Jazz breaking news: Craig Crofton gets bopping and burning in Bath
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
The atmosphere of exuberant celebration heightened as Anglo-American tenor man, Craig Crofton (pictured left), launched into a breezy reading of ‘Bessie’s Blues’ at the last of the autumn season’s fortnightly sessions in the ‘could have been designed to be a jazz club’ cellar of St.James Wine Vaults in Bath.
Craig was on typically ebullient form for this return visit to play with the resident Jazz House Trio and bring this seventh year of their unbroken run to a close. “It’s been our best year yet” confided bass player, booker, organiser and boss Wade Edwards. “Three minutes lads,” he said, nodding at the pianist John Paul Gard and Craig who were leaning on the bar discussing the arrangements for the second set.
Wade started the gig in January 2007 inviting guests to play with the newly formed trio. After a year, hard swinging Bristol pianist Vyv Hope Scott replaced John Paul on piano whose relentless touring was taking him away. Wade on bass and Trevor Davies on drums have been there since the start and the enviably tight unit have hosted a veritable who’s who of British Jazz. Art Themen has enthusiastically and regularly returned, as has Alan Barnes, Byron Wallen, Toni Kofi, the legendary Pee Wee Ellis have all taken their turn. Last time Iain Ballamy came down he brought his mate Jason Rebello to dep for the holidaying Vyv. Guests from the dynamic Bristol/ Bath scene have been well represented and this latest season’s visits from Get The Blessing’s Jake McMurchie and rising star James Gardiner-Bateman created a particular buzz.
Break over, John Paul, back for the evening, and the rest of the band limbered up on a roaring ‘Donna Lee’ before tackling a Crofton original ‘Hand Fry’. It was a fiercely swinging piece that wouldn’t have sounded out of place in a set from one of Thelonius Monk’s bands in their prime, all off-centre phrases punctuated by spiky hits half a beat from where they were expected. It was named after a cooking accident, but there was no inhibition as first Craig then John Paul pulled out stirring solos. They are both great musical storytellers, building and developing ideas.
On ‘I’ll Remember April’ Craig really burned, long sighing notes interspersed with flurries of notes before handing over to the piano, the rhythm section switching to a driving latin feel allowing him to build a different kind of momentum. The packed in audience were roaring their approval. By the time the encore of a sumptuous reading of ‘In a Sentimental Mood’ was serenading us out of the door, the richly deserved celebrations were concluded and thoughts were turning to an eighth year for what’s becoming a local institution, well established on the circuit of the nation’s itinerant jazz musicians.
– Mike Collins