Dave O’Higgins/Geoff Gascoyne bring the swing to The Verdict

The set opens with a characteristic O’Higgins contrafact; a snaking, boppish melody written over the changes of ‘Topsy’ and re-named ‘Autopsy’, apparently in tribute to his wife, a forensic pathologist.

O’Higgins’ tenor is light-toned but biting, his poise and timing immaculate; subsequent solos from Gascoyne and pianist Robin Aspland match him in clarity, punch and precision. To follow, a Gascoyne original, ‘Embrace’ , in a natural sounding seven meter, launches the composer into a sure-footed and effortlessly melodic solo; then the evergreen ‘Everything I Love’ sends Aspland off on a knockout piano display over an elastic trampoline of swing, topped by drummer Matt Fishwick evoking the spirit of Philly Joe in a beautifully executed solo on the traps.

The band have built a reputation on their spirited evocation of the Golden Age era as it evolved into the 1970s mainstream, typified by their George Coleman-inspired reading of ‘Autumn In New York’. O’Higgins switches to soprano without losing any of his accuracy or presence, and the band demonstrate a perfect command of repertoire and genre to the last impressive sax cadenza. If the leaders’ original compositions seem efficient rather than transcendent next to the classics, they never fail to showcase the band’s strengths.

Matt Fishwick is depping tonight for regular Sebastian De Krom, and as the set progresses his generally imperturbable performance occasionally misfires on a couple of arrangements. This could be problematic - this music depends upon ease and fluency of execution, rather than inspired artistic risk-taking, to pay its fullest dividends. Fortunately there’s also plenty of bravura on hand to set things back on track, and by the end of penultimate tune, the uptempo stormer ‘Guess’, the full house is baying for more. They were rewarded with a vulpine smile from O’Higgins and a typically muscular, swinging ‘Mack The Knife’ sounding freshly minted, for an encore.

– Eddie Myer