Music review: Mike Garson plays Aladdin Sane, ABC, Glasgow

New York pianist Mike Garson was one of David Bowie's most celebrated creative foils across four decades, first making his mark with his audacious avant-garde jazz solo on the title track of Aladdin Sane. Following similar top-drawer Bowie tribute tours starring producer Tony Visconti and guitarist Earl Slick, Garson helmed a brilliant band including Iggy Pop's rhythm section, ace saxophonist Terry Edwards and Guatemalan vocalist Gaby Moreno to perform Aladdin Sane in full.

Bowies foil for years, Mike Garson fronted a brilliant band

Mike Garson plays Aladdin Sane, ABC, Glasgow ****

Moreno was a revelation, as expressive and effective on the glorious rock’n’roll of Panic In Detroit and the low-slung doo-wop of Drive-In Saturday as the Weimar cabaret flourishes of Time. Garson’s talent is a known quantity but it was thrilling to hear his characterful virtuosity applied to boogie woogie licks on a hectic Let’s Spend The Night Together and the sublime glide of Lady Grinning Soul.

There was a random but unobtrusive guest appearance by Still Game’s Gavin Mitchell, who joined Gillian Glover on backing vocals, and what turned out to be a mercifully brief cameo by Bowie’s contemporary, Steve Harley, whose own comparatively lumbering songs, A Friend for Life and Sebastian, threatened to dilute the sterling work across the rest of the show.

Thankfully, Moreno returned to save the day with a heroic Rock’n’roll Suicide and Five Years, a gorgeous Latino-flavoured Wild Is the Wind and an epic Under Pressure (with Moreno as Mercury and Glover on the Bowie lines) and Garson provided a space for reflection with a dusky and dramatic improvisation before the party climax of Ziggy Stardust and Let’s Dance.