Pete Churchill Trio at Seven ….sublime music
Thursday 25th February 2010 @ Seven Jazz
Pete “The Professor” Churchill – piano / vocals
Steve Watts – double bass
Dave Wickins – drums
Thursday 25th February 2010 @ Seven Jazz
Everything about this gig was just perfect .... coming inside from the cold, familiar welcome friendly faces, smiles, conversation, anticipation ....
The audience was small but perfectly formed .... tables arranged in a jazz-cafe style, subdued lighting .... The Professor introduced us to the first tune “Travellin’ Light” - lyrics by Johnny Mercer .... vocals, piano and loping bass ....
.... No one to see, I’m free as the breeze
No one but me and my memories ....
Mellow stuff – as the pianist explained, this was a settler – “to see how we get on with one another” – well the audience was getting on fine with this. There was a sense that something special was going to happen here!
Next we were given a funky version of “Do Nothing ‘Til You Hear Frome Here” ..... a Dave Wickins groove a la Bo Diddley .... and then the beautiful ballad “Nancy (With the Laughing Face)” ....
Originally written by Jimmy Van Heusen in 1944 for Frank Sinatra with lyrics written by “Sergeant Bilko” ..... vocals, piano and beautifully brushed drums ....
How many know that van Heusen was born Edward Chester Babcock? Well the Seven audience does .... courtesy of Pete Churchill. The spoken introductions were a recurring theme during the evening and they added considerably to an awareness and understanding of the music. They also showed the Professor to be something of a historian and philosopher as well! Moving on ....
.... “What a Difference a Day Makes” - first heard by Pete on an Ernestine Anderson album, this 70’s disco hit was given the ballad treatment ....
....and then a delightful story of having bought a flat in Paris, only to rent it to a tenant .... led into the connections between Paris and the American Songbook .... and then “Paris Blues” (from the film) with lyrics by Billy Strayhorn segued into “April in Paris” ... and more beautiful brushes on drums.
The trio were playing a blinder and the audience sensed it .... the musicians appeared to be enjoying themsleves as well.
Another theme of Pete Churchill’s music and philosophy is Carpe diem – attributed to Horace (not Silver) – Seize the day – Life is for Living .... and it seemed appropriate as the trio played “I’ve Made Up My Mind” - one of The Professor’s own tunes.
More reminiscences took us to distant remembered places … a Canadian piano bar and a series of Friday / Saturday dance night gigs. It is from these archives of the brain that Pete Churchill and The Trio can pluck a tune at will, just like a jukebox .... a sure measure of consummate musicianship. On this occasion it was “Let’s Take It Nice and Easy” …. A song partly about harmony, partly about potty training! Either way, it was taken SLOW.
The first set closer was Rodgers and Hart’s “This Can’t Be Love” …. Taken at a breezy tempo, it’s one they like to do at weddings! .... A few words of praise for his fellow musicians and the Trio left to warm applause ….
More of the same followed in the second set, starting off with another Rodgers and Hart number “Where Or When” …. Leading into “Young and Foolish” taken from the Bill Evans / Tony Bennett album and a lovely tale about his 7 year old daughter.
The idea for including this tune had only come into his mind at the Leicester Forest East service station driving up to Leeds …. As a consequence he had a feeling he may have been guilty of imposing his own musical tastes on his daughter …. Having just been to a tea party, when asked who her favourite musician was, she had answered Bill Evans! Personally, I think it must be great to have such a font of musical knowledge for a Dad.
The trio moved straight into “It never Entered My Mind” and then a version of the Tony Newley & Leslie Bricusse song “Who Can I Turn To” …. Piano, vocals, bass, brushes and mallets ….
Apparently, Leslie Bricusse couldn’t read or write music …. Well neither can I …. I can’t sing or play either! …. However, at one time I used to have a load of Tony Newley albums when I was in my teens. His voice is an acquired taste, but I acquired it …. And I thought this version was fantastic!
Another of my personal favourites is the Eden Ahbez song “Nature Boy” …..
…. To Love and Be Loved in Return ….
A simple truth of life! - this was a lovely take on the tune and the philosophy of the song seemed to be consistent with the vibe between the audience and the musicians.
Cole Porter wrote some 900 songs …. The first being “The Eton Boating Song” …. However, they didn’t close with that one, preferring instead “All Of You” …. Understandable, as it gave each of The Trio a final chance to stretch out ….
…. Or so we thought, until continuous applause brought them back for an encore, choosing a Bruno Martino number “Estate” aka “Summer” incorporating into an English lyric “Lament for Summer” ….
…. You bathe me in the glow of your caresses ….
Wll, the music cascaded from The Pete Churchill Trio …. it bathed and caressed the audience leaving an afterglow. This was one of the best jazz gigs I’ve ever been to in my life …. Beautiful relaxed vocals and piano, very solid tuneful bass and the most swinging and sympathetic of drummers. There is a whole world of jazz in this Trio.
Thanks to The Pete Churchill Trio and Seven Jazz for promoting it. Seven is quickly becoming a venue at which world class musicians want to play …. Musicians such as The Pete Churchill Trio.