Peter Gilligan (piano); Paul Grainger (bass); Paul Wight (drums) + Paul Edis (piano); Lindsay Hannon (vocal); Paul Gowland (alto); Stuart Finden (tenor); Fiona Finden (tenor/vocal); Kath Lowdon (vocal) + ?.
(Review by Lance)
A jam session (any jam session) is a many varied thing. One week no one turns up, another week maybe a few wannabees flexing their developing chops and some weeks the big hitters are in town.
Last night was just such a night at the Jazz Café!
The '3 P's in an ipod' that form the resident trio ie Messrs Gilligan, Grainger and Wight (mega fash. new haircut) got the groove going with the familiar and always hypnotic All Blues. The feel good factor was there. Laura, What's New? and other standards followed, Gilligan successfully coping with the piano's tonal idiosyncrasies - he may go down in history as the guy who found the lost chord!
Another P - Paul Edis - also searched for that elusive harmonic compilation whilst stunning us with an up tempo My Funny Valentine that was only twice the speed of light. Needless to say, this was no problem for Wight, nor a danger to Grainger who both hung on in there enjoying the ride.
Time for a song, time for Ms. Hannon. Mean to Me, lots of liberties with her phrasing that worked. Only Anita O'Day could have maybe bettered this version - maybe. Solitude in 3 wasn't quite as show-stopping but You'd be so Nice to Come Home to certainly was. Helped along by Paul Gowland on alto (so many PGs in the room I half expected Peter Gabriel to walk in) Lindsay put her brand on this Porter masterpiece and Gowland rubber stamped it.
The altoist took centre stage for Ornithology and Autumn in New York and an exotic eastern flavoured piece that I only heard fragments of as I reached for the stars or to be more precise the 23rd floor toilet (exaggeration!)
Next up the Findens toting tenors for a blast on a swinger I vaguely recognised followed by Sister Sadie then a vocal by Fi.
More words by Kath Lowdon, incredible range, on Stormy Weather and some equally stormy alto from Gowland.
Waiting in the wings were Ray Burns, Debra Milne, Kath Jobes and several more but time and train wait for no one so it was adieu until June 3.
Lance.
More words by Kath Lowdon, incredible range, on Stormy Weather and some equally stormy alto from Gowland.
Waiting in the wings were Ray Burns, Debra Milne, Kath Jobes and several more but time and train wait for no one so it was adieu until June 3.
Lance.
1 comment :
The boys went home on the A Train with Stuart 'Mind the Doors' Finden jumping on board in the nick of time (Finden, tenor, Gowland, alto).
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