Thursday September 8th 8pm
Bonington Theatre
Review by Trudie Squires
Mark Lewandowski - bass
Alec Harper - tenor saxophone
Will Rixon - trumpet
Sam Leak - piano
Will Glaser - drums
IT IS just a year since Nottingham bass player Mark Lewandowski played our opening gig at the Bonington last September with a group playing the music of Wayne Shorter. Since then he has relocated to London to recruit and work with a group of very young and very talented musicians on a project to play music dedicated to the compositions of jazz piano genius Thelonious Monk. Mark chose the Bonington to introduce his new quintet to the public for its very first appearance; his new line-up was fronting a large audience already put in high spirits from the announcement by Mike Gowland that jazz at the Bonington Theatre is safe for the foreseeable future. In a remarkable performance to the packed house Lewandowski’s bass was a dominant feature throughout. He played with a huge vibrant, singing tone and produced some amazing solos with the agility and articulation of a horn player. He was also a master of the walking bass sound and dovetailed beautifully with the superb drumming of the group’s percussionist Will Glaser. The pianist had the unenviable task of echoing the quintet's mentor, but the much-admired Sam Leak was undaunted and proved an inventive and prolific soloist and was responsible for penning some of the group’s original compositions. The two front-line musicians: Will Rixon, playing trumpet and tenor-saxist Alec Harper were both technically brilliant. Rixon played with a crackling, crystal clear attack on the up-tempo numbers, contrasted to a more smoky tone on ballads. Harper’s laid-back, nonchalant approach was the perfect foil; his beautifully constructed solos were an absolute joy on some of Monk’s characteristically quirky tunes. The group’s creditable originals were mixed with such Monk classics as “In Walked Bud,” “Reflections” and exciting versions of “Evidence,” “Trinkle-Tinkle” and “Rimining.”
