Jazz Caff Refugees @ The Star, Westgate Rd., Newcastle March 6

Pete Gilligan (pno); Paul Grainger (bs); Jeff Armstrong (dms). + Dave Parker (ba); Peter Ninnim (dms); Lindsay Hannon (vcl); Ann Alex (vcl).

(Review by Lance).

Gilligan set the ball rolling with All Blues. The Kind of Blue classic seemed to be tailor made for Pete. His casual nonchalance at the keyboard a contradiction of what he was actually putting down. Paul Grainger solid and stable kept things under control whilst Jeff Armstrong displayed the reasons why he is in every other band - or so it seems!

It was a classic selection of tunes - Bouncing With Bud, I Remember Clifford - beautiful and poignant as this tune has to be to make it work - it worked! There Will Never Be Another You, Whisper Not, Have You Met Miss Jones, Hubbard's Up Jumped Spring and Bru's Blue Rondo a la Turk. A very enjoyable set.

Over on Chilli Road, Take it to the Bridge was back up and running which meant  Mike Pav and Paul Gowland weren't around for the jam so it was left to Lindsay to kick start things.

On drums was Mike Ninnim - he can swing! Anyone know his pedigree? and Dave Parker took over in the basement.

Lindsay did the biz on A Train and a most unusual Autumn Leaves that may just be the best Autumn Leaves I've ever heard - certainly this week.

A surprise runner was our own Ann Alex who philosophised that It Don't Mean a Thing if it Ain't Got That Swing. Our gal did BSH  proud. Lindsay, Ann's mentor, maintained the Ducal feel with In a Sentimental Mood - is this not the best of all of Duke's songs?  

Pete and co brought us back to the Bebop heartland with Dizzy's Anthropology.
So far so good - wonderful that the spirit of "The Caff" is being maintained.

Lance.