John Gibson: A fitting tribute to Alex Welsh Afterwords . .

Published on Friday 21 May 2010 11:58

IF YOU'RE tone deaf, look away now. The column today is talking jazz. From note one on. Chances are Remembering Alex Welsh will be the resounding hit of the Leith Jazz Festival.

A meaningful tribute to a true son of the port by an outfit that well know their stuff, the Nova Scotia Jazz Band. Two of their stalwarts, Mike Daly (cornet) and John Burgess (reeds), are behind the gig in the Queen Charlotte Rooms on June 17.

Says Burgess: "We've always specialised in the classic Chicago style, inspired by the late Alex, the top-rated trumpet in Europe who also had the respect of some of America's legendary players.

"He formed a band with Archie Semple in 1953 that briefly was resident in the Nova Scotia, a Duke Street pub in Leith – Alex was born just up the road in Lorne Square – and we 'borrowed' the pub's name for our band.

"We'll get a huge kick from playing Alex's favourite music so close to his birthplace. An atmospheric night guaranteed."

Meantime, on the local scene, where the Young Turks, to my ears, seem to keep playing for their own entertainment, scorning the Ellingtons and Berlins, sanity prevails in places. On CD, Burgess blows excellent tenor on Pacific Standard Time. Just him and guitarist Bill Coon recorded in Vancouver in 2004 doing quality tunes Emily and Polka Dots.

And David Patrick, whose piano was drowned by a really rude City Chambers crowd at Christmas, shows what he can do on Quiet Now with bassist Mario Caribe in originals and standards. A class act, as are our Nova Scotian chums with Echoes of the Mauve Decade.

Not a jazzer, but anything by local composer/singer Ken Herbert merits investigation by anybody with a discriminating ear for melodic pop. Hark at him with Rab Howat and Davie Paton on Another Positive Line.

Trust me, I'm not a record reviewer. Now, did you all remember to send Bert Weedon a card this month? It was Bert's 90th.

. . . from Frank Sinatra, and may God still be resting his soul: "There's only one rude thing a guy can do in front of a woman – and that is yawn."