Peter Gilligan (pno); Paul Grainger (bs); Paul Wight (dms); Mark Williams (gtr) + Josh Bentham (alt); Paul Skerritt (vcl); Paul Gowland, Stuart Finden, (tenors); Fiona Finden (ten/vcl); Simon Stephenson (gtr)...
(Review by Lance).
Alice in Wonderland was an appropriate opener. I don't know if there were any Alices in the room but, if there were, they would indeed think they had stumbled into a parallel universe that was totally oblivious to the other Pink Lane activities. Gilligan, Grainger, Wight and Williams were sending out the message - come in and hear the truth. At this stage, not many had. Perhaps, like the aforementioned four, they'd gone to Scarborough Fair. This dreary olde English folk tune is not an immediately obvious choice but, in the hands of these guys, it morphed into a near jazz standard. Make Someone Happy? The whole room was happy as the sitters in stood at the bar or sat in the wings awaiting the call.
First sacrificial lamb to be offered up was altoist Josh Bentham. Young, very young, cool looking dude. Georgia on my Mind has well and truly stood the test of time since Hoagy wrote it in 1930 and Bentham's version didn't do it any harm. Nat Adderley's Work Song found the alto player in a more adventurous mood throwing in a few high register forays. Keep an eye out for this young man.
The third of four Pauls, Paul Skerritt, took control of the mic for Orange Coloured Sky and My Funny Valentine, the former a bouncy swinger, the latter beginning softly then building up to a big finale before subsiding back to pianissimo. Crooning at its best.
More Paul, Gowland this time, and an awesome I'll Remember April. Big solos all round and blistering fours 'twixt Williams, Wight and Gowland. In a Sentimental Mood brought the first set to a close.
The word must have spread or else one of those bus trips that bar owners prayer for had arrived as, suddenly, the room was crowded!
The second set had more tenor madness, this time from Stuart Finden who paid homage to Hank Mobley with This I Dig of You (?). Mrs Finden sang Stanley Turrentine's Sugar (not to be confused with the Peggy Lee classic) and picked up her tenor for Sister Sadie as Simon Stephenson plugged himself into the Fender Twin (or whatever guitar amp it was). Gilligan, incidentally, played Korg keyboard the house upright being terminally ill.
Enter John Rowland for All the Things You Are and There Will Never be Another You. Now the tenors were three.
Finally, from my point of view, Paul Gowland played You'd be so Nice to Come Home to which sent me on my way to the refurbished Central Station (Grand Central Station?) for Metro/88 bus coordinated journey home.
Well worth the trip.
Lance.
The second set had more tenor madness, this time from Stuart Finden who paid homage to Hank Mobley with This I Dig of You (?). Mrs Finden sang Stanley Turrentine's Sugar (not to be confused with the Peggy Lee classic) and picked up her tenor for Sister Sadie as Simon Stephenson plugged himself into the Fender Twin (or whatever guitar amp it was). Gilligan, incidentally, played Korg keyboard the house upright being terminally ill.
Enter John Rowland for All the Things You Are and There Will Never be Another You. Now the tenors were three.
Finally, from my point of view, Paul Gowland played You'd be so Nice to Come Home to which sent me on my way to the refurbished Central Station (Grand Central Station?) for Metro/88 bus coordinated journey home.
Well worth the trip.
Lance.
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