Corner House: Tonight - Tribute to Mike Gilby.

Tonight's a rather special night at the Corner House - a tribute concert to the late Mike Gilby (pictured left with Sid Warren and Harry Edison.)

Trumpet player, vibist, bassist, arranger - and probably a few more - Mike left a lasting impression on whichever band he played with and there were quite a few.

Tonight's concert which is really an incredible 3 band bonanza features, naturally, Mike's daughter Zoe Gilby. With Zoe is Andy Champion (bs) and Mark Williams (gtr). . Zoe, who now appears regularly at venues across the country can be expected to pull all the stops out in this tribute to her dad who was her great inspiration.

Jazz Spirit Re-visited is a recreation of one of Mike's best bands with Graham Hardy (tpt/flg) stepping into his former teacher's shoes. On tenor and soprano Lewis Watson* will no doubt create a few gale force nines so it is as well that all funds raised will go to the RNLI - a favourite charity of Mike's. Stuart Collingwood is on keys and Scott Adair is on drums. Scott and Lewis were members of the original band.

To finish the evening off the Customs House Big Band led by Peter Morgan will play several of Mike's arrangements. This will indeed be a treat as it's a great band and Mike wrote some great arrangements.

All this wonderful jazz for a mere £8 - sale of the century.

But the concert isn't just about money, in some ways it isn't even about music, it's about remembering a great musician, a character whose memory will live on in a host of stories and some great arrangements -  and of course raising funds for an important charity.

Lance.

Thursday Jan. 19. Tribute to Mike Gilby, Corner House, Heaton Rd., Newcastle, NE6 5RP. Tel; 0191 2659602. £8. (In association with Jazz North East.) 7:30pm.
*:Lewis Watson replaced by Graeme Wilson (See comments)