ART THEMEN TRIO at THE GONVILLE HOTEL

Art Themen on stage

Jazz musicians seldom smile - not on stage anyway. Art Themen is very different. His act is quietly humorous. He manages to merge magical saxophone with a quiet amused counterpoint of ironic medieval fantasy banter under the alter ego ‘Thane and the Villeins’ .His confrères on stage, George Double and Pete Whittaker, pretend to find this all exasperating. but the audience loved it. Art Themen’s style is based on entertainment . Even the classic opener “ It’s great to be here” - “However at my age, it’s great to be anywhere” packs a punch given his years in the business. Poised and at the top of his game, Art Themen is a true veteran - and Cambridge claimed him as one of their own at last night’s tumultuous gig - the packed out sell out audience went mad with approval for a non-stop sparkling line up of classic and modernist numbers. “ I played Cambridge’ Art confided “ On Rose Crescent - 60 years ago- in the Rose Hotel “ Ever since then Cambrdge’s Modern Jazz Club has tempted him back - even though he has toured the world with the likes of Stan Tracey and made a string of international recordings. . Art was a student at Cambridge Medical School, and later a neuro-surgeon - but also a committed jazz fiend since the night his gorgeous 16 year old cousin took him to a Dankworth gig in Manchester. He saw the effect their saxophonist had on his lovely companion and thought that was the way to go. Last night’s gig was packed with flirtatious fun anecdotes .

Pete Whittaker on organ Art Themen on sax and George Double on drums

But in between, the music was truly wonderful. George Double made the drums thrum out in several brilliantly rhythmic Latin style numbers Song for My Father was his homage to his roots in Cape Verde and the song swung like a classic with Art’s minimal toots on the sax discreetly interspersed. Peter Whittaker actually converted me to the Hammon organ in one evening. Its gorgeous long mellow chords were a perfect match for the sparkling precision of Art Theman’s thrilling saxophone . Or sometimes clarinet - the first instrument he tried to play as a teenager in Manchester. He lost the instruction book and when he found it , discovered he’d been using the mouthpiece upside down. By then he had moved to sax . For someone with so much musical experience, the rest of the line up was just one gift after another, some familiar others not and all - of it sustained the mood of blissful enjoyment in the schmalzy ,comfortable dimmed Gonville lounge. Jazz does not come better than this. During the penultimate fabulous number , I saw some sober jazz veterans actually dancing. And Art’s encore ‘ A Nightingale Sang in Berkley Square’ made a dreamy thirties finale.

I got to talk to Art during the interval. “ Jazz is often far too serious’ he gave me a winning smile, “ We are here to entertain. So often you see saxophonists drift into their own world - even turn their back on the audience. No. Jazz isn’t about that kind of super seriousness. It can be both. You need not put on a funny hat like Acker Bilk to made Jazz attractive. It should be engaging and yes, entertaining .

Art Themen, attractive and entertaining .