Keith Nichols and the Swing City Trio @ Trinity Centre, Gosforth June 15.

Keith Nichols (pno/vcl); Steve Andrews (ten/sop/clt/vcl); Roly Veitch (gtr/vcl); Roy Cansdale (bs).

(Review by Lance. - photo on left supplied by Roly Veitch.)

The Swing City Trio went into a rhapsodic version of Darn That Dream with Andrews giving an unbroken rendition á la Coleman no, not Ornette, but the high and mighty Hawk filling the crowded room with his big sound.

The special guest of the evening took his place at the upright and immediately took his sugar to tea. When I Take my Sugar to Tea had the pianist singing and playing in a delightful 20's/30's style that told us we were in for a good evening of classic American song. Andrews appeared to be having problems with his soprano switching to clarinet mid way. Turns out one of the mother of pearl discs that connect finger to key had come adrift.

She's Funny That Way had a rare vocal by Andrews as well as some impressive clarinet.

And so the evening progressed. Some of These Days and Mississippi Mud saw the vocal chores back with Nichols. The trio left the stage and the piano man treated us to some ragtime (Heliotrope Rag) and stride (Numb Fumblin') plus some Italian nonsense about a Hoochie Coochie dancer in Coney Island!

The trio returned and Veitch had the vocal spotlight on Back in Your Own Backyard. The set finished with Hoagy's Jubilee (sounds like a real ale!).

It was good to see such an excellent turnout for what was the final concert arranged by the late Mike Durham.

Back to the music. Veitch sang What a Little Moonlight Can Do and Andrews hit pay dirt on clarinet with Moonlight in Vermont rightly pointing out that Moonlight in Egremont didn't have quite the same ring to it.

I've Gotta Right to Sing the Blues, I Wish I were Twins and a luscious version of Sophisticated Lady led to Nichols' second solo spot this time playing Nice Work if You Can Get it, Rosalie, It's Gonna Be You and Stardust.

We were in the home straight now with Nichols and Andrews duetting (piano and clarinet) on a section of Duke's Creole Rhapsody. Truckin', another vocal by Veitch (Stars Fell on Alabama) and finally It Don't Mean a Thing if it Ain't Got That Swing.

Using the latter title as a guideline then tonight's concert meant a lot!

How could it not with a master of classic piano, a superb multi instrumentalist, a fine guitarist and singer and a rock solid bassman?

Photos.

Lance.