Norma Winstone's voice made a cold November night ten degrees warmer on Tuesday evening at St. James's church in Piccadilly. Despite the curious acoustics, Winstone was totally on song and this trio, with Glauco Venier Glauco Venier
on piano and Klaus Gesing Klaus Gesing
on reeds, is her finest vehicle since Azimuth. Winstone has reached a level few singers achieve. Voice, lyrics and music combined seamlessly in what was truly a trio of equals. Songs such as the gorgeous "Rush" and elegiac "Here Comes the Flood," from the group's two ECM Records CDs, vied for attention with a new setting of saxophonist John Coltrane John Coltrane
1926 - 1967
saxophone 's "Giant Steps" and a transcendent take on singer/songwriter Fred Neil's "Everybody's Talking." Simply divine.

Composer and arranger Graham Collier Graham Collier
1937 - 2011
composer/conductor 's music was celebrated at the BBC Maida Vale studios on the Wednesday by the BBC Big Band BBC Big Band
led by Geoff Warren and featuring Collier alumni like saxophonist Art Themen Art Themen
b.1939 , keyboardist Roger Dean Roger Dean
b.1948 , drummer John Marshall John Marshall
b.1941
trumpet , trumpeter Steve Waterman Steve Waterman
b.1960 and guitarist Ed Speight. The main event featured Collier's The Blue Suite, inspired by trumpeter Miles Davis Miles Davis
1926 - 1991
trumpet ' Kind of Blue (Columbia, 1959), but re-imagined with perhaps a hint of Webern. The music was both beautiful and articulate, despite a sense that something or rather someone was missing from the occasion. Thursday night saw a complete contrast and one of the most purely enjoyable affairs of the festival with singer Gwyneth Herbert Gwyneth Herbert
's Peggy Lee Peggy Lee
1920 - 2002
vocal Tribute with bassist Alyn Shipton's Buck Clayton Buck Clayton
1911 - 1991
trumpet Legacy Band playing the Arts Depot in Finchley. It was great fun—a collection of great songs associated with Lee, including a marvelous "Is That All There Is?," delivered with love and joy.

The final weekend at the Southbank was largely devoted to British jazz of the sixties. Saturday afternoon, pianist Michael Garrick Michael Garrick
1933 - 2011 's two sons—trumpeter Gabriel Garrick Gabriel Garrick
and violinist Chris Garrick Chris Garrick
paid tribute to their father's huge catalogue of jazz tunes. Garrick associates Art Themen and bassist Dave Green Dave Green
b.1942 played superbly, but vibraphonist Jim Hart Jim Hart

vibraphone came close to stealing the show, whilst poet Jeremy Robson—Garrick's poetry and jazz confrère—read two poems that recalled more optimistic, if still troubled times. Later that night, pianist Peter Edwards Peter Edwards
led the Nu Civilisation Orchestra through saxophonist Joe Harriott Joe Harriott
1928 - 1973
saxophone 's albums Free Form (Jazzland, 1960) and Abstract (Capitol, 1962), once more revealing the soul and mind of the musical poet who had conceived them.

Sunday evening saw trumpeter Kenny Wheeler Kenny Wheeler
b.1930
trumpet and his big band, featuring Norma Winstone, guitarist John Parricelli John Parricelli
and saxophonist Evan Parker Evan Parker
b.1944
sax, tenor , performing tunes from his acclaimed The Long Waiting (CAM Jazz, 2012). It was a testimony to the longevity of creativity that Wheeler embodies. From 1969 and his first album Windmill Tilter (Fontana) to this latest CD, the sheer eloquence and elegance of Wheeler's compositions is matched only by that of his trumpet and flugelhorn playing, and drew the very best performances from his soloists, including here the under-sung Australian altoist Ray Warleigh Ray Warleigh
b.1938 .

But the highlight of the festival could only be saxophonist/clarinetist John Surman John Surman
b.1944
saxophone 's Lifelines, a collaboration with the Bolsterstone Male Voice Choir. To some, the idea of a work that combined piano, saxophone and voices might seem strange but anyone who knows Surman's work would guess that if anyone could pull it off it would be he. The choir was magnificent, combining to perfection with Surman and pianist Howard Moody, but it was the stories told by Lifelines that truly gripped the attention and imagination: stories of industry and empire, of transformation and unfulfilled promise. Could this be Surman's next CD? Maybe. Should it be? Definitely.

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