Digby Fairweather with the Swing City Trio @ Trinity Church, Gosforth. January 19

Digby Fairweather (cornet & vocals), Steve Andrews (tenor saxophone, clarinet & vocals), Roly Veitch (guitar & vocals) & Roy Cansdale (double bass) + Iain MacAulay (trombone)

(Review by Russell)

Gosforth High Street resembled a scene on a Christmas card - giant snow flakes, lots of them, threatening a white-out, settling under foot. The Newcastle suburb looked a picture - if you like that sort of thing. Trinity Church and Centre isn’t an obvious choice as a jazz venue yet good numbers invariably turn up for their monthly fix of the music. This bleak mid winter night deterred all but the hardy (fool hardy?). Once inside, the bottle bar was a first port of call. Hadrian Border’s Farne Island looked the pick. The audience looked rather thin (numerically). As the first set got underway the audience had beefed-up (numerically). The attraction? Digby Fairweather, no less.

An added attraction was the company he was keeping - the Swing City Trio, no less. Four amiable characters playing some tunes, having a good time. This Can’t Be Love, I Can’t Give You Anything But Love, Baby and I’m Confessin’ That I Love You (the latter dedicated to Ruby Braff featured stupendous playing by Fairweather). Braff anecdotes included the occasion when, on Tyneside, the American worked with Fairweather. After the gig, walking back to their hotel, Braff asked Essex lad Fairweather if he knew ‘The Lambeth Walk’ Did he? Of course he did! Picture the scene…the pair of them, arms linked, singing Cockney songs late into the night on the streets of Newcastle!

Swing That Music upped the tempo with Steve Andrews’ knock-out clarinet work. Guitarist Roly Veitch sang ‘Tis Autumn with wonderful contributions from Andrews (clarinet) and Fairweather. Veitch and rhythm partner bassist Roy Cansdale stoked it up big style on Spotlight as Andrews drew inspiration from Coleman Hawkins. 

The second set was just like the first - full of gems. Veitch sang What a Little Moonlight Can Do and Stars Fell on Alabama (ace trombonist Iain MacAulay joined the party), Andrews sang She’s Funny That Way and a blues heard MacAulay at his Teagarden-like best. Fairweather said he would happily play all night in the company of such fine musicians but it was almost closing time and a storming Lester Leaps In sent us on our way. Snow storms? What snow storms?

Russell