Paul Higgs Quartet 'A Brief History of Jazz'

A brief journey through jazz history with Paul Higgs was fascinating and educational made all the more enjoyable by his always beautiful articulate trumpet playing.

The first set began with a fine Bix style rendering of Hoagy Carmichael’s Stardust, then on to explaining how Jazz began back in 1890s with ragtime and the first recoded jazz in 1917 with Dr Jazz and a clarification of the true meaning of the lyrics. Next came the use of the tango in St Louis Blues by W.C.Handy, followed by some sensitive plunger mute playing in the style of Cooty Williams version of ‘Do nothing ‘til you hear from me’……and so it continued through the development of jazz, even including some gypsy jazz with the Melodica  sounding remarkably like an accordion. With the audience hanging in every word of Paul’s humorous dialogue, all periods were woven into the programme with the second set including the work of Clifford Brown and bop, hard bop, modal from Miles, soul jazz with Lee Morgan’s  ‘Sidewinder’. All great music, completing the evening some flugelhorn in the style of Chuck Mangione’s  ‘Feel So Good’ and Herb Alpert’s ‘Taste of Honey’. Importantly, the work of Freddie Hubbard and Roy Hargrove was not forgotten. A really enjoyable evening with Paul ably supported by Mike Hatchard on piano Jerome Davies on bass and Neil Bullock drums.

 

Photos from the event

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