Jam Session @ The Fire Station, Sunderland - June 21.

Stu Collingwood (piano); Andy Champion (bass); Matt MacKellar (drums) + Alan Marshall (alto); Zöe Gilby (vocal).

(Review by Lance/Alan Marshall photo by Russell).

The weekly jam at the Sunderland hostelry hasn't quite caught fire yet (pun intended) in terms of  sitters-in or sitters-out but, going by the quality of the house trio it is surely only a matter of time before the word gets around and, like at the Jazz Café, the line forms on the right.

Horace Silver's Opus de Funk set the mood with MacKellar driving from the backseat whilst Collingwood and Champion negotiated the circuit like the Formula One players that they are.

You and the Night and the Music was calmer but no less cool.

Saxman Marshall, on alto tonight, joined the trio for some staple jam session fare. All the Things You Are; Autumn in New York: A Foggy Day and The Girl From Ipanema all played with a Birdlike fluency.

A short break then we were off again with But Beautiful and There Will Never be Another You two numbers which were perhaps a reference to Zöe Gilby who added her vocal pipes to Bye Bye Blackbird; Centerpiece and Georgia on my Mind. Zöe was in good voice and Marshall blew his socks off on the Harry Edison/Jon Hendricks' classic, Centerpiece.

 It was a most enjoyable evening and, World Cup permitting, it happens again next Thursday so pack your axe or your ears, add your voice or drink some beers because the Metro stops quite near.

Lance