Debra Milne
(vocals); Steve Glendinning (guitar); Paul Grainger (bass/drums); Rob Bates
(drums) + John Rowland (ten); Dave Parker (bs); Steve Summers (sop); Ann Alex ,
Kathy Jobes, Barry Keatings (vcls). (Review
by Ann Alex).
BSH arrived late at the gig because a gas leak
had caused metro delays – we’d travelled on the good old 27 bus instead, we
really need a song about this bus, it serves BSH so well. Some of the gas must have seeped into the
Star, as Debra and the lads were doing their stuff with aplomb when we arrived,
‘cooking with gas’ as they say.
At 9.20pm they were playing Coltrane’s Equinox, Steve with his usual adventurous chords and runs, good steady bass from Paul, Rob drumming well, sweet-voiced Debra. This was followed by an original, Stay (lyrics by Debra, tune from Steve), showing these two as an effective song-writing team – they should write more. Other numbers included Have You Met Miss Jones; Senor Blues (with call and response between band and voice); a Betty Carter song with neat staccato chops from the drums; Relax, Debra’s words to the tune of Killer Joe, with a bass solo; Duke Ellington’s Caravan; and a Tom Waits song Temptation, with interesting vocalise from our singer. However the song I liked best had a feel of contemporary folk rather than jazz, a Steve/Debra original called Show Me The Man.
At 9.20pm they were playing Coltrane’s Equinox, Steve with his usual adventurous chords and runs, good steady bass from Paul, Rob drumming well, sweet-voiced Debra. This was followed by an original, Stay (lyrics by Debra, tune from Steve), showing these two as an effective song-writing team – they should write more. Other numbers included Have You Met Miss Jones; Senor Blues (with call and response between band and voice); a Betty Carter song with neat staccato chops from the drums; Relax, Debra’s words to the tune of Killer Joe, with a bass solo; Duke Ellington’s Caravan; and a Tom Waits song Temptation, with interesting vocalise from our singer. However the song I liked best had a feel of contemporary folk rather than jazz, a Steve/Debra original called Show Me The Man.
The
Jam
After a break, during
which Debra had taken the trouble to arrange for people to join the Jam, Paul
Grainger took drums for a time (yes, I didn’t believe it either!); Dr Steve
Summers and John Rowland popped up with their saxes (soprano and tenor); Dave
Parker appeared on bass, and Barry Keatings treated us to a tasty version of Besame Mucho in Spanish, which I believe
he speaks fluently. After a catchy
instrumental of Four, it was my turn
to sing A Foggy Day In London Town,
with Steve back on Guitar, Rob back on drums, and me pitching the song a bit
too low for my voice, but it worked generally.
These are the thoughts that go through singers’ heads anyway. Kath Jobes sang a good version of Autumn Leaves, well arranged by
beginning slowly, then becoming fast and lively. An instrumental, Stella By Starlight, rounded off the
evening well.
Ann Alex
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