Alan Davis (clt), Judith Murphy (fl/vcl), Dave Weisser (tpt/vcl), Darren Grainger (ten), Barry Ashcroft (pno), Jim Crinson (bs), Eric Stutt (dms). + Herbie Hudson (hca/vcl), Harley Johnson (pno), Chris Finch (pno), Debra Milne (vcl), Lance Liddle (ten). This was one of those nights when it felt good to be alive and at the Chilli for the weekly get together of Take It to The Bridge - there were just so many things happening.
From Manchester, England, came Alan Davis - a teacher at Chethams - he blew some fine Goodmanish clarinet on "They Can't Take That Away From Me", "Summertime" (Chris on piano), "Autumn Leaves" (Debra on vocal), and a couple of others.
Herbie Hudson just happened to have a Hohner Chromatic in his pocket and he gave "Don't Get A Round Much Anymore" a workout both vocally and instrumentally. Nice one Herbie. Dave also exercised his chops on this one.
Harley finished the night off with "Moose the Moose". His Monkian tendencies well in the ascendancy and, if he'd been at the wheel of a car instead of a Roland keyboard he'd have been done for speeding.
Darren impressed on "Lester Left Town" and "It's Time" whilst Lance Liddle wandered in and out of "Now's The Time".
Anything else? Oh yes - very much oh yes!
Dave's partner Judith played flute and sang. On flute she did Clare Fischer's "Morning" - quite brilliantly. Whilst, on "Lullaby of Birdland" she joined Dave and Alan soloing on flute and taking the vocal bridge of Dave's beginning and ending. Alan having a good blast on this one too. Jude also sang on "Summertime" and almost got to play piano on the same tune (Chris did the honours - Barry having set off on the subterranean safari required to buy a pint.) This woman shouldn't be chained to a kitchen sink (I'm assured she isn't!) she should be up there with Ruth and Zoe. Her version of "I'm Shadowing You" à la Carol Kidd bore comparison with the original whilst "Like Someone In Love" was simply terrific.
This was one of those nights where 'the sound of surprise', as Whitney Balliott and others have put it, certainly was surprising and in the most pleasantest of ways.
It goes without saying that Eric, Jim and Barry were also on the money. Talking about money - all this for a quid? they should have been queueing the length of Chilli Road!
Come back soon folks.
Next week the Alan Glen Trio.
Lance.
I've still got Judith's 'Like Someone in Love' going round my head - it was fantastic!
ReplyDeleteAnother highlight - pointed out to me by Debra - was Dave the Rave's scat on 'Don't get around much anymore'.