REVIEW: Energetic acts whip jazz fans into frenzy

Lindy Andrews
Glowering skies and intermittent showers couldn't dampen the enthusiasm of the 5000-6000 jazz, funk and soul fans gathered at Church Road on Saturday. The cream of Hawke's Bay jazz bands got things off to a mighty start. Highlights included the Hawke's Bay Jazz Club big band, Catattack, Tropical Downbeat Orchestra and the Wil Sargisson Band. It is always brilliant to see a jazz club with its own big band fostering local talent. Invariably that means endeavouring to get the best possible sound from players operating within a wide range of competencies and this band pulled it off exceptionally well. The Wil Sargisson Band took things in a whole new direction with the inimitable Rodger Fox on trombone. The perfectly paced, prowling "stray cat" feel of Mr Pinstripe Suit, with the mega-talented Sargisson on piano and vocals, was pinned together nicely by Gavin Mather on drums and Rick Davis on congas. Hawke's Bay should be proud of its abundance of good rhythm sections. Plenty More, with its distinctive 1930s southern states sound and beautiful muted trumpet solo by Matt Mear, was proof that Sargisson had struck it right with his fresh line-up of tunes. Then came the sound everyone had been waiting for. With a few punchy brass stabs and a faultless a capella intro, Tower of Power launched its first Kiwi gig with Soul S. The band's Motown roots, overlaid with the metropolitan sounds of Oakland, California, were unmistakable. Every song was served up with the vocals of Larry Braggs, whose boundless energy at times whipped the crowd into a frenzy. Complex polyrhythms punctuated by Doc Kupka's honking baritone sax and a faultless rhythm section brought the audience alive and as dusk fell, hundreds of glow sticks were grooving to the beat. Feet was an exercise in perfection: perfect timing, perfectly centred notes and perfect phrasing. The funky Most, featured an instrument which has been making a huge resurgence - the Hammond organ - played by Roger Smith. Tenor sax players in the audience undoubtedly bowed to the mighty Tom Politzer, as he cut loose with those high, sweet harmonics. The "wall of sound" in Oil harked back to the days of one of music's biggest innovators, Phil Spectre and who could sit still through the r&b; feel of JB? Good, good stuff. An evening to remember.