Cookin’ @ The Jazz Café - May 16

(Review by Russell)

The superlatives have been exhausted. A regional jam session can’t be this good. People would pay good money to hear Mark Williams, Paul Grainger and Rob Walker. The trio played three or four numbers before guitarist Williams and drummer Rob Walker stood down to allow an endless parade of first rate musicians to sit in. A piano player just turned seventeen, a drummer eighteen, joined by a twenty-ish trumpet-playing university science undergraduate, an early twenties guitar virtuoso…who needs Messrs Williams and Walker? Rumour has it they went for a curry.

A string thing to begin…Bradley Johnston, guitar, and, first time participant, folk fiddler of national renown, Andy Lawrenson playing Night and Day and A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square with Johnston’s considered intro to the latter number. West End resident (that’s West End, Newcastle, somewhat different to the London parish of the same name) Paul Ruddick joined the party, taking his customary window seat to blow some feverish alto on Nature Boy. Young bucks Joel Brown, piano, Matt MacKellar, drums, and guitarist Johnston were in on it. Terrific it was.

Matt vacated the drum chair for Matt to sit-in on a couple. That’s Berklee-bound M MacKellar out, M Fairhurst in. Spot the difference…in terms of ability, none. JP, that’s John Pope, allowed Paul Grainger to go to the men’s room, and the newly formed quintet gave a sensitive reading of John Lewis’ Skating in Central Park. Folk/jazz violinist Lawrenson returned to feature on an up-tempo After You’ve Gone with Fairhurst accenting here and there and, as the mood took him, taking an accomplished, extended solo.

Showtime! David ‘Showtime’ Gray was in the house. St Thomas, that’s the infectious St Thomas, DG is good value, every time. Waiting in the wings…Julija Jacenaite and Paul Gowland. Bradley returned to the stand, as did Matt MacKellar, to play Wave. Jacenaite’s scatting vocals, Gowland on soprano, Johnston’s killing solo…is anyone recording this stuff?

You’d be so nice to come home to sang Julija accompanied by a real find, Newcastle University student trumpeter Joe Davies, and a fizzing MacKellar on kit. It couldn’t get any better! Oh, yes it could! And it did! Vying for performance of the year, Jacenaite singing Angel Eyes with the brass boys Gray and Davies pitching in and Gowland’s soprano taking it to the summit. Almost time to get out of here…swing-time Joel Brown, cookin’ Matt MacKellar, Gowland in there, and the main man Mr Paul Grainger insisting there will never be another you.

There will never be another jam session like it…until next time!

Russell    

Mark Williams (guitar), Paul Grainger (double bass) & Rob Walker (drums) + Bradley Johnston (guitar), Andy Lawrenson (violin), Paul Ruddick (alto saxophone), Paul Gowland (soprano saxophone), Joe Davies (trumpet), David Gray (trombone), Joel Brown (piano), John Pope (double bass), Matthew MacKellar (drums), Matthew Fairhurst (drums) & Julija Jacenaite (vocals)