A Celebration of Bobby Wellins – Biopic Screening & Dwell Jazz

(College of Chichester Showroom Theatre, 6 April. Overview by Pete Woodman)

This was a lot greater than a live performance. It was a real celebration of the life and work of the good Bobby Wellins, with family and friends in attendance. The viewers additionally included bassist Adrian Kendon (from Bobby’s Quartet) and multi-instrumentalist Chris Biscoe.

The night commenced with Gary Barber’s documentary Goals Are Free, which is a fantastically crafted and detailed portrayal of the good tenor participant. It exhibits Bobby going into nice element on his experiences all through his profession – from assembly gamers reminiscent of Bob Brookmeyer in New York, to a refreshing honesty about his experiences with medicine – all tinged with a lightweight and self-deprecating humour.

In a 2018 LJN interview, the movie’s director mentioned, “My digicam operator/co-producer, Paul Dutnall, and I went over to Bobby’s home with a digicam and one mild as a result of we thought, let’s simply do a check, see what it’s like filming in Bobby’s lounge. Three hours later and Bobby was nonetheless speaking!”. On the proof of the movie, listening to Bobby recount his experiences was as mesmerising as listening to him play stay, which sadly I solely managed on one event.

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The second half of the night was given over to a efficiency of a collection of Bobby’s music by a quartet, all of whose members had loads of expertise of working with the good man. Spike Wells (drums), Steve Watts (bass), Mark Edwards (piano) and Mornington Lockett (tenor sax) performed a wonderful and assorted set that includes such tunes as ‘What’s Occurring, Aura’ and ‘What Is The Reality’, winding up with Bobby’s tribute to Clifford Brown, ‘C.U.C.B’.

The occasion was fantastically staged on the College of Chichester’s Showroom Theatre. I left having gained a big perception into the lifetime of one of many true greats of British Jazz, and having skilled an incredible gig too!