 Ron Gill |
Live @ Scullers – Sep. 22, 2005
by Matthew S. RobinsonIt was a comfortable crowd for a Wednesday night at Boston’s best Jazz room. And with the help of locally-accented music maven Ron Gill, the appreciative audience got even more comfortable as Gill and his talented tag team traded jabs, jokes, and a jukebox worth of Jazz classics by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn.
From a gentle “Something to Live For,” a smooth “It Shouldn’t Happen to a Dream,”
and an expressive (dare I say “colorful”?) “Multicolored Blue” to a Basie-d “Greivin’” and a swaying swing through “I Ain’t Got Nothin’ but the Blujes,” Gill spoke and sparkled his way through some of Duke and Billy’s best, as well as some lesser-known gems have come of the WGBH radio host Gill’s tireless quest for the best of his genre.
And though Gill was undoubtedly the leader of the band, he gave his capable cohorts plenty of time to shine. In addition to his long-time pianist Manny Williams, Gill also took the time to feature the spicy licks (and wit) of guitarist/comedic straightman John Stein and the efforts of sax man Phillippe Critittien. No matter who was playing, it was evident that the entire band was having fun sharing their musical stories and the crowd just went right along with them.
C. 2005 M. S. Robinson ARR