Roly Veitch Quartet @ The Cherry Tree

Roly Veitch (gtr/vcl), Sue Ferris (ten/fl), Neil Harland (bs), Adam Sinclair (dms).

It should have been Jim Birkett on guitar but a last minute switch saw him replaced by Roly Veitch which meant you got another ace guitarist with the added bonus of vocals too.

The band kicked off with an instrumental - Pennies From Heaven. Tonight I was sitting in the mezzanine which gave the feeling of being a little closer to Heaven. A feeling that was enhanced by the Spring Lamb with Jersey Royals, Peas and Mint.

One of the stranger events of the evening was a request from a couple celebrating their wedding anniversary - Here's That Rainy Day. Roly sang it in laid back mode and Sue did some nice fancy flute-work.

It was during my main course of Pork Chop with Roquefort Butter and Slow Roast Tomatoes that I really succumbed to Sue's tenor sound it just seemed to waft over me. I don't know if my ears benefited from the altitude but I can't recall her sounding better than she did on A Foggy Day in London Town - so round and smooth like Stan Getz the younger. And, although Sue might not go along with being compared to a pork chop, my main course had the same effect. Compliments to the chef and the band - they too were cookin'.

Other delights were the contrapuntal lines indulged in by guitar and sax - rather like those Jim Hall and Paul Desmond discs - and the Lestorian burn by Sue on All of Me.

As Roly went into Blame It On My Youth I went into a delightful Griottine Cherry and Almond Clafoutis and Vanilla Ice Cream. Both went down a treat.

Needless to say those ever unsung heroes Adam and Neil kept the ship on course - a good night with a good crowd.

Lance.