
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.

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)
2 comments :
I'm getting unwarranted generosity. That solo was only 'extended' because I had no idea how many bars were in the form!
From Ann Alex, Ms Jacenaite was absolutely brilliant, the best singer I've heard this year. I'm not that fond of scat but hers fitted well into the songs, especially on 'Wave'. She 'acted' the songs well, with great aplomb and sometimes humour. I wouldn't be surprised if she's a trained actor as well.
Post a comment