The Jazz Trane is a new club presenting visiting soloists and bands alongside the resident quintet led by
local vocal stylist Freddie King in a relaxed, informal, cabaret-style setting.
Despite St Bride's out-of-the-way image and, perhaps more importantly, the not inconsiderable counter attraction of the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra working with a notable American guest over at the Queen's Hall, this second meeting attracted a hearteningly numerous clientele which hopefully will continue to support the club as it moves to a last-Friday-of-the-month slot in March with visiting saxophonist Bob Rockwell.
Friday past's Jazz Trane driver was one of Scotland's great jazz exports, Glaswegian Jim Mullen, a musician who never fails to turn on the magic when he plugs in his guitar. Playing with King's band, sitting in on an impressively soulful and committed This Masquerade with the second generation King singer, the very promising Nikki and her accomplished guitarist, Marcus Ford, and on an
all-too-brief solo spot, Mullen's phrasing and unstoppable creative flow were, once again, class personified.
All the Mullen hallmarks were there: his eager enthusiasm for music, his biting honesty, a sense of jazz history - indeed, of black music generally and, of course, the devilish musical quotes kick-starting another, and another, exciting
thumb-picked extemporisation. On the Latin-rhythmed Fungi Mama, he was mischievous; on his solo feature based on Sentimental Mood, tender and searching. Then, as he brought direct and unfailingly fresh meaning to Body & Soul's well-worn chord sequence, the thought occurred that Mullen's right thumb might just be the best blues singer Glasgow ever produced.
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