JUDY VAUGHAN QUARTET

28 May 2016                                      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once a month, on a Saturday evening, the function room at the Angel Inn becomes a jazz music location as various combos and singers  are booked to perform. This session was headed up by vocalist Judy Vaughan who sang a batch of well known and well loved standards in spirited fashion, even though she was suffering with a cold and not feeling her best.

 

The supporting trio was a very good one with Phil Craddock supplying rich, nourishing chords to the vocals along with some glittering piano solos. Jamie Howell played bass guitar and as well as putting a solid bass line behind the vocalist, he too proved  to be a fine soloist, using the more flexible electric instrument to produce some spinning solo efforts. Jim Wade on drums kept very much in the background, keeping the rhythm flowing neatly.

 

The trio began with an instrumental version of Green Dolphin Street at a relaxed tempo and then Judy took over with a series of familiar songs, getting into her stride with You Do Something To Me  and a gently flowing, slow tempo version of Love For Sale. Then she was Beginning To See The Light by way of Moonlight In Vermont, at least that's the way it worked out with the latter piece being used by the pianist as an introduction.Body And Soul  was notable for a  ballad tempo vocal and a piano solo with a bit of a sparkle.

 

After the interval the trio warmed up on Route 66, surely the most musically traveled road of all time and then Judy took the A Train, courtesy of new lyrics from drummer Jim. After that there was time for Girl Talk before Ms Vaughan was brought back to do two encores, Zing Went The Strings of my Heart, a real oldie from Judy Garland territory and a final, Lady Is A tramp. If you missed it she will be back later in the year.

​

Derek Ansell.

 

This review is reproduced  with the kind permission of the Newbury Weekly News, where it was first published.

​

​