The Mark Bolsius Farewell Band (8th May)

The Down South Jazz Club marked the occasion of a farewell to Mark Bolsius with a night featuring Mark Bolsius, piano, Steve Clark, bass and Ken Vatcher on drums with vocals by Colleen Spillane, Stacey Phelan and Mandy Siegel. It turned out a huge success.

Let me start by saying that to walk into the Sapphire Room at 7 pm and see the folding doors opened up to double the size to accommodate 120 booked guests, was an absolute treat and an indication of the many friends, relatives and fellow musicians who came along to see Mark and his band.

It was also pleasing to see the attendance of Jazz Club members, visitors and the engine room of the Club, a great committee who make it possible for all musos and patrons.

Mark and the band produced a clever program in naming the three sets after the three vocalists: The Stacey Show, The Colleen Show and The Mandy Show, encompassing an excellent mix in several genres of music.

The Stacey Set
Mark, Ken and Steve commenced with Duke Ellington’s Take the A Train, or as Mark described it, ‘Take the Train Eh!’

Stacey commenced her performance with Lonesome Road in the Madeleine Peyroux style, plus Goodnight and Every Breath You Take, both sensitive and well executed. She then sang Have You Seen the Rain by John Fogarty in a 12/8 feel with Mark doing wonderful piano fills at the end

Next a Leonard Cohen tune Dance Me to the End of Love, also a Madeleine Peyroux favourite. The jazz standard The Nearness of You by Hoagy Carmichael featured just Mark and Stacey. The three girls combined in All I Do with good interaction and harmonies over a groovy beat from the guys to complete the first set.

Colleen’s Set
Mark, Ken and Steve commenced with a Miles Davis tune Prancing, a swinging 12 bar blues with alternate changes. Colleen then had us all spellbound with some Burt Bacharach numbers in her own style: Walk On By, a lilting swing version, Always Something There to Remind Me, very uplifting and I Just Don’t Know What to Do with Myself which was most sensitive; no one could do it as well as Colleen in my opinion.
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The same goes for two of the later tunes in her set: In the Winelight by Grover Washington and My Foolish Heart, a Victor Young melody with beautiful words by Ned Washington. Excellent bass work by Steve and just the right amount of complimentary backing by Ken and Mark.

The highlight of her set was No More Blues - alternatively called Chega de Saudade, by the late Brazilian Antonio Carlos Jobim. Ken provided a compelling driving beat for Mark and Steve to ride on and Colleen showed her absolute brilliance in singing this song, somewhat faster than the medium Bossa suggested by Jobim, with excellent vocal chord structures and articulate lyrics.

Finally Colleen was joined by Mandy and Stacey in the Beetles composition Blackbird.

Mandy’s Set was the third and final set. She admits to being a newcomer to Merimbula and sang some refreshingly different
material. She has an obvious love of jazz and a big smile to show her enjoyment of same.

Once again the trio commenced with a swinging Autumn Leaves by Johny Mercer. Then Mandy sang God Bless the Child by Billie Holiday, displaying a good vocal range particularly in lower to mid-level. This Masquerade with its testing vocal range was performed as a medium swing. Next came Better Than Anything, a quirky upbeat jazz waltz I had not heard before, sung with speed and perfection and difficult lyrics with jazz connotations. Like a Star with a light pop beat was followed by (Maybe We’re) Crazy with fine backing by Ken, Mark and Steve.

Colleen and Stacey joined Mandy for the final song of her set, the iconic Little River Band composition Reminiscing featuring Colleen’s magnificent lead with suitable harmonies from the girls and also, I suspect, from the guys.

This remarkable night was concluded by Ken Vatcher singing You Are My Sunshine directed to Mark as a farewell tribute, with the last 4 choruses, repeated below, being Ken’s personalised words penned that afternoon.

You’ve brought us sunshine
A lot of sunshine
You helped the Jazz Club in many ways
A lot of swinging – a little singing
And you’ve mixed and lugged our PA

We’ve played in trios
We’ve backed our heroes
And now you have to go away
Shut up the bookshop, head to the bus stop
Before you go please let me say

Thanks for the music
Thanks for the friendship
We’re really glad you came our way
It’s been a pleasure – you are a treasure
Because we love the way you play

Thanks for the music
Thanks for the friendship
We’re really glad you came our way
Come back and see us – it’s sure to please us
Because we love the way you play

[Review by Margie Fullerton]