GET OUT MORE....GIG REVIEW

The Big Chris Barber Band, Birmingham Repertory Theatre

14-12-2006

Martin Longley checks out a Chrsitmas annual from one of Britain's best-loved trad jazzers.

This happens every year, for decades on end: veteran traditional jazz bandleader
Chris Barber treads the boards of The Rep, as a prelude to the festive period.

But never have those boards been so disorientating, as the trombonist's band wondered whether they'd been sipping too much bubbly in the dressing room, and The Rep's Alice In Wonderland pantomime set warped and sped towards its central perspective point, black and white check squares zooming into an impossible distance.

The theatre's lighting engineer was also caught in Lewis Carroll's spell, providing
an extroverted parade of sinister hues, complete mood-changes to bathe Barber's
enlarged ensemble.

These visual trimmings were all too necessary if the audience member has seen this band too regularly in recent years, as its set-list has become somewhat graven in stone, and the gig's first half suffered from a feeling of steadfast stasis, a workmanlike completion of the regular job.

The playing was fine throughout, but the second set featured a palpable increase
in gusto, as is often the case. Barber's run of blues numbers was a wise choice to
open part two, particularly his evocative treatment of Duke Ellington's Black And Tan
Fantasy, full of crisply muted solos, then pushing forward the incongruous sound of the
Sixties, as guitarist John Slaughter's licks took the spotlight, turned down low, but still
stinging.

Bassist Vic Pitt is retiring soon, even though he looks younger than most of his
bandmates, and there have been a surprising number of changes to what has been a
highly stable roster in recent times. This infusion of fresh blood is another way of
keeping the familiar repertoire in a lively state.

Mister Barber not only maintains the energy for a month-long tour, he's still chipper
enough to mingle with the crowds straight after the gig, signing albums and chatting
amiably. If he gets his way, Barber will be back here during pre-Yule for as long as
there's enough breath in his frame to blow his 'bone.