Isomatic UK Weblog

This evening we went to the George & Dragon in Thames Ditton to see the John Barnes quartet, comprising John Barnes (baritone sax, alto sax, clarinet), Alan Dandy (keyboard), Mick Durelle (string bass) and Don Cook (drums). Our favourite numbers were:
Where or When from the 1937 Rodgers and Hart musical Babes In Arms and first performed by Ray Heatherton and Mitzi Green but sung on this link by Ella Fitzgerald;
Alan Dandy's beautiful solo feature Skylark, composed by Hoagy Carmichael with lyrics by Johnny Mercer, published in 1942, and played on this link by Acker Bilk;
A Fine Romance composed by Jerome Kern with lyrics by Dorothy Fields in 1936 for the musical film, Swing Time, where it was co-introduced by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers but sung on this link by Marilyn Monroe.
Kim Martine (pictured) joined the band to sing another Jerome Kern number 'I'm Old Fashioned' followed by another Hoagy Carmichael number 'The Nearness Of You'. When Kim was singing along to Mick's bass she sounded like a sweet-voiced young girl.
John Shepherd (trumpet) and John Lang (trombone) joined the band for 'Fidgety Feet', 'Mood Indigo' and 'Ring Dem Bells'.

It is usually a mature audience at the G & D so we were pleased to see a younger member for the first two numbers (pictured). She seemed to be entranced by the performances.

Labels: Jazz