AND ANOTHER GREAT AFTERNOON – JAZZ CAFE ON SUNDAY!

What a joy to be able to be at the Jazz Café for nearly the whole of the Sunday session, from 4.30pm till 10.10pm. Goodness knows what time it finished. Café boss Keith was in fine form, discussing politics and music with anyone who’d listen. The musicians too were in fine form, especially Pete Gilligan on piano, improvising wonderfully, trilling, striding, flowing, always tuneful, and playing more notes in four bars than seems humanly possibly; and Mark Williams on jazz guitar, playing well (an understatement) with hints and riffs of classical, rock, in fact riffs from all over the place. As Pete said to Mark before one of their tunes, ‘muck about, but we’ve got to play the riffs in time’. I hope Pete doesn’t mind me quoting him, but I think it’s a wonderful summing up of jazz at its improvisational best.

And to my delight, the afternoon began with a woman singer, Lucy Caplan, who had a strong gutsy voice, very friendly personality, and sang Desifinado in Portuguese (our editor thought it needed to be in a key a tone higher but what does he know!?). Lucy also treated us to Sunny; Sway; Black Coffee; and Moondance. She allowed loads of space for Pete’s solos as well. I hear a rumour that these two are preparing for a gig, so that’s something to watch out for. Be there!

Then, to more delight, came Claire Kelly to sing, accompanied by Mark, a tenderly sensitive version of I’ve Grown Accustomed to His Face; and Love Me or Leave Me.

And so the music continued in a relaxed atmosphere with people slipping in and out to smoke, buy sarnies, and people chatting to Keith at the bar. Musicians came and went. The bass player (Paul Grainger) and tenor sax (Doug Fielder) were there most of the time, Pete gave up his piano to a skilled younger player (Colm Rooney) for a while, and later the bass was replaced by a bass guitar (Willie Angus), and Alan Law popped in to play alto sax. Lucy sang again and the microphone kept cutting out, but, unfazed, she carried on with a Blues in C and Take the A Train.

Other numbers heard included In a Sentimental Mood; How Insensitive; Petite Fleur; It Had To Be You; But Beautiful and many others. I was sorry to leave before the end, but when I heard the song about the A Train I was reminded of the Metro that I needed to catch. Somehow, Take the Tyne and Wear Metro just doesn’t have the same ring to it, does it?

Catch it all for yourself next week!

Photos

Ann Alex.