Royal Academy big band goes back to Basie

An avuncular conductor and commentator, Nichols pin-pointed time and place in his introductions as he took this talented bunch through such early master-pieces as Bennie Moten’s Moten Swing and Squabblin’ by the legendary Walter Page’s Blue Devils, these from 1932 and 1930 respectively. That said it’s entirely to their credit that these youngsters so evidently relished the challenge of making these old charts live again. Is this the music they will seek to play after they graduate? Unlikely, but I applaud the notion that they should know about its value and also get to perform it in such august surroundings, the packed audience clearly relishing every minute.

While the first half was devoted to the territory bands active in Basie’s early days, the second offered a more specific look at Basie’s own story, via an evocation of Moten’s Toby, with Nichols guesting with aplomb on piano. Lessons learned the RAM lot then tackled Basie classics like Jive at Five and Blue and Sentimental before getting into the concert’s meatiest segment with four Neal Hefti compositions from the much-lauded ‘Atomic Mr Basie’ album. Just to observe pianist Ashley Henry cope with the piano parts on The Kid from Red Bank was inspiring as it was to hear the trumpeters tear into Whirlybird and Splanky, the saxes at one as they handled Hefti’s deft writing.

Invidious, perhaps, to pick out too many soloists, but bravura trumpeter Tom Gardner impressed throughout as did altoist Tom Smith, [at one point standing in for Bird on McShann’s Dexter Blues] and tenorists Ed Haine and Quinn Poulton. A word also for the splendid drumming of Edward Dunlop, whether playing the two-beat antique style or ramping things up on the Atomic numbers; good too to hear vocalist Miriam Ast on Swing, Brother Swing and the slightly-built Julian Chou-Lambert filling the ample shoes of Jimmy Rushing on Sent For You Yesterday.

All in all, a grand night for swing, and for these exceptional young players.

- Peter Vacher