Ballads and Blues @ The Jazz Café - April 25.

John Rowland (ten); Peter Gilligan (pno); Paul Grainger (bs); Steve Doyle (dms).
(Review by Lance/ photos courtesy of Mike Tilley).

The Jazz Café had an air of vibrancy about it tonight. Seats were at a premium and the noise levels were high. However, an early arrival, meant we had the most comfortable seats in the room and, with the chatterers behind us, were able to wallow in the music.

And it was worth wallowing - particularly with a bottle of Workie Ticket to add to the ambience.

Rowland is from the big-toned school of tenor players - think Ike Quebec, Arnett Cobb or Lockjaw Davis and you've got the picture. Gilligan and Grainger are Jazz Café legends - Grainger had already put in a half shift at Darlo Jazz Festival before turning out tonight - and Steve Doyle is one of the most sympatico drummers around. Throw the four of them into a musical wok and you'll never be hungry again.

The gig was advertised as Ballads and Blues and that's exactly what we got. Don't Get Around Much Any More, Monk's Bright Mississippi, Loverman, Just You, Just Me, Sister Sadie and an evocative rendition of These Foolish Things were but some of the B and Bs.

Regrettably my Saturday night Metro/Bus combination meant missing the later part of the evening's music but what I heard was PDG.

Lance.