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March 2007
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Jake Langley Trio
March 15, 2007 Hugh's room Toronto
Blues is the preacher, and Jazz is the teacher.
by David Fujino with photo by Luis Enriquez

This night it was jazz straight up.

And as interpreted by Jake Langley, Kieran Overs, and Terry Clarke, it had that unmistakable 'cry' — the cry of the Blues.

In the opening tune — Kenny Burrell's funky "Chitlins Con Carne" — Langley's guitar was a fluent mix of single string and chunky chordal lines. Terry Clarke's hi-hat evenly punctuated the growing beat and Overs' full-toned bass kept it all firmly grounded.

The evening's varied set list came straight out of the jazz tradition — Monk's "'Round About Midnight", durable standards like "Yesterdays" and "Who Can I Turn To?", Burt Bacharach's "Close to You", and Wes Montgomery's "OGD" and "Jingles".

Langley's creativity as a jazz player was rousing as he repeatedly kept finding new things to say in the blues cadences.

He would modestly limit himself to three or four solo choruses, and turned over solo spots to his two stellar bandmates because he clearly loved to hear them play.


Jake Langley

On "Yesterdays", the guitarist engaged in trading aimiable 8's with Clarke and Overs, and ended the set with, guess what? a glowing version of "Canadian Sunset".

A loping swing. Singing octaves. And a warm, hollow body guitar that also spoke with a bitter tang.

It was Jake Langley, straight up, on this winter evening.

The musicians
Jake Langley — electric guitar
Kieran Overs — acoustic bass
Terry Clarke — drums

www.jakelangley.com

We welcome your comments and feedback
David Fujino
• • • • • •
Luis Enriquez
davidfujino@thelivemusicreport.com
• •
The Live Music Report
reporters@thelivemusicreport.com

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