I have previously reviewed some of the well-established, well-attended and well-received Sunday lunchtime jazz presentations at Taunton’s award-winning venue CICIC (Creative Innovation Centre Community Interest Company) but last weekend they experimented with a Saturday afternoon event, featuring the trio led by singer and bass-player Nicola Farnon. The turn-out wasn’t quite as big as for the Sunday sessions but those who did come were treated to an excellent session which they warmly and enthusiastically appreciated and that, hopefully, will encourage a repeat booking before too long.
The programme included classics by Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Vernon Duke and Rodgers and Hart which Farnon made sound newly minted, and even those strongly associated with particular performers such as Peggy Lee came out fresh and personal. There was also a dramatic version of Stevie Wonder’s For Once In My Life (in the Harry Connick Jr. arrangement) and several classy and appealing original compositions by Farnon herself.
She is such an engaging and persuasive interpreter of the songs, whether swingers, ballads or whatever, that you might almost neglect her bass playing, which would be a mistake. Her elegant harmonies and counter-melodies enriched and complemented her colleagues’ contributions and her own vocal lines.
The trio was completed by David Newton on piano and Phil Johnson on drums. Newton has won more awards than you could stack on a piano lid and was on sparkling form here, impressing his colleagues as well as the audience. Johnson is a flexible four-limbed player without being flashy or too busy, and he provided fine support throughout.
Nicola Farnon Trio at CICCIC, Taunton, 14 September 2024
