Paul Skerritt (vcl); James Harrison (keys); Anth Ord (bs); Tom Chapman (dms) + Josh Bentham (alt); Michael Lamb (tpt).
(Review by Lance).
The fans turned out - the men delivered! A cracking session across the genres with pop and rock and classic swing. Skerritt did the business ably abetted by band and guest instrumentalists.
Harrison - as ebullient as last night but in a more controlled environment - gave his usual 110%, Ord, laid back, cucumber cool, the maypole around which it all evolved. Chapman, for today at least, was King of the Swingers. Bentham and Lamb leapt in and out, sometimes individually, sometimes in tandem. They both provided pithy solos.
On an afternoon where warmth was in much demand outside, in Hoochie the temperature (musicwise) was never less than boiling. When Skerritt sang Come Fly With me let's fly down to Peru we were already in Acapulco Bay and didn't need to go to far Bombay for some exotic booze (London Pride).
This was Street Life Newcastle Style and if it hadn't been for the tables we'd have been dancing Cheek to Cheek instead we heard a cracking solo from Michael Lamb. My Funny Valentine - not my favourite tune, or so I was told! - but this version was ok and young Josh sizzled.
And so the afternoon sped along. Skerritt sang to the Miss Jones' in the audience and I'm sure he was pleased to meet them. It Don't Mean a Thing if it Ain't got that Swing - it had that swing!
This was one very enjoyable afternoon but then again, is it ever not at Hoochie?
Lance.
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