Well wot a night! Triumphant return of Kokomo Rise & Shine Again at The Brook last night where a busy house - in amongst a near sell out tour - saw a legendary and unique British soul/funk/r&b turn back the hands of time (oh no thats the other lot wasnt it!) and play a fabulous 2 hour set ...which had grown men (and women!) close to tears in enjoyment and nostalgia. Glorious Kokomo performance - top of their game from the first note to the last. The entrance money alone (well triple the entrance money actually!) would have been worth it just to see two of the greatest (dont use the phrase lightly here!) guitars this country has ever produced...Neil Hubbard (all trademark choppy rhythm, and the sweetest of down-home straight to the heat, licks) and the inimitable Jim Mullen reminding us that, for all his jazz sensibilities, he remains, at heart, a simply great groove and blues lead guitarist - Ok one with an astonishing vocabulary - but still every thing he does in rooted in (the most exciting) blues playing imaginable. Reliving the Morrissey Mullen glory days with those trademark vibrato bends and exciting driving phrases. What a player! What a pair of players! At the keys was Tony OMalley - a great showman and vocal stylist - and on tunes like Tee Time , Naked Flame and The Ghetto reminded everyone - not that they should need reminding - just what a great keyboard player Tony is. Just fabulous time...such a groove. Is he white? Is he British? Tests need to be made!. So fabulous to hear Glen LeFleur on congas...bringing back that Bill Withers meets Donny Hathaway meets just about any of the great American r&b bands from back of the day, sound. Him and the groove machine Frankie Tontoh (whos drumming CV runs like a whos who of music) providing such a backbone of groove alight augmented by the gloriously funky Jennifer Maidman on bass. With Mel Collins on tour with King Crimson, the A Listers of British musicians within the band was enhanced by the wonderful and suitably bluesy presence of the great Nigel Hitchcock on sax. That just leaves me to mention the trademark heart of the infamous Kokomo sound. The Singers. The irresistible Frank Collins - resplesdant in gold boots, sun glasses, S&M leather jacket, hat and vivid shirt (and this was just his day wear!) - MCing things along and, as ever, the falsetto led harmonies had you looking skywards for the presence of angels. Big props to Cardiff singer Miss May of the band Man Mayd, plucked from the support act on Wednesday (?) night to cover for the poorly Miss Birch and, on an hours rehearsal, slotted in both vocally and visually as if she had been doing the gig for years. Finally Paddy McHugh. He only sung lead once last night but what a lead. My favourite Kokomo number personally, their spine chilling cover of Arethas Angel which Paddy - and the band - made their own. It got the biggest reception of the night and it sounded...pretty much like...well, this. Jim Mullen joked this was their catch em before they die tour well catch em indeed cos when they do hang up their guitar straps a whole strand of musical history will indeed die. They truly dont make em like this anymore and beautiful to see and behold. Long live Kokomo! https://youtube/watch?v=soV_d7e0aJY
Posted on: Sat, 30 Aug 2014 10:31:25 +0000
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