5* Gig review 25th March 2023 Bulls Head, Barnes, London
Mar 26, 2023 12:43:01 GMT
4th Chord, dennis, and 6 more like this
Post by curiousgirl on Mar 26, 2023 12:43:01 GMT
The gig was in a back room of a pub which held about 200 seated and is known for its jazz music nights. About 150 people were there. And some were Quo fans but not all. I wondered if the Man from Barnes might be there but he wasn't. Though they did play his track.
I went with an open mind and no great expectations, except that I do like jazz. The first track was from the trio, Ben Holder (vocals & fiddle), Alex Steele (piano) and Paul Jeffries (double bass). They played Dancing Cheek to Cheek. You can listen to Stéphane Grapelli's version which inspired them below. They were excellent and then I knew the evening would be a good one.
John came on stage next and after a bit of good stage patter from Ben Holder, we had to guess which Quo track they were about to play next. Some moody sounds started up, I was reminded of the opening of Albatross by Fleetwood Mac but it wasn't. And then I got it, before anyone else around me who were also Quo fans. And it's not one of my favourite Quo tracks but I loved their version.
The big difference between John Coghlan's Quo re-imagined and Acquostic is that these highly seasoned and talented jazz musicians appreciated the depth and musicality of Quo's tracks and then adapted them to how they hear and play music, in a jazz style. It was possibly easier for them to do this because they came to these songs fresh. By comparison, being Francis, Rick and the band, trying to re-imagine tracks they have played for 100s or 1000s of times in one way, trying to hear them afresh.... well that must have been much harder. And why that album is patchy for me.
There were 7 Quo tracks and 5 well known jazz numbers, plus their version of Wonderwall by Oasis.
My favourite was Pictures of Matchstick Men because it revealed to me what a beautiful song it is in terms of melody without the signature sound effect. The big surprise for me was Cut Me Some Slack which is better than on Backbone. Sorry Rhino, but Ben Holder is a fabulous singer and he did the vocals so well. You would have liked it too.
We all had to sing the chorus to RAOTW and that tickled the jazz musos because they said now they know what it's like to be in Quo.
After he gig, I chatted with piano player Alex Steele who said it was a deliberate choice not use a guitar sound. And he often played the melody instead. And there is talk of them releasing an album... but in this uncertain world, I will enjoy the live gigs. They are special and well worth going along if you get the chance.
And it's left me wondering - what would other Quo songs be like, recorded by other artists in their styles.
I didn't record any clips but the reason you won't see any online is because we were asked not to share any to keep the experience I surprise.
But if you want a taste of the sound/style, this track by Stéphane Grapelli gives a flavour of it.
And here a few snaps I took too.
I went with an open mind and no great expectations, except that I do like jazz. The first track was from the trio, Ben Holder (vocals & fiddle), Alex Steele (piano) and Paul Jeffries (double bass). They played Dancing Cheek to Cheek. You can listen to Stéphane Grapelli's version which inspired them below. They were excellent and then I knew the evening would be a good one.
John came on stage next and after a bit of good stage patter from Ben Holder, we had to guess which Quo track they were about to play next. Some moody sounds started up, I was reminded of the opening of Albatross by Fleetwood Mac but it wasn't. And then I got it, before anyone else around me who were also Quo fans. And it's not one of my favourite Quo tracks but I loved their version.
The big difference between John Coghlan's Quo re-imagined and Acquostic is that these highly seasoned and talented jazz musicians appreciated the depth and musicality of Quo's tracks and then adapted them to how they hear and play music, in a jazz style. It was possibly easier for them to do this because they came to these songs fresh. By comparison, being Francis, Rick and the band, trying to re-imagine tracks they have played for 100s or 1000s of times in one way, trying to hear them afresh.... well that must have been much harder. And why that album is patchy for me.
There were 7 Quo tracks and 5 well known jazz numbers, plus their version of Wonderwall by Oasis.
My favourite was Pictures of Matchstick Men because it revealed to me what a beautiful song it is in terms of melody without the signature sound effect. The big surprise for me was Cut Me Some Slack which is better than on Backbone. Sorry Rhino, but Ben Holder is a fabulous singer and he did the vocals so well. You would have liked it too.
We all had to sing the chorus to RAOTW and that tickled the jazz musos because they said now they know what it's like to be in Quo.
After he gig, I chatted with piano player Alex Steele who said it was a deliberate choice not use a guitar sound. And he often played the melody instead. And there is talk of them releasing an album... but in this uncertain world, I will enjoy the live gigs. They are special and well worth going along if you get the chance.
And it's left me wondering - what would other Quo songs be like, recorded by other artists in their styles.
I didn't record any clips but the reason you won't see any online is because we were asked not to share any to keep the experience I surprise.
But if you want a taste of the sound/style, this track by Stéphane Grapelli gives a flavour of it.
And here a few snaps I took too.
