Jazz Café Jam. August 5.

Peter Gilligan (pno); Paul Grainger (bs); Paul Wight (dms) + Bradley Johnston (gtr); Ray Burns (hca); Cormack Loane (alt); Nick Gould (ten); James Creswick (bs); Jordan Alfonso (alt); Eric Stutt (dms); A.N. Others on guitar/flute/keys.

(Review by Lance).

This week's jam was jam-packed - the joint jumped!

The house trio set the bar level high on Bouncing With Bud and Wave. Bradley Johnston kept it there Meeting Miss Jones in the process. Ray Burns gave us Body and Soul. All the Things You Are, There Will Never be Another You and Cantaloupe Island followed bringing a new bass player on stage. Wearing a jauntily angled baseball cap I pigeon-holed him as a rapper or a hiphopper - how wrong can you get? James Creswick, of the musically notable Creswick family, proved to be as adept a jazz bassist as his father is a violinist and conductor.

Eric Stutt took his place behind the kit alongside a guitarist and flautist whose names I didn't catch. The fluter would have benefited from using the mic. Time Remembered meandered along but Anthropology and Straight No Chaser didn't hang about. 

Cormack Loane, a friend from way back and now based at Birmingham Conservatoire, was in town for a few days and, fortunately, had his alto with him. Cormack had travelled north to be here, Nick Gould, a habitué of Edinburgh's famous Jazz Bar, had travelled south and the two saxes blended well on Chaser, Satin Doll and Now's The Time both dishing out gutsy solos.

Gould stayed on board for Green Dolphin Street then was joined by yet another saxist - alto player Jordan Alfonso who acquitted himself admirably on a couple of Autumns (New York and Leaves).

Night in Tunisia brought Cormack back into the fray before the final Mercy, Mercy, Mercy.

One of the best jams since the Café re-opened.

Jazz Café Photos.

Lance.