Debra Milne (vocal/lyricist); Steve Glendinning (guitar/composer); Katy Trigger (bass guitar); Nik Alevroyiannis (drums).
(Review by Lance/photo courtesy of Ken Drew).
A program of, in the main, original compositions. Words by D.Milne, music by B.Golson, S.Glendinning, B.Johnston and A.Glen.
During the course of the evening, Debra supplied her own words to Benny Golson's Killer Joe as well as pieces closer to home such as Alan Glen's Easy Go, a couple by guitarist Bradley Johnston and several by Steve Glendinning who played some stellar solos during the course of the gig.
Intriguing titles: The Pick-Up, which wasn't about a truck, Too Busy For Thinking, Soul Mate, Blame Game, Man in a Room, Stay, Don't Come Back Here Anymore, Most People, a song about voters and politicians that our girl wrote the day after Trump got the keys to the White House and Show me the Man.
I'm not sure which were Bradley's compositions and which were Steve's but words and music gelled nicely on all of them.
Perhaps the most interesting song of all was one which Debra wrote whilst on a songwriting course at the WEA - The Bridge Song. Nothing to do with Sonny Rollins and his 3-year sabbatical practicing on the Williamsburg Bridge, but to do with the building of the Tyne Bridge which took place from 1925 to 1928. A folksy song with a catchy hook worthy of becoming a Geordie standard in years to come - It would slot nicely into Roly Veitch's Geordie Songbook.
There were also a couple of standards - Corcovado and Four. The latter piece closed the session and had voice and guitar playing the head in unison - very effective.
Katy Trigger only took one solo, we'd have liked more; her pivotal support held the whole thing together. On drums, Nik impressed with his solo in the first set and excelled in the final round of fours on Four in the finale.
Debra was, well Debra. If she seemed a little restrained on the opening Killer Joe, that restraint disappeared as the four individual components became one and her distinctive style asserted itself.
Enjoyable evening.
Lance.
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