Reviewed By: Isabella Point
With entertainment seeded in Roger
Cairns probably from birth, it was a journey to get to jazz with many
roads leading along the way, but all adding up to a versed, seasoned
performer. Roger was born in the small coal mining village of Gilmerton,
a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland in 1946. Not surprisingly, Roger’s
talent and his penchant for music were neither nurtured nor welcomed
by his family in a post-war Britain more concerned with survival than
entertainment.
Roger's hunger was so deep that not
even the times could stop him, by 19 he could be found touring Germany
with London based band Rare Amber that was released on the Polydor Label.
Next was Rubber Duck, a nine-piece jazz-rock ensemble which caught the
ear of Bee Gees manager Dick Ashby and earned Roger backstage congratulations
from Jimi Hendrix. The group Listen, led by Essex-based composer Paul
Abrahams, followed, and won a national rock contest in 1972. With Listen,
Roger sang on BBC TV’s flagship Old Grey Whistle Test, performed
live on Britain’s chief radio
station, Radio One, and landed on the front page of the then best-selling
music paper, Melody Maker. Listen also performed at the Queen Alexandria
Hall in Kensington on the occasion of future Prime Minister Tony Blair’s
nineteenth birthday.
More success followed as Roger secured an EMI recording contract,
enjoyed radio airplay across the dial in the UK, and garnered widespread
coverage in national and regional dailies. He fronted Roger Berteau
& the Radiomen, released a couple of singles on the Hollywood label
under the stage name John Laine, and landed an interview and performance
on BBC TV’s nationwide Breakfast Time morning program. He was also
a guest on Richard Baker’s celebrated Start the Week Radio 4 program.
With all of this diversity and range of experiences, how did jazz become
a part of the Cairns journey. In 1992, he auditioned with the LA-based
Dirk Fisher Big Band, he signed on, and performed with the band until
2005. Though the sheer exhilaration of fronting a big band performing
swing continued to gratify Roger immensely, he could not resist the
draw of leading a small group.
Hence the freshman release of A Scot in LA and now his sophomore
effort, Let's... So many of the tracks were standouts that our
best suggestion is to click the latest hits button and check him out
for yourself. Below are a few of my thoughts about the CD.
After the rubato intro "They Say It's Wonderful" is
given a nice Samba treatment with a great tenor saxophone solo provided
by Matt Otto that brings to mind the melodicism of the great Stan Getz.
Cairns statement of the melody is in the pocket and is full of class.
A light hearted "Bye, Bye. (Peter Gun Theme)" gives the CD
a great moment of levity. However, there is still serious music happening
here from the arrangement penned by Gary Fukushima and sung with great
accuracy from Cairns. The selection has great orchestration, voicings,
and solos and Cairns delivery of the witty lyrics is full of humor and
satire. This really captures the insane feelings of a troubled relationship
that once it is over, the comedy of it all can be seen and felt.
"How Am I to Know" is a beautiful bossa nova the Cairns mater
voice plays with and delivers the storyline with style and class. Cairns
use of bends into various melody notes is very effective in giving the
melody interest. Matt Otto again, provides another great solo, this
time taking the listener on a colorful journey of sixteenth notes.
Let's is a delightful journey from track to track with the one common
theme being Roger Cairns, masculine, believable voice tying each element
together to create a unique vocal outing. Well worth the listen, well
worth adding to the collection.
