The swinging SWEET THUNDER ORCHESTRA on Sunday 21st July at the Power Boat Club didn't waste any time with Basie's “Basie Talks”. The music of Basie, Ellington, Goodman, Hefti, Jordan and Pearson were given due respect by the talented pro musicians of SWEET THUNDER. Rodney, not only the steadying beat drummer, sang “Satin Doll” in his inimitable style.
A Duke Pearson classic “Big Bertha” gave Jack, Jake and Rick a chance to show their respective talents. Guest vocalist CHERYL O'BRIEN sweetly sang a bracket of Nat “King” Cole's hits “Love” & “I’m Beginning to see the Light”. A Jumpy King Oliver jazz classic “Dead Man Blues” led into a Basie swinger “Ya Gotta Try”. Second set started with Billie (Sweetpea “Ellington's” name for him!!), Strayhorn's “Take the A Train”, which steamed into Rod warbling “One Mint Julip”, and then Cheryl returned for the audience to enjoy and remember Nat Cole's “Orange Coloured Sky” and the soulful, meaningful “Nature Boy”.
Ellington's “Portrait of Louis Armstrong” gave Rod another vocal “Blip Blip” a song from an Ellington show “Jump For Joy”. My Basie favourite “Li'l Darlin” written by Neil Hefti was beautifully played by the Sweet Thunder band in that slow tempo that only the Basie band could do.
Cheryl returned for another Cole bracket. Of course, who could resist “Route 66”. Time running out and a thanks to Ben our sound man for arranging his mikes so all the soloists could be heard.
What a band of pro musicians. When only the Best will do!!!. Goodman's famous Carnegie Hall concert left everyone at the concert stunned with not only the arrangement but the drumming from Gene Krupa. So a finale today was “Swing, Swing, Swing” featuring Rodney with the Krupa solo. Well done Rod…..a happy smiling audience gave a great applause to SWEET THUNDER'' for an afternoon of swinging jazz.
Review by Brian Fane, Life Member, (helped by Casper!)
