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The date was Sunday, March 27t, and Acton’s ballroom – elegantly decked out in cabaret style – bristled with musicians, singers, and recording engineers, all geared up for a feast of stomping, swinging jazz classics. A tangible air of expectancy hung in the air as we were ushered into this cauldron of feverish activity where the Cork City Jazz Band and a plethora of guest musicians and singers were fine-tuning balance and sound from all conceivable angles. And so the scene was set for a memorable evening of some of the most enjoyable music you could wish to bend an ear to. The star-studded lined-up of guests on stage included Paddy Cole (clarinet/tenor sax)), Jack Brierley (piano), Joe Mac (drums), Sonny Knowles (baritone sax), singers Kathy Nugent, Brid McKenna, Susan Crosbie and Sharon Crosbie; along with bandleader Marco Petrassi (trumpet), and regulars Frank Ireland (tenor sax), Mick Lynch (clarinet/tenor sax), Gerry Walsh (bass), Billy Crosbie (piano), and Mick O’Brien (drums). The show got under way with a spirited “High Society” featuring the effervescent Paddy Cole on clarinet who, with his usual aplomb, got his chops around this old chestnut in style. From there on, the scene went from strength to strength, with just about everyone allowed generous space to showcase their talents on a wide-ranging selection of classic favourites.
With enough material to fill a few albums (almost 50 songs), the variety and sheer entertainment value of the concert is a tribute to the band itself and to the outstanding contributions by the many guests, all of whom sit in with the Cork City Jazz Band over the annual Jazz Festival weekend. I particularly liked Jack Brierley’s vocalising on “Whiskey Drinking Woman”, and his featured solo piano on “Lullaby Of Birdland” which was a treat to the ear. Sonny Knowles, who along with playing smooth baritone sax, is still in very good voice and can swing with the best of them as he proved on “You Wore A Tulip”. Bandleader Marco Petrassi played magnificent trumpet on “”Midnight Moscow”, and to round off the marathon session, the band with Paddy Cole to the fore, swinging out on a great set that featured “After You’re Gone”, The Shiek of Araby”, and “In The Mood”. One of the star attractions lined up for the occasion was Ronnie (Sinatra) Costley, but due to a severe throat infection he was unable to participate in the proceedings. But, undeterred, pianist Billy Crosbie teamed up with Ronnie in a recording studio to add a bonus track to the above, and, like keeping the good wine till last, their “One For My Baby” is a vocal gem with Ronnie’s innate singing artistry beautifully captured for posterity.
Pearce Harvey Jazz Critic Irish Examiner |
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Quotes |
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JOE MAC
"We made a weekend of it in Kinsale, I love Kinsale, I love playing at Acton's. The crowd were fantastic, they really got into the spirit of the thing, very enthusiastic." |
SONNY KNOWLES
"Billy is the most adventurous man, he has tunnel vision, once he sets his sights on something, he ll get right to it. The highlight of my year is coming to play and sing with these boys in Kinsale." |
JACK BRIERLEY
"Putting us all together on a large scale is a massive undertaking, But Actons is a fine venue and Jack Walsh and his staff are excellent for taking on this kind of thing." |
MARCO PETRASSI
"We did a tape before, but we really wanted to do a live recording with our guests and friends like Paddy..." |
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The band varied in personnel throughout the concert, which added plenty of variety and spice to the occasion. The singers, an embarrassment of riches featuring four fine female vocalists, chose ideal vehicles for their individual contributions, highlights of which were “Summertime” (Brid McKenna), “Nobody Does It Like Me” (Kathy Nugent), “Ain’t Misbehavin’” (Sharon Crosbie), and “Route 66” (Susan Crosbie).