Pete Tanton (flg/tpt); Mark Williams (gtr); Stu Collingwood (pno); David Carnegie (dms); Stuart Davies (bs.)
Extreme Measures! It might have been thought that the loss of tenor player Gary Turner would have completely screwed things up but, just as David coped with previous changes in personel, as ever, he's found someone new.
In this case Pete Tanton a rather superb flugel/trumpet player from, I believe, Alabama. His lyricism is something else - this is how a flugel should sound! With, I presume, only limited rehearsal time, Pete waltzed the charts putting his clearly identifiable stamp on them. The north-east is going to get to know and remember this guy.
Apart from being a cool cat with a horn Pete is also a published novelist - check Johnny Lonely out here.
Tonight however, it wasn't just Pete - Mark Williams on an Epiphone 335 style long neck guitar proved just why he seems to be holding the guitar chair in just about every other band you see! Stu's Collingwood and Davies played their part to perfection whilst the leader - soft spoken and friendly off-duty - is transformed into a drumnastic demon, a percussive professer, a skin specialist once he gets behind the kit.
The result is a jazzier rather than a rockier band and a band not above a little seasonal jollity. They came 'a wassailing' on God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - not that these merry gentlemen were resting thank god. They took England's Carol on a sleigh - or should that be slay? - ride to Downtown Lapland and didn't spare the reindeers.
Prior to this the material had consisted of pieces from the band's forthcoming CD due for release in the new year - I can't wait!
Lance
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