The jazz vision

Two days, two performances, two approaches. First was Tom Fell leading a quartet at the Gods with Miroslav Bukovsky and Lachlan Coventry and Mark Sutton playing the music of Gerry Mulligan and his pianoless quartet. This is the jazz vision, together but essentially individual. Improvisation, counterpoint, the centrality of the instrumental. A glorious vision of beauty in pure sonority. Tom and mates did a great job, and it could not have been a little one. The counterpoint lines in the heads were true. I don't think the solos were transcribed but they were in style and aligned with the originals. It's a great act of love and of learning to perform works so closely, especially an album or a set of pieces. Like the originals, this was quietly spoken (well not always, think Jeru) and delicate music. The blending of trumpet with bari sax, or even better, flugelhorn with bari, was delicious. The swing was nicely restrained, in line with the original period. This was a jazz treat and a pleasurable return to the early '50s and the cooling after bop and, I guess, a world war.

Tom Fell (baritone sax) led a quartet with Miroslav Bukovsky (trumpet, flugelhorn), Lachlan Coventry (bass, guitar) and Mark Sutton (drums) playing the music of Gerry Mulligan and his pianoless quartet at the Gods.