John Barnes (alto sax, clarinet & vocals), Roy Williams (trombone & vocals), Roly Veitch (guitar), Jeremy McMurray (piano), Mick Shoulder (double bass) & Billy Shield (drums).
Last night was party time at Blaydon Jazz Club. Snowflakes beginning to fall, it was good to get indoors ready to feast on jazz and the promise of much good food. The evergreens of John Barnes and Roy Williams made the trip 'up north' to guest with the Blaydon regulars of Roly, Jeremy, Billy and on this occasion the versatile Mick Shoulder on bass.
Gershwin's 'Strike Up the Band' or, as Roy Williams would have us believe, 'Bike Up the Strand', opened the show to the delight of a large turnout in the concert room. 'Let's Get Away From it All' followed, then there were anecdotes and jokes a-plenty and before you knew it the first set had flown by concluding with Williams singing 'Tangerine'.
The interval buffet was, as ever, one of the highlights of the year at Blaydon. All tucked in and did their best. The raffle offered ten prizes - all went to other homes.
The music resumed with a beautiful rendition of Johnny Green's 'Out of Nowhere'; you know things are going well when Roly comps and smiles with contentment as he did on this and many other tunes including Hoagy's 'Stardust'.
'Deed I Do' was a good one for Barnes (playing alto) and Williams in tandem and the evening drew to a close rather appropriately with a tune associated with and written by Mel Tormé - 'The Christmas Song'.
Russell
PS: Photo courtesy of Derrick Cogger.
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