If you have a love for classic jazz, you will enjoy the offerings of Colin Steele and Brian Kellock at The Jazz Bar this week. The duo is armed only with a trumpet and a baby grand piano, but they could swing their way into anybody’s heart. The Jazz Bar’s mellow, intimate setting of candle lit tables with red cushioned chairs makes for a soft, relaxing environment to share a drink with friends and enjoy a night of good jazz.
Kellock’s masterful fingers easily speed across the keyboard for the more upbeat songs, but also produce a lovely sound for slower, more romantic tunes such as ‘Blame It On My Youth’. He even takes a moment to end one song by plucking the piano strings from the inside, rather than using the keys.
Steele really succeeds with the bold, skipping tempos on his trumpet, especially with the final song ‘Moose the Mooche’ by Charlie Parker. He leans back, closes his eyes, and sinks into his solos. There’s a lovely rendition of Burt Bacharach’s ‘Alfie’ during their hour-long set that really shows off his ability to produce beautiful dulcet tones.
While Steele and Kellock are both very talented at what they do, they fail to carve out a unique identity among the vast array of jazz players out there. It may as well have been any old duo that played, though Steele and Kellock are an excellent match. Regardless, their offerings are still to be enjoyed.
