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Simon Spillett

Review ofThe Rhythm Station

Simon returns to The Rhythm Station 4th March 2008

The Rhythm Station Wednesday, July 4, 2007 I've just returned from another gig at The Rhythm Station in Rawtenstall, Lancashire. Now in it's eleventh year, this has to be, for my money, one of the best jazz venues on the circuit. The Tuesday jazz evenings are sadly no longer presided over by tenorist Tommy Melville, who has retired on health grounds, but the same warm and welcoming atmosphere is present, with a friendly, knowledgable and very appreciative audience who listen intently to the band.

One of the great pleasures of doing the gig is working with one of the venues "resident" pianists, Dennis Freedman. Like the late Pete Jacobsen, Dennis is blind, and again like Pete, he is a virtuoso performer with a formidable technical command of the piano. His solos brim with ideas (an unaccompanied passage on What's New last night was nothing short of Tatumesque) and his "comping" for the front line soloist is provocative in the best sense and sympathetic. This guy can hear round corners!

I thoroughly enjoyed the gig last night - I hope everyone who bought CDs will enjoy them too. Simons Website

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