Soundhouse Benefit Gig, Queens Hall

Soundhouse has grown from the passion of Douglas Robertson and Jane-Ann Purdy for providing musicians with gigs where the performers get the ticket money rather than having it sucked up by promoters and venues.  They've run gigs in their own home for many years and at the Traverse for the past four, but are now trying to raise funds for a permanent centre where musicians can rehearse, record and perform, something Edinburgh badly needs.

In doing so they've established their credentials as backers of all genres of acoustic music and friends to aspiring to musicos.  So for this one-off gig, to raise funds for the Soundhouse charity, all the musicians gave their time and talent for free, contributing to the greater good of the music scene.  The fact that the line up contained so much top-line talent is a tribute to just how important Soundhouse is seen by the musicians themselves.

Kicking off the evening was a couple of numbers from the Soundhouse Choir, definitely one of the best of the many amateur choirs in the city, benefitting from direction by Heather Macleod of the Bevvy Sisters, and sympathetically accompanied on guitar by  David Donnelly from the same band.  Strong arrangements and songs well suited to their abilities.

They were followed by modern jazz trio Bancroft/Caribe/Bancroft with brothers Phil and Tom on sax and drums respectively, and Mario Caribe on double bass.  Plenty of improv, long solos, and a strong understanding between them.  Not really my thing, so at times it was more admirable than enjoyable, but there was no faulting the musicianship on display.

Closing out the first half was Savourna Stevenson on clarsach, accompanied by Steve Kettley on saxophone and clarinet.  A sparkling set, with Stevenson's dexterous harp playing as fascinating to watch as to listen to.  Even an evacuation due to a (false) fire alarm couldn't spoil the performance.  Modern tunes played in traditional style with the bell like clarity of those strings.

The second half was given over to Moishe's Bagel, the stunningly inventive Kletzmer band I've reviewed before, in 2015 and 2016 and to which I have l;ittle to add.  As amazing and surprising and grin inducing as ever.

The evening was rounded out with all the musicians, and choir, joining on stage for one final singalong with the audience.  A great night out for a great cause.