Last Saturday evening, Tommy Smith, one of Scotland's leading Tenor Saxophonists and Jazzmen, as well as being the founder/director of the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra, paid homage to the music of Billy Strayhorn at the Buccleuch Centre in Langholm; a mere stone's throw from the Scottish-English border.
With the SNJO in tow, Tommy and his ensemble performed two sets of material from the Billy Strayhorn catalogue. The overall impression, in terms of sound and presentation, is that the SNJO are one slick, well-oiled machine comprising some great players; most of whom got a chance to solo and show off their prowess.
So...you might be asking: Who is Billy Strayhorn?
Well, in Duke Ellington's words, he was, 'my right arm, my left arm, all the eyes in the back of my head, my brainwaves in his head and his in mine.'
In other words, he was a collaborator on many of Duke's works; over an extended period of time, lasting nearly three decades; thus carving out a significant chapter in the history of Jazz. However, whilst it is true that he worked in the shadow of Duke - a name much more familiar to the public - it is equally true that he was the mastermind behind works such as, 'Take The A Train', 'Chelsea Bridge' and the film score, 'Anatomy of A Murder'.
Go look him up!
The SNJO are a 21st century ensemble, capable of transending the different decades from the early days of Jazz to the present. Their sound is modern with signposts to the past. In my view, last Saturday evening at the Buccleuch, they paid a very enjoyable tribute to the man that lived in the shadow of the Duke.
The set list included:
* Anatomy of a Murder
* Chelsea Bridge
* Take The A Train
* Blood Count
* Cashmere Cutie
* The Eighth Veil
* Hipper Bug
* Jo
* Morning Mood
* Orson
* Potrait of a Silk Thread
* Raincheck
