Jazz Café Jam Session - April 15

Peter Gilligan (pno); Paul Grainger (bs); Paul Wight (dms) + Stuart Finden (ten); Fiona Finden (vcl); Ray Truscott (bs); Ian Forbes (dms); Josh Bentham (alt); Paul Skerritt (vcl); Paul Gowland (ten); Kath Jobes (vcl); Belinda Voshtina (vcl).

(Review by Lance/Photo of Fiona and Stuart Finden courtesy of Mike Tilley.)

The trio got things off to a good start with Horace Silver's St. Vitus Dance - a prequel to Sunday's Silver tribute session at the Bridge by Gilligan and co - book your seat now! I Fall in Love Too Easily, Alice in Wonderland and My Romance, taken at a most unromantic tempo, set the scene for the jammers waiting in the wings.

Stu Finden gave Hank Mobley's This I Dig of You a good "Work Out". Stu doesn't just play the instrument he gesticulates with it too - bell pointing at the ceiling or at the floor or at the next soloist. Bye Bye Blackbird kept the momentum going before Mrs Finden - Fiona - sang Secret Love and In a Sentimental Mood. The saxes and the singers were out in force tonight and next up was a relative newcomer, Josh Bentham. Josh, a young Teessider, blew alto on Doxy. Blowing a vintage King alto he managed to overcome the saxophonist's nightmare of a squeaky reed and impressed. The first time I heard Stan Getz at Newcastle City Hall with JATP he too squeaked throughout his set before going on to become one of the world's great sax players so keep an eye out for young Josh.

Josh stayed on stage for a couple of numbers by singer Paul Skerritt - Sway and Witchcraft. Paul is the star attraction at the Cherry Tree this coming Easter Monday so I suggest you book your table now.

More saxophone magic this time from Paul Gowland with Ray Truscott on six string bass guitar. Numbers included a Latin number the title of which I missed but Gowland was on fire, I'll Remember April with scintillating brush work from Wight, soon to be replaced by Ian Forbes, and Have You Met Miss Jones? This could have been sub-titled Have You Met Ms Jobes? Yes, the occasional BSH reviewer Kath Jobes sang Imagination which seemed to go down well with the cognoscenti.

More vocals, this time from Belinda Voshtina who sang Jobim's Agua de Beber - my favourite bossa. Belinda can be heard with Burundanga who are on at Hoochie on Good Friday. Just about a foretaste of everything tonight!

I'm sure there were more gems to onfold but Metro and 88 bus awaited...

Lance.