Reporter: Tony Sheldon
Date online: 12/06/2008

The annual visit of the Phil Mason band always guarantees a full house, ultimate professionals with songstress Christine Tyrrell and regularly tours to Scandinavia, Holland, Australia and the U.S.A.

However I had to agree with a Mason follower that the concert has become predictable. The quality of musicians is never in doubt, but the pattern remains the same and at times seems somewhat robotic.

Led by Phil Mason who plays a powerful cornet, there was plenty to admire and enjoy, but Mason seemed somewhat remote and it was left to the ebullience of banjoist ‘extraordinaire’ gentleman Jim McIntosh to ‘jolly’ the gig along with his exceptional solo medley on ukulele and harmonica and there delightful tones of Christine Tyrrell to entertain with “I Get The Blues When It Rains”, “Dark Town Strutters Ball”, “Piccaninny Rose” (Only a black singer could do this these days), “Royal Telephone”, “I’m Crazy” and the outro number 1 “fair And Square In Love” when all the band contributed with their cameo exits.

On the drums ex J.B. leader Laurie Chescoe spiced up the rhythm and rocked the place with this solo “Swing That Music” with a driving front line led by the baritone sax of reedsman Roger Myerscough.

Double bass maestro Trevor Williams was given the stage with a bow solo in “Squeeze Me” and vocal and slap with “Baby Face” backed by Banjo and drums.

Myerscough excels with clairinet and a sax selection, none more so than his superb tone variations solo in “Smiles” complemented by the rhythm section, and his vocal “You Meet The Nicest People”.

The banjo of McIntosh came to the fore with a terrific solo “I’m Nobodies Sweet-Heart Now” when strings where flying everywhere. The quiet man on the trombone Mickey Cook sang “Louisian-i-a” with front line support and “Sweet Bye and Bye” was a nice slow vocal for Mason on a Sunday evening.

There were also neat arrangement of “You Do Something To Me” with the cornet and trombone duo. The popular “Collegiate” and rousing “Salutation March” but the band didn’t seem to have the ‘oomph’ of previous visits.

The Phil Mason Band
The Broadfield Hotel
Sunday 4 March 2007