Reporter: Tony Sheldon
Date online: 12/06/2008

A visit from John Pashley's La Harpe Street Jazz Band is always awaited for its unpredictability! His quirky personality and choice of programme as the set emerges brings a mixture of simplicity and quality.

New Orleans music influences by the master George Lewis forms the basis of the performance and the appeal of trumpeter Pashley's band is old time jazz, often improvised rather than a tight knit jazz unit in glorious attire!

The neat work of the rhythm section is kept very much in the background and it was only with the final number 'Over The Waves' that banjo player Richard Speight, bassist Phil Kampen and drummer Bill Evans were given the opportunity to show their solo expertise, although the Al Bowlly sounding Evans gave fine vocal renditions of 'Am I Blue', 'You Belong To Me' and 'We Danced At The Mardi Gras'.

Musician of the night was certainly reedsman Cliff Greenwood who flies over from his home in the Isle of Man to dep with various bands. His clarinet solos of the favourites 'Burgundy Street Blues' and 'St Philip Street Breakdown' with fine rhythm section support was superb and his driving sax work aptly complemented 'Fats' Pashley's vocal on 'I'm Walking'!

Pashley vocalised on contrasting numbers such as 'Last Mile Of The Way' and 'Sloop John B', whilst trombonist Eugene Farrell who has a raucous style, vocalised with 'Dr Jazz' and also showed his talent on harmonica with 'Joe Avery's Piece' and 'Dallas Blues' accompanying Greenwood's vocal and fine clarinet solo. My particular favourite was 'Listen To The Mocking Bird' or did Greenwood's clarinet influence my judgement?

La Harpe Street Jazz Band
11 January 2004