George Van Eps in a combo setting 1993

[Cunamara]

There's not a lot of recorded output from George Van Eps in his later career, most of which is with Howard Alden- CDs and YouTube videos. He played with saxophonist Scott Hamilton at The Pizza Express in London in 1993 with two sets being recorded and released via Bandcamp.

Live at Pizza Express set 1 | George van Eps 4tet featuring Scott Hamilton | Simon Woolf

Live at Pizza Express set 2 | George van Eps 4tet featuring Scott Hamilton | Simon Woolf

Very interesting stuff. It's fascinating to hear George with a clear field for the harmony, rather than sharing with another chordal instrument. At times he nods to his swing and big band era, sounding like he's playing rhythm with a pick and chunking 4 to the bar. At other times he is pianistic, weaving moving voices around the melody and the horn player. He takes solos in which he accompanies himself and, despite the low A string, completely stays out of the what of the bassist. At times George sounds like he has 20 fingers and two guitars. While stylistically he is mostly closely related to the swing jazz tradition, in technical sophistication he is there with and maybe ahead of many of the "advancing" guitarists around today. His harmonies are not as outside perhaps, but are more digestible for it.

I hope there are more recordings from gigs later in George's life out there to be discovered.

[grahambop]

Interesting, I saw George Van Eps with Howard Alden in 1993 at a pub somewhere in South London. So it could have been around the time this was recorded.

[sgcim]

He's playing a different change on every beat at most places. I don't know how Simon Woolfe adapted to that.

[grahambop]

Simon Woolf is a veteran bassist who I’ve seen loads of times from the 1980s onwards. I should think he has played with everybody imaginable over the years. So he’s probably learned to cope with anything!

[GuyBoden]

Thanks for posting.

Scott Hamilton is one of my fav sax players, seen him play quite few times. Great player.

[AllanAllen]

He's playing a different change on every beat at most places. I don't know how Simon Woolfe adapted to that.

The guitar and the bass don't need to play the same chords at the same time. Like, if you're playing A Train and the bass plays D7 but the guitar plays G#(b9) you'll get the D7(#11).

[sgosnell]

Interesting, I saw George Van Eps with Howard Alden in 1993 at a pub somewhere in South London. So it could have been around the time this was recorded.

On "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" it's announced that George would be playing at the same place the next night with Howard Alden. You may have been a night late to see Scott Hamilton.

[Christian Miller]

Simon Woolf is a veteran bassist who I’ve seen loads of times from the 1980s onwards. I should think he has played with everybody imaginable over the years. So he’s probably learned to cope with anything!

Simon is regarded as a bit of a musical genius among the musicians I know who have worked with him.