(Pic by Val Bottomley)
Highly recommended for anyone who is in the
mood for an evening of wonderful music performed with great flair and skill.
(Review by Keith Millar)
It is party time
down at the Rhumbelow Theatre where Durban’s pre-eminent jazz ensemble,
Platform Jazz, is blowing away the cobwebs and kicking off the new year with a
marvellous new show called The Great Gatsby Party.
This fabulous
band has been entertaining audiences for over 30 years and they certainly know
how to get the juices flowing and feet stomping as they belt out a whole host
of jazz favourites with consummate skill and panache.
The show kicks
off with a trio of ragtime hits with Twelfth Street Rag, Scott Joplin’s Maple
Leaf Rag and Irvin Berlin’s Alexander’s Ragtime Band.
They are then
joined by popular vocalist Shelly McLean for Can’t Help Loving That Man
Of Mine from the musical Showboat. Shelly, in fact, plays rather a large
part in the programme as she also sings Fats Waller’s Ain’t Misbehavin,
the Nina Simone version of My Baby Just Cares For Me and the jazz
standard Mack The Knife in the first half.
In the second
half, she contributes with George Gershwin’s S’Wonderful, Dixieland
versions of the Disney hits You’ve Got A Friend In Me from Toy Story and the Bare Necessities
from Jungle Book. She also does the
Nat King Cole hit Its Almost Like Being in Love, a soulful version of Georgia
On My Mind and a Dixie style version of Meghan Trainor’s It’s All About
The Bass, which also features double bassist Andreas Kappen.
Back to the first
half. We also, amongst others, hear the band perform Livery Stable Blues with
the brass section providing animal noises, Royal Garden Blues,
the popular sing-along Minnie The Moocher and Chicago.
The rhythm
section of the band which includes the internationally-recognised Melvin Peters
on keyboard, Bruce Baker on drums and Andreas Kappen on bass are joined by Jeff
Robinson on sax to form a quartet for Fats Waller’s Jitterbug Waltz and
in the second half, George Gershwin’s Someone to Watch Over Me which
they poignantly dedicated to South African guitar legend Steve Fataar who sadly
passed away this week-end.
(Left: Jeff Robinson in the number dedicated to the late Steve Fataar. Pic by Val Bottomley)
After interval,
drummer Bruce Baker showed off his considerable skills in Louis Prima’s Sing
Sing Sing while the band shone with Duke Ellington’s Caravan and
Hello Dolly.
New boy in
Platform Jazz, Andrea “The Italian Stallion” Bolloco, whose day job is
Principal Trombonist for the KZN Philharmonic, showed how his instrument should
be played with Ory’s Creole Trombone.
Platform Jazz was
founded and is astutely led by KZNPO trumpeter Cathy Peacock. Along with the
musicians already mentioned, she is joined by the excellent Kirsten Sayers on
clarinet.
The Great Gatsby
Party is brought to a close with a rousing version of Glen Miller’s In the
Mood and that is certainly how the audience felt after this very enjoyable,
feel good, production. Highly recommended for anyone who is in the mood for an
evening of wonderful music performed with great flair and skill.
The Great Gatsby
Party has a performance this afternoon at Rhumbelow Durban and runs again next
weekend until January 26 with performances on Friday and Saturdays at 20h00 and
Sundays at 14h00. Venue opens 90 minutes before show for picnic dinner)
Tickets R160 (R140 pensioners and students with a
valid student card and tables of eight or more). Discounts apply 1st weekend
ONLY.
Take along food picnic baskets. Braais will be
available, and food is available to purchase at the venue. There is limited
secure parking and booking is essential. A cash bar is available (no alcohol
may be brought on to the premises). Rhumbelow Durban is situated at 42
Cunningham Road off Bartle Road in Umbilo.
Booking is through Computicket or contact Roland on
082 499 8636, email roland@stansell.za.net (also for block bookings of 8 or
more R130 pp) or visit http://events.durbantheatre.com – Keith Millar
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