Carrying Cole To Newcastle - Daryl Sherman @ The Sage, Gateshead.

Daryl Sherman (pno/vcl); John Hallam (ten/clt); Roy Percy (bs).

If John Hallam and Roy Percy hadn't turned up. If Daryl had never sung a note or touched the piano keyboard this would still have been a great gig. Just listening to her talk about Cole Porter, The Waldorf Astoria and the various tit-bits were in themselves fascinating.

The fact that Hallam and Percy were there and that the now blonde Daryl sung and played Cole Porter as only she can made this a cut above most gigs you've heard or are likely to hear.

The eternal debate as to what is a Jazz Singer was well and truly answered tonight. No need to scat - scatting is just so so yesterday. It's all in the phrasing, the unusual interval, the slight re-working of the lyric or the tune, the hanging that fraction behind the beat, the anticipation of the next one. Sinatra and Billie did it to perfection and so does Daryl Sherman.

Tonight's Cole Porter tribute featured most of the songs from her latest album Mississippi Belle (see cd review) and once again gave credence to Digby Fairweather's assertion on Daryl's last visit that she was the greatest living jazz singer. The lady plays fine piano too.

John Hallam slotted in easily blowing lots of Ben Websterish tenor and some nice clarinet on Night and Day and Rosalie - which may be the tune we were trying to remember during the interval - and Roy Percy played some solid bass albeit, on occasion, a little too much slap for my personal taste.

One of the things that impressed me tonight (there were too many to list 'em all) was Lady D's pitching when singing with just double bass accompaniment - ne'er a quarter tone went awry!

Loved every moment and only sorry time didn't allow me to have a longer chat with her afterwards and to grab a few photos.

Come back soon.

Lance.
PS: Daryl Sherman is at the Green Man, Norwich tomorrow (July 17) and at the Edinburgh Jazz Festival  Friday and Saturday (July 20/21).