It is April 1961. John F. Kennedy is in the White House. Blue Moon is top of the charts. And continuing the colour theme (albeit tenuously), Elizabeth Taylor is about to walk down the red carpet with the first of two Oscars after captivating audiences as “The most desirable woman in town and the easiest to find” in BUtterfield 8.

Meanwhile, in a recording studio in New York, two legendary jazz musicians in the shape of Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong are about to record their one and only joint session. The result of which was a brace of acclaimed albums: Together For The First Time and The Great Reunion.

Fast forward sixty years, and in the un-jazziest of jazz venues – a warehouse in Sighthill aka the “blank canvas for a range of events” 54EP – two of Scotland’s finest musicians, pianist Brian Kellock and trumpeter Colin Steele, pay homage to their heroes in a pre-recorded gig as part of the Scottish Jazz & Blues Weekend.

Featuring eight of the seventeen tracks from Ellington and Armstrong’s albums (which were re-issued as The Great Summit) and sealed with a loving Kiss To Build A Dream featuring Steele on vocals, both musicians were in fine and fun fettle. Kellock quipping: “That was Moon Indigo by the Duke. Not John Wayne, but Duke Ellington.” Before adding: “I don’t know if John Wayne wrote any tunes, but Duke Ellington probably couldn’t ride a horse as well as John Wayne. So it’s swings and roundabouts, isn’t it?”

And swings and roundabouts must have been what one of the camera operators was jockeying between, given the frequency of panning and zooming which jarred an otherwise excellent production of sound and video by Justa Media.

Thankfully, there was nothing jarring about the quality of musicianship by Kellock and Steele, whose solo and joint improvisations were joyous. Ranging in styles from their toe-tapping opener I’m Beginning To See The Light and funereal follow-up Black And Tan Fantasy to the tender Azalea and rollicking Cotton Tail, their 50-minute set was as Kellock said of Drop Me Off In Harlem: “a nice cheery one in these austere times we’re living in.”

To buy and watch a stream of their gig, along with the three others which formed the Scottish Jazz & Blues Weekend, visit the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival’s website.

Peter Callaghan
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1 Comment

  1. I loved that show – though I’m not sure of Colin’s vocals…

    But the whole thing was fun with beautiful music.

    Indeed, each of the three gigs I watched in the Scottish Jazz Weekend were excellent!

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