It’s impossible to review a show at St Georges Hall without mentioning the venue itself, especially the concert room which is where the performance took place. The architecture is absolutely stunning, and the grandeur of the room just hits you immediately. Almost every person who entered the room automatically did a scan of it, taking in the sheer beauty of the environment, in particular the ceiling décor and chandelier.
On to the main event, and the entrance of the musicians. They entered the stage one by one, beginning to play their instruments on arrival, until all of them were on stage and taking part in the opening number. It was a fantastic start to the show, and prepared you for the spectacle that was to follow for the evening.
One of the things that struck me very early on, was how much the musicians enjoy what they do. Each one showed great joy in their work, and perhaps more importantly in one and others too. You can tell they are all supportive of each other, and every individual seemed to bring something unique to the table.
Talking of individuals, I have to mention the main man himself, Chris Smith (Jnr). His stage presence is so enticing and his multi-talented persona really does shine through. Not only does he expertly lead the band with his direction, he also plays the piano and trumpet, sometimes at the same time, with one hand playing the keys of the first instrument and the other effortlessly playing the latter, something which needs to be seen to be believed. As if that wasn’t enough he also provides vocals on various numbers, harmonising beautifully with the female vocalist, as well as comparing the show and giving us audience member’s an insight into the background of the songs, often in a comedic manner. He really is a musical expert, and maybe the fact he played alongside Herb Miller (Glen Millers bother) goes someway in accounting for this. Either way, Smith is a genuine joy to watch. 
The band did play some Glen Miller numbers, such as ‘Georgia on my mind’ and ‘In the Mood’ much to the audiences delight. The likes of Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole were also touched upon, and very well received by what seemed to be rather a reserved audience at times. Unfortunately, the audience was lacking in numbers, which was a real shame, but this did not affect the performances in the slightest. In fact the performances by all were incredible, from the saxophonists, to the drummer, from the trumpet players to the double bassist, they all were a joy to watch and listen to, and particularly shone through during featured and solo performances.
When the interval arrived we had seen solo and/or featured performances by pretty much all of the brass section, and although it was great to see them at the forefront showing off their skills, it did make me wonder about the musicians in the background. Namely the double bassist and the drummer. Both these musicians clearly played tirelessly in support of the others and it seemed a shame that they had not been featured, but little did I know what was to come in the second half. Pretty much as soon as the second half got into the flow of things, we were introduced to Ken Marley, the double bassist. We were given a brief background about his 35 years of experience with his instrument and then treated to his solo performance. Both musicians and audience members alike were in awe of him and his experience just glistened through. Never before have I seen a solo performance using this instrument and I have to admit it was a personal highlight.
I was pretty sure then that at some point they would have to feature the drummer, and so they did, right at the end to help make the show go out with a bang, quite literally. He was quite spectacular, and you could understand why he was left until the end as his part was pretty much an intensive work out and you couldn’t help but watch him open mouthed. Unfortunately I didn’t catch his name, and there didn’t seem to be any programmes available either which was a bit disappointing.
Overall, I can’t imagine watching many jazz/swing bands who would out play this ensemble. They truly made for a magical evening, it was just a pity that there were wasn’t more people there to enjoy it.
Reviewed by: Sara Woodruff
Reviewed on: 10th April 2016
