The Heat is On

Last week at the Chillingham the punters were topping up their drinks with anti-freeze in an attempt to keep warm – this week the heating was back on although I think one or two were still on the anti-freeze. Perhaps they'd developed a taste for it. Some great things happened on the bandstand tonight. Mark Williams literally blew everyone away with an amazing guitar blast on “Four”. On “Blues For Duane” he did it again before Dave Weisser sang the Annie Ross take on Wardell Gray's “Twisted”. How he managed to remember all the words never mind vocalese them so well amazed me! Darren Grainger played strident alto throughout and Barry Ashcroft had more than a few good choruses. Eric Stutt drove the rhythm section along nicely whilst John Pope is fast becoming a force to be reckoned with on double bass. On second thoughts, delete 'fast becoming'. The second set saw James on guitar for “Stella” along with Paul Gowland on alto. “Yardbird Suite” taken at tempo de lick had Paul in full flight with Mark, who had taken over from James midway, also knocking them in. David Carnegie, now on drums, kept the pot boiling for one of the better nights.

Photos.