That time of year again and Monday night was the first of four somewhat interesting choices for this year’s Snape Proms. Pee Wee, as any Van the Man fan will tell you, was Morrison’s horn player and musical director for much of the 80s (again in the 90s), although Ellis has had a much richer and varied career than that….
Best summed up by the programme notes as “one of the best saxophonists of the last half-century, Pee Wee Ellis joined James Brown’s legendary soul and R&B-driven band in 1965 as a way to fund his career as a jazz performer. Before long he became Brown’s bandleader and began writing songs that took the band towards a new sound, blending jazz with a heavier, fun-filled beat, leading some to dub him ‘the man who invented funk’“. What struck me most however was that despite his sax playing staying strong, he appeared to be quite frail and a little breathless throughout the performance – but then he is 79! The second surprise was the set; pretty much a straight ahead jazz set with Adderley, Rollins and his own compositions to the fore. Thoroughly enjoyable and, given the excellent accompaniment of Jason Rebello (piano), Alec Dankworth (bass) and Mark Mondesir (drums), obviously only a revelation to the unobservant who failed to check the lineup before the gig. All three were superb, with Rebello in particular throwing in any number of excellent solo improvisations worthy of any artist who has played with Sting, Jeff Beck, Mica Parris and Peter Gabriel’, along with his own fine work as leader of his own jazz recordings.
So, excellent start to the programme, roll on the next gig, which is truly a leap into the past!!