Saxophonist, flautist, composer and sometime bass-player Pete Canter made his mark on the London jazz scene in the 1980s. After a spell in Wales in the 90s he settled in the South West in 2001 and ran the monthly Bridge Jazz Club at Exeter’s Phoenix arts centre until December 2023. Then, since February last year he has hosted the thriving Jazz at The Mermaid sessions in Gandy St, Exeter, which take place on the first Wednesday of each month.
Last Sunday his excellent trio (with Phillip Clouts on piano and Kevin Sanders on bass) played the lunchtime session at Taunton’s invaluable and enterprising CICCIC arts venue. For their repertoire they drew on the popular mix of bop classics, the good old GAS (Great American Songbook) and some admirable originals – not to forget GAS classics that became bop standards.
Canter plays various saxes but at this session he concentrated on alto alongside flute, producing a series of impressive solos on each. Flute features included Night And Day and A Night In Tunisia, and on the latter each member of the trio produced exciting and incisive take-offs in the famous “break” that follows the theme and ushers in the solos. Here, and throughout, Sanders’ lines were athletic and supportive. Clouts, known for his work with “world music” bands as well as jazz, played several complex and riveting solos as well as providing effective underpinning throughout.
Other highlights included an incisive alto workout on On Green Dolphin Street, a Canter original (Palestine), a nimble Latin-tinged version of What Is This Thing Called Love, Charlie Parker’s Chi Chi, the Ellington-Tizol classic Caravan and the Latin favourite Besame Mucho.
The aforementioned sessions in the basement of The Mermaid are an admirable undertaking, giving opportunities to jam with Canter’s band. It’s important to note that it is not an open session where you can just turn up and join in, but if you would like to sit in for a tune or two you can contact Pete at lazybirdjazz@hotmail.com. If you don’t want to sit in go along anyway – you might spot a future star.
At the 5 November session the house band consisted of Canter, James Clemas (kyb), John Donnelly (b) and Matt Evans (d). They were joined from time to time by a tenor saxophonist, a guitarist, a drummer and a singer called Mary whose voice and interpretations were particularly appreciated by the audience on songs including Just Friends, Sophisticated Lady and Autumn Leaves.
Caravan turned up again at this session, this time with Latin trappings. As Canter acknowledged at one point, this session was quite heavy with Latin influences, including bossa nova beats, giving the drummers scope for different patterns and textures. There was an unusual interpretation of Nature Boy in that vein, but there was no shortage of classic straightahead readings of standards including Out Of Nowhere, Night And Day and Bye Bye Blackbird, with Canter again producing plenty of impressive flute solos.
Pete Canter at CICCIC, Taunton, 1 November and the Mermaid, Exeter, 5 November
