Gary Crosby sets the right example

By Jack Massarik 24 Jan 2011

Anyone who claims that an OBE stands for Other Blighters' Efforts hasn't met Gary Crosby. Nobody invests more hands-on time in jazz education than the deep-grooving double-bassist honoured in 2009. A musician who leads by example, his worthy projects, including Jazz Jamaica, are too numerous to list here. This one, which delighted a packed audience of all ages on Friday, expanded his gutsy Tomorrow's Warriors quintet into a polished 16-piece orchestra.

Variously conducted by three composers, trumpeter James McKay, altoist Binker Golding and pianist Peter Edwards, the youthful massive sightread their challenging pad flawlessly and swung with a leisurely grace that would have been astounding a couple of decades ago. Back then, too, a multi-racial line-up containing four females, two of them, Mary Perry and Yasmin Ahmed, in the trumpet section, would have been very hard to find.

Edwards, trombonist Harry Brown, tenorist Duncan Eagles and New Orleans-born trumpeter Abram Wilson were the star turns but embryonic altoist Tommy Andrews, guitarist Artie Zaitz and trumpeter Mark Crown also earned warm applause.

So should the South Bank for staging these free foyer events, so vital for students who love the music but cannot afford South Bank prices. These are tomorrow's concertgoers.

Jack Massarik's rating: 4 Stars.