Lindsay Hannon Plus @ Sage Gateshead. July 26.

Lindsay Hannon (vcl); James Harrison (pno); John Pope (bs); David Francis (dms).
(Review by Lance)

It was all happening at Sage Gateshead tonight. A flower show had taken over the main concourse area relegating Lindsay and co to the café area. Paradoxically, to my ears, the acoustics were better in this less cavernous space. Elsewhere, the remnants of a wedding reception floated about but in our improvised performance area another wedding took place - that of Words and Music.

Tom Waits' New Coat of Paint with it's boozy, painting the town lyric came over aces even though most of the band were drinking water (a million jazzmen are turning over in their graves!) Secret Love, Skylark - a beautiful, tender, rendition - Yip Harburg's Down With Love, The amazing lyric to Anais Mitchell's Old Fashioned Hat. . Anyone who wonders why Lindsay is the acknowledged  jazz vocal coach in the area need only listen to her phrasing and breath control on this most poetic of numbers. The Doors' I'm a Spy led into my favourite - Why Try To Change Me Now? A great tune and a great arrangement with it's change of tempo on the release. The set closed with Nature Boy.

Time to reflect on what had been and what was to come.

Lindsay is on fire tonight - no disputing. James and John simply brilliant - David making his debut with the band provided more plus points. On the minus side, the real ale left something to be desired.

Composed by Harold Arlen and recorded by Tony Bennett, So Long Big Time opened up the second innings followed by Joni Mitchell's Blue Motel Room. Lullaby of Birdland had some amusing exchanges between piano and voice before bass and drums left the "stage" for the piano/vocal duo take on What Are You Doing The Rest of Your Life? Possibly the greatest musical chat-up line ever!

And so it went on - A bossa by Paul Simon and an unaccompanied intro to Blue Monk completed a magical evening that transcended the beer and the Quaylink bus driver who failed to stop!
Lance.