With the March gig, Swindon Jazz Society ended its longest run, of some six years plus, of promoting regular, top quality jazz in the town.

The enterprise succumbed to the Swindon Effect, but what a way to bow out, with the magnificent Matt Wates Sextet.

Matt on silky, fluent alto sax, Mark Hanslip on sonorous tenor, and a bonus to the advertised quintet of Martin Shaw, impeccable on trumpet and flugelhorn.

This front line driven along by the sparkling Leon Greening on piano, Julien Bury a solid pulse on double bass, and the powerhouse drumming of Sebastiaan de Krom.

Matt Wates is noted these days for his whimsical humour and fine arrangements. The latter talent shone through on standards such as I'll Never Smile Again, My Favourite Things, and Yip Harburg's Old Devil Moon.

Up-tempo originals impressed too, including a reworking of Indiana and a storming closer based on Cannonball Adderley's Work Song, with equally impressive solo work from the whole band.

A remarkable drum solo in waltz-time on Shango captivated the audience, but for me once again ballads were the highlights.

Memorably, Rogers & Hart's It Never Entered My Mind with poignant bass solo and flugelhorn soulful theme, suspended time entrancingly.

Jazz goes on however: the audience parted with hearty, mutual au revoirs but the Jazz Society continues its present monthly record recitals and talks, and in promoting and appreciating the beautiful music.

Keith Brain

9:27am Tuesday 18th March 2008

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