In a light-hearted and informative Q&A before the second concert of a three-venue tour of An American Journey – ten tunes by the two-time Grammy-nominated saxophonist Bill Evans, newly arranged by distinguished musicians, three of which members of the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra (SNJO) – the band’s director Tommy Smith asked Evans how he felt when he heard other people’s arrangements of his compositions.

Before Evans could reply, Smith blurted out in mock disgust, “I hate it.” To which Evans speedily countered, “I love it.” Quickly followed by, “It’s awesome, it’s fun.”

And awesome and fun – the former of which is about as American and un-Scottish as you can get – are perhaps the best words to describe what Michael Clark called in his program notes: a “first class” road trip of “considerable style” that will take you to “out-of-the-way-places you’ve never been before”.

And by out-of-the-way places, he means the cotton fields and grassy plains, the neon lights and dingy bars, that have influenced the multiple genres that constitute the ever-evolving journey of American music including blues, jazz, soul, country and what Smith comically referred to as “sounds like some kind of food”. Namely, bluegrass.

An array of styles, to which he adds a distinctive Celtic lilt and Gaelic charm through the addition of Greg Lawson on violin, Yvonne Robertson on flute and Kevin McKenzie on banjo to his ever-terrific orchestra who have recently been shortlisted for Best Big Band at this year’s British Jazz Awards, along with Paul Towndrow for Best Alto Sax.

Bill Evans & Tommy Smith ©SNJO

After a blistering opening brace of Whatcha Wallaby, which burst into life as quickly as it ceased (think a star exploding out of nothing before blazing across the sky and disappearing into a black hole), and Dennis The Menace, the ominous undertones of which called to mind the swagger of a heavy and the flash of a blade in a jazz-scored seventies cop show; Geoffrey Keezer lowered the temperature from boiling to simmer with a delightful arrangement of Eyes Of A Child which as the title suggests was full of optimism and play.

Optimism and play. Two words used by Evans, along with the phrase “like a circus character”, to describe Gil Goldstein, the arranger of the fourth track How The West Was Won, who after hearing the “genius” that is Smith is alleged to have remarked, “I’m going to quit right now, ‘cos nobody can do anything like this.” Though his own arrangement, featuring a fine solo by Kevin Glasgow on electric bass, a powerful duet by Evans and Smith, and a Country and Celtic-combo of banjo, flute and violin, quickened the pulse to such an extent that as well as the speed, volume and pitch rising up, so too did the hairs on the back of your neck.

I repeat, optimism and play. But this time used by Evans, along with “childlike”, to describe the character of most musicians, and by extension artists, on account of the fact they harbour few thoughts of career progression, crowned with a golden handshake and a sun-kissed retirement; but rather, commit to an endless cycle of optimistic play through practice and perform, practice and perform (Smith’s definition of “genius”), which ceases when they take their final bow.

The remainder of the two five-tune sets – topped off with an incredible improvised encore of Miles Davis’ Jean-Pierre during which Evans and Smith, again, underlined their class with a breathless and brilliant duet – was of the same high quality. The standout being Smith’s arrangement of Celtic Junction (the only track not to be announced from the stage) which for the first time in the evening engaged the emotions with the hint of a ceilidh and the clap of a clan. Evans, once again, terrific: fast, ferocious, fearless.

In conclusion, the penultimate track of the second set was Mario Caribe’s excellent arrangement of Gimme Some. To which I, along with the rapturous audience, would add: More!

Next up for the SNJO, another three-venue tour in November entitled “The Artistry of Jazzmeia Horn” whose storytelling powers and “unreal” improvisational skills left the normally nonchalant Smith “transfixed”.

Peter Callaghan
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