Ex-Extreme @ Splinter @ The Bridge.

Pete Tontin (tpt/flg); Mark Williams (gtr); Stuart Collingwood (pno); Stuart Davies (bs); Steve Wall (dms).

(Review by Lance.)

Davies, back on 4 strings after Thursday's Hoochie gig,  not only laid down a strong bass-line but also contributed several compositions to the session. In fact they all did with the exception of drummer Wall who made up for it by keeping it all together with some powerhouse percussioning.

On trumpet and occasionally flugel, Tontin played with the laid back feel of Chet Baker and the big fat tone tone of Freddie Hubbard. The American  contributed several pieces with perhaps the most memorable being Barbados.. No relation to the 1940's bebop tune but a dedication to former leader and drummer of the band's fore-runner - Extreme Measures - David Carnegie. David is now happily enjoying life in the Barbados sun as well as gigging.many miles away from a cold and snowy Tyneside.

Stuart Collingwood is the frontman and his solos - not to mention his compositions - help to confirm the realisation that, although created in the spirit of Extreme Measures, this band is strong enough to stand on it's own ten feet. 

I didn't catch all of the second set - that old 27 bus has me in its spell - but Mark Williams' Booze Blues simply blew me away. the tune, the solos, not just Mark's - which was mind-blowing - but the others too. The number 27 almost lost a passenger!

The only sad thing was the audience numbers although at least they were into double figures. Where are the modern jazz fans on Tyneside? Let's make a, belated, New Year's Resolution that we support gigs that we aren't too sure about on the principle that solvency of those gigs helps promote the gigs we Do want to see. At the end of the day we may be pleasantly surprised and find out our horizons have widened.

What's this pig doing flying round my room...

Lance.