Kit Downes Trio/Pablo Held Trio The Verdict, Brighton Wednesday 4th December, 2013 Everyone likes a bargain, especially during the festive period, and a bargain was certainly to be had at The Verdict, last Wednesday. This was a ‘buy one get one free’ special, with not just one, but two wonderful trios on […]
Sam Miles Quartet The Verdict, Brighton Saturday 30th November, 2013 Young saxophonist Sam Miles grew up in Sussex listening to classic jazz and this permeates the sound that he gets from the tenor saxophone. Having studied at the Royal Academy of Music his playing continues to develop and grow. His soprano saxophone tone […]
Don Weller Quartet The Verdict, Brighton Friday 6th December, 2013 On the evening when jazz fans learnt of the sad news of Stan Tracey’s passing it was fitting for Don Weller to start the set with a Stan Tracey blues. This evening was classic Don Weller, in a jazz club playing standards, […]
Jonny Hepbir/Sara Oschlag Quartet The Verdict, Brighton Saturday 7th December 2013 Launching not just one, but two CDs of music, this was an evening of great gypsy jazz with driving rhythm guitar, soft and delicate vocals and expressive soloing. Celebrating the launch with a glass of Ricard each, the group recreated the […]
Imogen Ryall The Verdict, Brighton 15/11/13 One of the best jazz singers in Sussex performed at The Verdict to a small but dedicated audience, many of them students from the various vocal classes that she teaches. And this really was a masterclass in vocalese, where she successfully took on some of the advanced classics of […]
The Verdict Jam Session The Verdict, Brighton 20/11/13 Pianist Wayne McConnell, host of The Verdict jam session, is a big fan of the ‘Time No Changes’ Miles Davis era and recently saw Wayne Shorter performing at the London Jazz Festival. This shone through in an evening that featured the recurring theme ‘zero gravity’, together with […]
Benn Clatworthy with the John Donaldson Trio The Verdict, Brighton 22/11/13 This was yet another great evening of modern jazz at The Verdict with some terrific soloing by Sussex-based pianist John Donaldson. Clatworthy’s tenor playing was fiery at times and beautifully melodic during some delicate ballad renditions which had the audience on the edge of […]
Robert Mitchell’s Panacea The Verdict, Brighton 8/11/13 There’s no doubt that Robert Mitchell has phenomenal technique but this evening was also a showcase for his impressive compositional and arranging skills. His originals were funky and soulful, brought to life by the vocals of Deborah Jordan. After a long interval, the second set […]
Jack Kendon Sextet The Verdict, 19/10/13 Saxophonist Will Gardner, playing on the first couple of numbers, left early to go to another gig, leaving it to trombonist Tarik Mecci and trumpeter Jack Kendon to play the lead parts of some classic hard bop arrangements. The musicians in the audience might have noticed the occasional tuning […]
Preston/Glasgow/Lowe/Lockrane The Verdict, Brighton 25/10/13 The contemporary jazz trio of guitarist David Preston, six-string bassist Kevin Glasgow, and drummer Laurie Lowe embarked on their UK tour with a sensational gig at The Verdict with guest virtuoso flautist Gareth Lockrane. The trio could easily garner comparison with the likes of The Neil Cowley Trio and […]