Riverside Arts Centre Sunbury reviews by real event-goers

Review of Riverside Arts Jazz - Tommaso Starace

Ver good music

Review of Riverside Arts Jazz - Tommaso Starace

A c***king way to end 2024 with the excellent and very engaging ex-pat Italian altoist, Tommaso Starace, who revealed that he was trying out his "new" 1939 vintage sax. He was slightly concerned about its sound in the low registers, but it sounded just fine to us. Thank goodness, though, that he skilfully avoided any kind of schmaltzy Christmas ballads (too many elsewhere already) and turned in a fine selection of mid- to up-tempo classics, including not one but two associated with the recently departed Benny Golson: Killer Joe and Whisper Not, Jive Samba, Sonny Rollins' Pent-up House and Cedar Walton's Firm Roots. Other highlights were Kenny Barron's Voyage and a lovely duet between Terence Collie and Tommaso on The Nearness of You to open the second set. We were also treated to a terrific cameo from everyone's favourite scat-singing drummer, Winston Clifford. I think it was during Just Friends, but my memory isn't what it used to be ! Great support too from stalwart bassist Richard Sadler who Tommaso thought might have some connection with Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles !

Review of Riverside Arts Jazz - Tommaso Starace

Terrific venue as it has a grand piano!

Review of Riverside Arts Jazz - Tommaso Starace

Review of Riverside Arts Jazz - Tommaso Starace

Review of Riverside Arts Jazz - Tommaso Starace

We are so lucky to have Riverside Arts in our little village and the chance to
Hear world class jazz. Thank you.

Review of Celebrating Roy Hargrove

I have always loved listening to Roy Hargrove's version of Ruby My Dear, so this gig was an opportunity to dig deeper into the great trumpeter's musical output. The guest musicians Paul Jordanous {trumpet) and Simon Allen (saxophones) made a wonderful sound together and excelled in their solo spots. They were joined by a terrific house band, led by Terence Collie on piano. I thoroughly enjoyed the evening, not least being able to relax with a beer in the candlelit theatre at Riverside Arts.

Review of Celebrating Roy Hargrove

Excellent session in a warm and friendly atmosphere, free car park close to venue and a full bar

Review of Celebrating Roy Hargrove

Absolutely c***king gig celebrating the brilliant, but ultimately tragic, career of trumpet star Roy Hargrove. Great combination of some of his best compositions, particulaly Soppin' The Biscuit, I'm Not So Sure and Strasbourg/St.Denis, together with some of his inspired covers of standards, such as Speak Low and My Ship, both by Kurt Weill. But, for me, the second set was taken to even greater heights by the band's recreation of the slowed down segue of So What and Impressions (Miles and Coltrane respectively) performed by Hargrove accompanying Herbie Hanc**k and Michael Brecker on the Live At Massey Hall album. This was in no small measure to the superb lineup Terry C. had assembled for the evening: the brilliant frontline of Simon Allen and Paul Jordanous backed up by the equally excellent rhythm section of Paul Michael and Joel Prime (drums) making his debut at Sunbury. No wonder we hear that there is growing interest in "modern" jazz in many parts of the UK. This can't have done it any harm.

Review of Celebrating Roy Hargrove

Review of Zoë Francis, Jim Mullen - Riverside Arts Jazz

Very nice music and singing.

Review of Zoë Francis, Jim Mullen - Riverside Arts Jazz

Review of Glen Manby - Tribute to Bird

Review of Glen Manby - Tribute to Bird

Review of Glen Manby - Tribute to Bird

Not much to say about this one as I'm not a massive fan of bebop. However there's no doubting Charlie Parker's reputation as one of the all-time jazz greats. You only have to watch archive footage of his performances in the late 1940s and early 1950s to see what a wonderfully fluid player he was, making modern jazz improvisation look as easy as pie. And of course in those days he was at the cutting edge but often overlooked and under-appreciated. This was a very competently performed set of numbers either composed by, or associated with, him, including Out of Nowhere, Confirmation, My Little Suede Shoe, KoKo, Yardbird Suite, Scrapple from the Apple and Groovin' High. Nice balance of up- and mid-temp selections plus a couple of ballads for variety. Very enjoyable.

Review of Glen Manby - Tribute to Bird

A very pleasant evening of jazz.

Review of Glen Manby - Tribute to Bird

Review of Celebrating Kind of Blue & Empyrean Isles

Wow, this was a bit of a departure from the mainstream fare normally served up by MIE (nothing wrong with that, I hasten to add). A 65th celebration of Miles's classic Kind of Blue featuring the craftsmanship of front line, Steve Waterman (trumpet) and Simon Allen (tenor and soprano saxes). Nothing to frighten the audience there and all beautifully rendered. The real surprise was the second half where we were promised a 60th birthday tribute to Herbie H's Empyrean Isles. OK, no problem with One Finger Snap, Oliloqui Valley and of course the peerless Cantaloupe Island, but surely, I thought, not the rather impenetrable The Egg. But there it was in all its 13 minute glory and audaciously chosen by Terry C. to open the second set. What was also heartening was that no-one left at that point (!), and by the end even my elderly companion who normally only likes The Great American Songbook was impressed and found the whole performance highly enjoyable. Superb rhythm section support from the ever-reliable Stuart Barker on bass and the impressive Chris Nicholls on the drum kit. More please, Terry and Janet !

Review of Celebrating Kind of Blue & Empyrean Isles

Fabulous music!

Review of Celebrating Kind of Blue & Empyrean Isles

Great sound , excellent band , very good value for money .