Rain began at showtime and soon became torrential and continued thus unabated for the duration of Sunday’s concert – gadzooks! We had a great crowd nevertheless, with few cancellations and only a few early departures at the half – 125 under the tent – very cozy and intimate. Ah, the vagaries and challenges of show biz during covid!
The Tim Collins Jazz Quintet, an ad hoc ensemble of A-list players (and good old friends from way back) assembled expressly for Hill and Hollow Music, gave two shows, both excellent. Although it was basically the same set-list twice, each performance was quite different and distinctive. Saturday’s drive-in show at Curbside in Plattsburgh featured the extraordinary John Ellis on tenor sax, while Sunday’s show at Weatherwatch Farm featured the superb Ingrid Jensen on trumpet. But of course, everyone got to shine with ample solos: Tim Collins on vibes, Marcos Varela on bass, and Jon Wikan on drums. They played mostly original compositions by Christine Jensen, (Blue Yonder, Swirlaround, Margareta) and Tim Collins (Down the Old Road, North Country, Crazy Cat, The Other Side, Valcour). Great stuff and first rate playing!
