The Sussex Jazz Orchestra

The Brunswick, Hove 24/11/13

    The ubiquitous Mark Bassey has been leading the Sussex Jazz Orchestra since September and his good humoured approach and keen ear have resulted in a great sounding ensemble that embraces the musical history of the ensemble.

    Mark’s solo trombone playing was featured in two of his arrangements of standards, Blue Moon and Billy Strayhorn’s Chelsea Bridge.

    Not surprisingly, the trombone section sounded the strongest and gave some excellent solos throughout the evening, together with a strong saxophone section that also delivered.

    The climax of the evening was the Ian Hamer-era classic She Insulted Me In Marrakesh with drummer Phil Naylor providing the propulsive backbeat.

    It was a show that provided lots of variety, interesting arrangements of old and new pieces and some great soloing from both the horns and the rhythm section.

Charlie Anderson