(Review by Russell)
Big band, big crowd, standing room only. Hearty
Millstone pub meals, pints of beer, wine by the bottle. Last Thursday in the
month, your appointment with the Strictly Smokin’ Big Band’s open public
rehearsal. One or two deps in, quality deps at that.
A Foggy Day (arr. Stan Kenton) to start and baritone
super dep Sue Ferris wasted no time, standing up, soloing, saying (musically): That’s my standard. Match that boys!
Tenor man Paul Gowland worked with the rhythm section (sections out) on I Can’t Believe That You’re In Love with Me
(arr. Tom Kubis) – a half-decent reply to Ms Ferris’ opening gambit. Golden
Girl Lindsay Hannon suggested it was Too
Darn Hot. Yep. Stifling. F’reez (cool name, but it was darn hot) Let the Good Times Roll (the trumpet
section firing, guitarist Pawel Jedrzejewski with a bluesy edge).
An interval chat with Francophile Ken Orton (on a
short visit to Tyneside). Pete Tanton confirmed some original tunes will be in
the set list for his upcoming Jazz Coop set with Messrs Williams, Pope and
Morgan at the Globe. Minutes later the Strictly Smokin’ boys and girls – Sue Ferris of
course, and good to see Nicola Weaver on alto – were ready to go again.
This month’s session had a distinct rehearsal feel to
it. MD Michael Lamb stepped out of the trumpet section more than usual,
directing the band, stopping it, reworking bits and pieces (abandoning one
chart altogether). Good! This is what one expects of a rehearsal night. The
Millstone regulars have, perhaps, become too accustomed to the band’s
near-flawless performances. This was the band being put through its paces. The
Golden Girl righted matters when she declared I’m Beginning to See the Light. The instrumental high involved
Gowland, Keith Robinson and Jamie Toms in a three way tenor exchange. Sax Alley is a crowd pleaser and,
rehearsal night or not, it went down a storm.
The band’s next (flawless!) gig will be at the YMCA in
Ashington on Saturday 6 June (an Ashington Jazz Festival event) and a Hoochie
Coochie special is on the horizon – Sunday 21 June.
Russell.
Michael Lamb MD (trumpet), Pete Tanton (trumpet),
Gordon Marshall (trumpet), Stephen Wilkinson (trumpet), Kieran Parnaby
(trombone), David Barnes (trombone), Robert Perry (trombone), John Flood
(trombone), Nicola Weaver (alto saxophone), Keith Robinson (alto & tenor
saxophones, flute), Paul Gowland (tenor saxophone), Jamie Toms (tenor
saxophone), Sue Ferris (baritone saxophone), Graham Don (keyboards), Pawel Jedrzejewski
(guitar), Michael Whent (bass), Guy Swinton (drums), Lindsay Hannon (vocals)
& F’reez (vocals)
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