‘Narberth Jazz’ welcomed back the Dick Hamer quartet with singer Jenny Jones to the Plas Hotel recently.

Dick is a wonderfully fluent tenor sax soloist with a big, round, warm tone on the instrument. He names his three main tenor sax influences as Dexter Gordon, John Coltrane and Joe Henderson.

Jenny is a talented jazz vocalist who has performed with Dick Hamer many times as well as singing with the Capital City and the Morriston Big Bands, to name but a few.

Also welcomed back from the recent superb Narberth Jazz event ‘Trunk of Funk’ - was Dave Jones on piano.

With the foundation rhythm accompanists of Alan Vaughn [bass] and Nick Hislam [drums] to complete the line up.

So to the opening set which set the pattern for the evening, starting with Wayne Shorter’s ‘Yes or No’, then the ‘Recado Bossa Nova’.

Next up it was Jenny Jones’ turn with a couple of Big Band numbers ‘All of Me’ and Hoagy Carmichael’s evergreen ‘Georgia’.

Then on to the instrumentals compositions of Lee Morgan (of ‘The Sidewinder’ fame) with a trip to Salsa territory ‘Ceora’, with the quartet bouncing ideas and solo’s for our delight.

Then back to Jenny with Peggy Lee’s ‘Do right’ then ‘Smile’ and ‘Bluesette’ - before the Quartet got really stuck into ‘Star Eyes’ and then the closer ‘Cherokee’.

Altogether a wonderful evening of musicianship and entertainment.

As passing note, there was a lot more younger people in the audience at this event. Organisers also tried to make the Plas room more like a jazz club with subdued lighting and even table lamps!

Next up, unusually, on the Friday evening May 30 will be the formable trumpet of Tomos Williams and his trio. Tomos wowed Narberth Jazz a little while ago with the Seven Steps quintet.

Tickets from: www.narberthjazz.wales