For fans of jazz and the big band sound, this show was a treat and Georgie Fame was the icing on the cake. My interest was seeing Georgie Fame perform as he was one of my pop heroes from the '60s and '70s. His music, at that time was considered rather avant-garde as it wasn’t of the usual pop genre and as such sounded really different and of course being an attractive young man also added to his appeal. His blend of jazz and American Rhythm & Blues earned him a substantial following in the UK and elsewhere. Playing piano and organ in addition to singing, he was influenced by Mose Allison, Booker T. & the MG’s and Louis Jordan. He introduced many youngsters in his early career to Jamaican ska and bluebeat songs helping to popularise the genres in the UK. He was also one of the few jazz singers to take an interest in and promote the vanishing art of vocalese, a style of jazz singing in which words are added to the soloist’s improvisation.
The show opened with a twenty five minute set by the BBC Big Band led by conductor Barry Forgie. A full 17 piece orchestra entertained the mainly "grey pound brigade" of mostly over 60s to arrangements featuring musical scores by The Glenn Miller Sound; the song, 'Black Nightgown' from the 1958 noir film starring Susan Heyward, 'I Want to Live' featuring solos from trombone and saxophone; 'Sweet Georgia Brown' showcasing a xylophone solo and the Cole Porter/Frank Sinatra classic, 'In The Still Of The Night'. Die-hard fans of the big band sound showed their appreciation throughout the section by clapping the soloists and head-nodding to the music.
Barry Forgie then introduced the star of the show who everyone in the auditorium had been waiting to see. Georgie Fame walked slowly onto the stage with the use of a walking stick, looking quite frail in all of his 75 years. Dressed in a white, oversized linen jacked over a black shirt and trousers he looked distinguished but maybe not in the best of health. He apologised early on for the use of the walking stick; a problem with balance in his ears which makes him unsteady on his feet. After many tests to seek the cause, a neurologist told him that ‘Maybe you’re just getting old’. This brought large guffaws and clapping from the audience. He also used a high stool during some of his songs whilst making an exaggerated movement of throwing away the stick in distain. Although, as he said his health at the moment was somewhat ‘creaky’ his voice was in fine form.
He commenced his first set with his 1964 number one hit single, 'Yeh Yeh' which contained a solo by saxophonist Martin Williams. I felt as though he performed it first to almost get it out of the way. Original songs written by him followed such as 'The Blues At The Bull' with an excellent trombone solo; 'L’l Darling', the jazz standard composed by trumpeter Neal Hefti for the Count Basie Orchestra which contained very long notes performed by Fame effortlessly proving his lung capacity was still intact; 'Little Pony', 'Sometimes I’m Happy', and a dedication to a composer/arranger friend of Georgie’s Steve Grey, now deceased, with a song named 'Wil Carling' so called because it sounds like L’l Darling but one which Fame was tasked with writing the lyrics for. He managed to include ‘Wil Carling scoring a try’ and ‘extra time’ in the lines, something he is quite proud of. He finished the set with the Count Basie version of his number one hit 'Bonnie And Clyde' which was received with passionate applause.
After a short break, we were entertained once again by the BBC Big Band with a twenty minute set followed by Georgie Fame’s second set which included one of my favourite hits, 'Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag', which featured a very long high note at the end and showcased the talents of the orchestra’s left-handed guitarist playing a bright red Gretsch guitar. Fame then sat at the piano to sing some of his original songs which included 'Checking For Some Vinyl Today', 'Cool Cat Blues', 'Anthem For A Band' and an emotional song written for his girlfriend at the time he composed it called, 'I’ll Sing You'.
With his name-dropping anecdotes about Ringo Starr, Van Morrison and Ronnie Scott’s jazz club along with excellent storytelling of his youth at Butlin’s Holiday Camp in North Wales where he was offered a job there by the band leader, early British rock and roll star Rory Blackwell, Fame’s charming professional talent and charisma made for a very entertaining evening.
Having more than twenty albums and fourteen hit singles under his belt and a long list of collaborations with some of music’s famous names, including Muddy Waters, Gene Vincent, Bill Wyman, Eric Clapton and Van Morrison (plus many more), Georgie Fame enjoys legendary status on the international music scene. He still has an unmistakeable voice and his much-loved blend of jazz and rhythm & blues is a prospect to savour. He is a bona fide music legend and hopefully his health will improve so that he can continue entertaining his strong army of fans who enjoy the combination of his sophisticated jazz with inspiring catchy compositions such as the songs he’s become famous for.
Reviewer - Anne Pritchard
on - 12/5/19
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