Lou Beckerman

The Brunswick, Hove

Sunday 16th November 2014

    Walking on stage performing the catchy bass riff that begins Lou Beckerman’s album Into the Blue, there was a palpable sense of intrigue and anticipation of what the audience were about to experience.

    Highlights of the first set were a dreamy version of the Terry Pack original Seven Sisters from his album Palimpsest and the voice/clarinet duet on V’Hi She’Am’Da with clarinet virtuoso Merlin Shepherd bending and inflecting notes around Lou’s vocal lines.

    Whilst the first set included many of the tracks from the album, the second set featured some ‘added extras’, including Lou’s version of Moody’s Mood for Love, a fantastic rendition of Monk’s Round Midnight (with a beautiful, flowing solo by Bjorn Dahlberg) and an ambitious-but-totally-worth-it version of Charlie Parker’s Au Privave.

    With a great atmosphere (both on and off stage), this album launch proved that the live experience is even more enjoyable than the album. And the album is highly recommended.

Lou Beckerman, vocals (& percussion); Bjorn Dahlberg, saxophones & bass clarinet; Merlin Shepherd, clarinet; Wayne McConnell, piano; Terry Pack, bass; Dan Hayman, drums.

Charlie Anderson