Anthony Kerr Quartet: Live at West Side Jazz

Four became five at West Side Jazz when clarinettist Pete Long was sadly taken ill, and the remaining quartet performed brilliantly with Anthony Kerr in the lead.

The Anthony Kerr Quartet (c) rw_crowley

Vibraphonist Anthony Kerr is adept as front man, and the whole audience joined him in wishing Pete Long a swift recovery. 

The ensemble - Colin Good (piano), Joe Pettitt (bass) and Dave Tandy (drums) - rattled through many of the tunes that had been on the original set list. The audience was entertained by well-loved swing tunes and some pieces often requested of vibes players.

This was a night that really swang, as these four musicians took some classic tunes and performed brilliantly - collectively and individually.

From Take the A Train, I Got Rhythm and Body and Soul through to Cherokee and The Man I Love, these were tunes that the audience really appreciated. The Goodman-esque clarinet of Pete Long was missing, but Kerr’s vibes and chat were a worthy replacement.

Pettitt, Kerr and Tandy (c) rw_crowley

The vibes leadership made it perfect for some tunes specific for that instrument - Bags’ Groove, Softly, as In a Morning Sunrise and the masterful Flying Home.

What was particularly impressive was the collaboration between the members of the quartet - moments when Good motioned from the piano towards Pettitt and Tandy and the instinctive swapping of four or eight bar solos that allowed for variety and intricacy.

Kerr and Good (c) rw_crowley

We continue to send best wishes to Pete Long for a swift recovery and hope to see the quartet return as a quintet in the coming months.

Next up at West Side Jazz is the Simon Bates Trio on 1 July