Neville Dickie
at the Sherborn Inn, August 4, 2009
| Neville Dickie
made his 8th annual visit to the Sherborn Inn, with much
appreciation from the many fans who wait for him all year. Although
fluent in all piano styles - Fats, Willie The Lion Smith, The Lamb,
Jelly Roll - he plays all of them in his own manner. He had just
been in New Jersey on his tour of the United States, and was
returning to New Jersey when he left here. At first, only
Rich Malcolm of the Riverboat Stompers joined him.
Rich was a bit concerned about his debut with Neville. Dickie
said "Just watch the hands, head and feet and it will all fall into
place." The two of them started with I'll Will Do Anything For You.
Neville explained that here in America, we say "I Will Do MOST
Anything For You", but in England they emphasize "I Will Do ANYTHING
For You". It all quickly fell into place, because
Malcolm is one of the best drummers in New England, he had no problem backing Dickie! |
Janet & George Borgman |
Sitting up front and center were George and Janet
Borgman. George has been writing about Traditional jazz for at
least forty years, and was the New England correspondent for the
former Mississippi Rag.
Now that we've lost Leslie Johnson and
the Mississippi Rag, George is keeping busy writing a novel or two,
one about Glenn Gray's Casa Loma Orchestra. He is also reviewing
CDs. |
| Neville dedicated
I'm Just Wild About Harry to Harry Patch, the last WW I veteran, who
died recently at age 111. (Eubie Blake only made it to 100 plus
6 weeks.) Fulfilling a request for a boogie woogie, he played
Red Sails in The Sunset in his own flamboyant boogie flair.
"This Albert Ammons tune came along before Fats!" he said.
Then came a really swinging Burton Lane song, The Lady's In Love
With You. The dancers were in trouble, because there were tables all over their dance floor
- the Inn had sold out. Next he played a song, "...not many people play it" Take It From Me I'm Taken To
You in his own swift, precise stride. |
|
Neville and Rich were joined by Stan McDonald of the
Blue Horizon Jazz Band on soprano sax, and Jeff Hughes of Lost in
the Sauce! on cornet for Rose of Rio Grand. Stan switched to
clarinet for Old Fashioned Love. Tijuana was a
real barn burner |
|
| The quartet
followed with Wild Man Blues,
Keeping Out of Mischief Now, Everybody Loves My Baby. Neville was enjoying being part of a
quartet, instead of carrying the whole evening by himself. During
the break, Neville invited New England pianist Ross Petot to
the ivories. No slouch, Ross played a first-class medley of pop
show tunes, including Let's Do It, It Don't Mean a Thing if it Ain't
Got That Swing, Gone With The Wind. Moving from stride to
swing and back for ballads Somebody Loves Me, S'Wonderful.
Generally quiet and laid back, Ross is a fiend when he sits at
the piano! |
 |
Neville joined
Ross, taking the lively melody, while Ross handled the chords for a rousing
Avalon. |
| Then Neville had the
floor to himself, with only Malcolm on drums, introducing Bells of Saint Mary with a chimes-like
melody, his vigorous, precise left hand in full court stride.
The front line returned to fill a request for a Django tune;
they chose Nuages for Molly and Frank. This is a McDonald's
forte on sweet soprano sax. The quartet jumped into a
roaring Running Wild, with Neville grinning from ear to ear.
He was really enjoying himself. Empress Lynn was holding court at her usual table - next to the
piano. She had the best seat in the house! Especially for
her, Jeff played All of Me. The band suddenly stopped
- realizing the whole audience was singing - and they sang
clear to the end of the tune. We do have fun.
Rose of Piccardie, Save It Pretty Mama, Jeff played some fabulous
classics, backed by Neville, Stan and Rich. Dardanella, popular song from the 1920's, picked up the
pace. Then the quartet paid tribute to James P. Johnson with Jeff's Bunny Berigan
tone on If I Could Be With You. Stan had the vocal on
Lover Come Back To Me. There was a request for another
boogie woogie - people wanted to hear Neville Dickie by himself, and he was
happy to oblige.
He said he always enjoys playing here, and graciously thanked Stan and Ellen McDonald for
making it possible. Before leaving, he asked the audience to "Keep supporting
LIVE jazz!" You bet, Neville!!
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| By Marce,
Updated August 18, 2009
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