THE acclaimed jazz quartet Fret and Fiddle played a set of music that ranged from songs by Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen and Willie Dixon, to jazz classics by the likes of Django Reinhardt and Duke Ellington.
Led by violinist and singer Sally Minchin, the rest of the ensemble of guitarist Andy Bole, keyboard player Rich Hughes, double bassist Simon Smith and drummer Steve Street acquitted themselves admirably in a concert that ranged wildly across genre, tempo and mood.
They started with the jazz swing of Sweet Georgia, a showcase for all of the group, while the slow blues of Make Me A Pallet On Your Floor featured soulful violin and guitar.
A slow reading of Miserlou took it far from Dick Dale’s well known surf guitar version and decorated the tune with filigree guitar and violin lines. The more upbeat Tico Tico and Riding the Rails lifted both the tempo and the room temperature with enthusiastic singing from the near capacity audience in the second song.
Softly as the Morning Sun and Autumn Leaves were slower, more mournful pieces, impeccably delivered, particularly in the opening keyboard passages. Tom Wait’s Chocolate Jesus was a narrative song with a plaintive vocal and a slide guitar part from Andy Bole played inventively with a beer glass.
Nat King Cole’s Nature Boy was well sung, as was the almost tango like Dance Me To The End of Love by Leonard Cohen. Duke Ellington’s Caravan and Willie Dixon’s I’m Ready featured some fine guitar playing, while Django Reinhardt’s Tiger Rag was delivered at a blistering pace.
A playful encore of the theme of Jeeves and Wooster was a fitting end to a concert delivered by five talented players.