barker’s Big Band and Co.

Strayhorn, a shy, sensitive but cool gay man, began working as arranger/joint composer with Ellington in 1938, aged 23. And it emerged was denied his due recognition.

Whatever the background, the evening delivered some gems. Lush Life, perhaps the greatest of popular songs, fell to the individualised styling of Ian Shaw.

Madeline Bell was hugely memorable with Imagine my Frustration and newcomer Emma Smith impressed with Jump for Joy.

Jazz-wise the string orchestra had little to contribute and it rather got in the way of Barker’s fiery big band in Take the A Train.

There were though some fine solos from Barker, and baritone saxist Alan Barnes delighted with Chelsea Bridge.

A detailed, intriguing portrait of Strayhorn emerged, and with some superb musical moments FNIMN fully entertained. On a Thursday.

Derek Briggs

This is a Crackerjack review of Cheltenham Jazz Festival: BBC Radio 2: Friday Night Is Music Night. Do you agree? Rate and review this event.