Hand to Mouth @ Ernest - Dec 24

Lindsay Hannon (vocal); Bradley Johnston (guitar).

(Review by Russell).

Sunday brunch at Ernest down in the Ouseburn. Chiristmas eve, brunchers and staff alike wearing seasonal jumpers. The band - the duo Hand to Mouth - made no concessions to the dominant dress code save for Bradley Johnston's Christmassy tie. 

All tables were reserved, variously 11:00am, noon and one o'clock. Arriving sometime after eleven, Joe Pass, aka B. Johnston, sat on a bar stool tucked away in the corner alongside shelves groaning under the weight of board games. Ella, otherwise known as Lindsay Hannon, would soon join Bradley to sing a few seasonal songs.  

Santa Baby, they all sing it, and that's just fine. Hearing it midsummer would be perfectly acceptable! Take Love Easy, Dindi, Let it Snow, the brunchers brunched, a few of them determined to acknowledge the jazzy duo with muted applause.     

Vocalist Hannon informed the room that after a short interval it would be audience participation time. Hmm, how to effect an escape? Chatting to Bradley during the interval your correspondent noticed that the lead in the BSH review pencil had broken. Oh well, one might as well go into town to do that last minute Christmas shopping! 

As Lindsay handed out song sheets - beautifully produced, stapled no less - it was time to make our excuses and brave the last minute hordes as Ernest's full house sang 'Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow'. 

Russell.