WHEN pianist Nikki Iles and vocalist Tina May played Norden Farm's Courtyard Theatre last week as guests of the Pendulum Jazz Orchestra, there wasn't a spare seat in the house.

Two of the brightest stars in Britain's contemporary jazz firmament, they showed precisely why they command such a following from audiences and fellow musicians alike.

Under musical director Partick Kelly, the Pendulum Jazz Orchestra (previously known as the Berkshire Youth Jazz Orchestra) has a cohesiveness and attack that belies its youthful appearance.

With Nikki on stage for the opening numbers, they bowled us sweetly through Mingus's Fables of Fabius and Kenny Wheeler's Foxy Trot, with fine solos from Nikki, Nathan Hawkins (tenor sax), Paul Jordanous (tpt) and Piers Green (alto sax).

Tina joined them for Chick Corea's High Wire using her voice as a fourth front-line instrument with the two saxes and trumpet, complete with a wonderful scat solo.

The Orchestra's arrangements, reminiscent of Oliver Nelson and Lalo Schifrin's big band work, added new dimensions to well-known tunes such as Body & Soul, the quirky latin number I Believe in You and that old chestnut Sweet Georgia Brown.

Working closely with Nikki, Tina showed her vocal skills on the lyrics she'd penned to Don Weller's Rosie Glow, Leslie Bricusse's Your Imagination, Yakking at the Club and Come Rain or Come Shine - the latter an appropriate number for to an audience that looked as though it would turn out for Tina, Nikki and the Pendulum Jazz Orchestra whatever the weather.

Ian Berrido