Originally scheduled for the intimate Purcell Room, this celebration of the music of Duke Ellington’s musical partner Billy Strayhorn was moved at 24 hours notice to the larger Queen Elizabeth Hall during the London Jazz Festival’s closing weekend, following the cancellation of Ute Lemper’s concert there due to illness. Any concerns that this event might play to a sprinkling of audience members dotted around this capacious venue were soon put to rest as the seats filled up and it became clear that the Purcell Room could have sold out this concert twice over.

The brainchild of pianist / songwriter Alex Webb and saxophonist / bandleader Frank Griffith, the show tells the story of Billy Strayhorn and his career with the Duke Ellington Orchestra, narrated by Sirena Riley between performances of 15 of his songs. These ranged from the well-known, the likes of ‘Satin Doll’, ‘Daydream’, ‘Lush Life’ and ‘Chelsea Bridge’ (an exquisitely scored band feature) to lesser known but equally individual songs including ‘Grievin’’, ‘Maybe’, ‘Imagine My Frustration’ and ‘Bloodcount’. The opening song, the upbeat ‘Jump For Joy’, quickly established the vocal credentials of 23-year-old Alexander Stewart. A new name for many in the audience but already a seasoned performer, Stewart navigated through the demanding Strayhorn songbook with unerring skill and youthful energy and charisma.

Sharing the vocal duties was Paris-based China Moses (left), who had already made a positive impact eight days earlier with her performances at Jazz Voices, the opening concert of the London Jazz Festival. China has all the qualities of a great jazz singer – exuberance and energy on the bright numbers such as ‘My Little Brown Book’ and the closer, ‘Take the “A” Train’, sensitivity on the ballads, a personal involvement with the songs and a fine expressive voice.

The Frank Griffith Nonet assumed the role of the Duke Ellington Orchestra for the evening, playing new arrangements by Franck Amsallem and by Nonet members trumpeters Henry Lowther and Robbie Robson, trombonist Adrian Fry and the bandleader. Baritone saxophonist Mick Foster contributed the first solo of the evening, a beautifully melodic and soulful construction delivered with a rounded sound that would have had Ellington’s baritone cornerstone Harry Carney nodding with approval. Jimmy Hastings on alto sax contributed several excellent solos, often laced with sly quotes from other songs, while bandleader Griffith’s authoritative tenor sax was heard to good effect on ‘Satin Doll’. Robson, Lowther and Fry also turned out effective solos, ably supported by the hard-working rhythm section of Tim Lapthorn (piano), Simon Woolf (bass) and Paul Clarvis (drums).

This was an excellent debut of a show that deserves to run and run. Hopefully, it will be staged at other jazz festivals, concert halls and arts centres, so that other audiences will learn more about the life of Billy Strayhorn and his unique music partnership with the great Duke so eloquently narrated by Sirena Riley who also revealed her considerable vocal talents on the closing number.

– Charles Alexander

Photo: William Ellis