REVIEW

QUENTIN COLLINS SEXTET

Corn Exchange, Dorchester

WORLD-CLASS jazz is what we were told we were going to get and they were right, the Dorchester audience were treated to an evening of sublime music performed by six men who are quite simply the best.

Under the leadership of trumpet player virtuoso Quentin, the sextet comprise a drummer, pianist, bass and two saxophonists, who between them put jazz in a class of its own as they perform melodies mainly composed by Londoner Tom Harrison, a gifted young saxophone player who frequently appears with the sextet .

Trumpet star Quentin brings a pulsating rhythm to his electric performances and this venture of creating a sextet brings his artistry to a new level as his fellow performers on stage are all world class jazz musicians, in particular tenor saxe player Leo Richardson, a magical music man.

And if most of the melodies were unknown to many of us, they had a resonance and familiar jazz rhythm that also included blues and bebop, a pretty good way of taking modern music to a new level.

The current Arts Centre programme will feature a jazz combo again in October with the music of Jacques Loussier while comic opera, folk and rock are all coming our way soon, most decidedly a series of treats not to be missed.

MARION COX

Bournemouth Echo: