26th February from 8pm (doors 7.30pm)
Live Lounge at Kings Theatre Kirkcaldy, 9 Esplanade, KY1 1HR
Laura Macdonald Trio
Laura MacDonald (soprano and alto sax); Mario Caribe (bass); Paul Harrison (piano).
Our first gig in the Live Lounge at King’s Theatre could not have been in safer hands. Three of Scotland’s finest musicians warmed a cold evening with their joyous takes on some well-known standards and a few surprises. This was Laura’s first performance in front of a live audience for 2 years, and her delight to be back was evident in her announcements and playing, with immense support from the dazzling Paul Harrison on piano and the rock-solid swing and groove of Mario Caribe’s bass. Laura unashamedly chose all her favourite standards for the show – Skylark, Triste, Here’s that Rainy Day and Darn that Dream amongst others – plus the occasional lesser-known piece, such as Carla Bley’s “Lawns”, a melody line constructed from just four notes. Thelonious Monk’s “Straight No Chaser” provided a suitably jaunty encore to a superb evening.
Below are some images from the gig courtesy of Gareth Surgey, Flaneur Photography.
Alto and soprano saxophonist Laura grew up in Ayrshire and studied music at the RSAMD in Glasgow and then at Berklee School of Music in Boston. She has played and recorded with many leading players in the UK and the US including the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra, pianists David Berkman, Steve Hamilton and Jason Rebello, US saxophonist Donny McAuslin and the great American drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts. She combines playing with a growing career as a composer and teacher. In 2021, during lockdown, she filled her time with an appearance on BBC’s Masterchef, where she reached the last six in the competition. She was voted Instrumentalist of the Year at the Scottish Jazz Awards 2021.
