At Alfie's - viewed from the Golden Circle, l-r: Rowan Hudson, Reiss Ellis Beckles.
Picking up strong word of mouth on the London scene, alto saxophonist Reiss Ellis Beckles was at new Greek Street jazz club Alfie's earlier this evening playing in a relaxed circumstances duo setting with pianist Rowan Hudson at this newly opened tiny space.
The club at the heart of the ever burgeoning jazz village that is Soho - sibling venues the Piano Bar Soho are on Carlisle Street and over in Walker's Court at the Boulevard - you bowl in climbing up off Greek Street, a bustling thoroughfare itself paid tribute to on Ian Shaw's fine 2023 album Greek Street Friday last year. And on Shaw's earlier Silent Wish release What's New there is even a connection to this new townhouse club that has found its home on such an historic street. Because Shaw, with Iain Ballamy and Jamie Safir, also covered the classic 1960s Burt Bacharach-Hal David song 'Alfie' made famous early on by Dionne Warwick and Cilla Black that the club riffs on - as well as club inspired thoughts purrtaining to a certain jazz loving cat - but that's a tail to swish another day.
Go up the stairs of what is a beautiful old townhouse next to top French restaurant L'Escargot, look right, wheel again to the right and there in front you is a small stage - the piano is a Yamaha baby grand, the house drum kit a Gretsch. Looking at the stage you see a street facing window behind the musicians.
''Hello, Wembley,'' quipped the saxist, good naturedly as he read the room - people starting to come in. Beckles and Hudson played standards in a laidback early evening couple of sets. The Johnny Green tune 'Out of Nowhere,' covered by Coleman Hawkins, Harry James and Artie Shaw in the 1930s and by many artists since began proceedings. Then 30s Victor Young standard 'Beautiful Love' covered so movingly in a posthumous George Shearing release (with Don Thompson) a decade ago went in this Alfie's treatment into 'Summertime' as a kind of organic coda.
The smartly suited and skinny-tie wearing Beckles, an alumnus of Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London, is hugely expressive, bluesy and can make use of altissimo fingerings when he needs to. In the second set having got used to his sound a bit we kept thinking of Nat Facey of Empirical in places and of Soweto Kinch's style sometimes when the tempo started pelting along that bit more and the bebop changes tumbled and turned. Good to see a few faces in the club - including DJ Tim Garcia of Música Macondo renown. Hudson, while London born, grew up in the Somerset cathedral city of Wells leaving to study jazz at Middlesex University, has a lush, romantic sound. His introduction deep down in the lower reaches of the piano on Erroll Garner classic 'Misty' later in the second half was a big highlight as was how Beckles dealt with the emotional demands of 'Stella By Starlight.'
'When you walk let your heart lead the way, and you'll find love any day, Alfie, Alfie' - Hal David
Tags: lives
