Ingerlund in a jam session @ The Jazz Café - July 3

James Harrison (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums) + Abbie Finn (drums); Kate O’Neill (vocals); David Gray (trombone); Paul Gowland (soprano saxophone); John Rowland (tenor saxophone);  Mo Hazem (drums); John Pope (double bass)

(Review by Russell)

It was going to be one of those nights. The heatwave continued (let’s have a barbie, we can give the jam session a miss), the students were gone fishin’ and there was the small matter of the World Cup match between Ingerlund and Colombia. Over the road at Times Square (Newcastle not New York!) supporters gathered in large number to watch the match on a gigantic screen, similarly, the Academy catered for 1000+ beer drinking Inglunders, including, it should be said, Bebop Spoken Here’s Editor in Chief!

Arriving at the ‘caff’ Laura and colleagues were busy doing accounts or such like on a PC, or so one thought. No, they were online, ready to watch the match! Yes, it was going to be one of those nights. The house trio – James Harrison, Paul Grainger and Russ Morgan – put any thoughts of Ingerlund’s date with destiny behind them and got down to playing some jazz. Session, Just a Closer Walk with bandleader Harrison preaching the gospel according to the jazz greats, and a revelation, our Secret Love was no longer, shouting it from the highest of hills.

Abbie Finn was in the house, oh, yes! All the way from Newton Aycliffe via Leeds and London, Finn plays drums as good as any, and that’s saying something with Russ Morgan on the premises. Russ graciously gave way allowing Abbie to join Harrison and Grainger. Bourbon Street featuring a shorts-wearing David Gray, followed by Paul Gowland toting a soprano alongside a casual looking (shorts, sandals etc) John Rowland on tenor to waltz their way through Someday my Prince Will Come, The show was on the road, the frontline led, appropriately, by ‘Showtime’ David Gray. ‘Good value’ is the phrase that springs to mind when the affable ‘bone man is around.

Teessider Kate O’Neill has become a regular at several of Tyneside’s many jam sessions and this evening she got up to sing three numbers; ‘S Wonderful, a winning The Man I Love, concluding her short set with Aretha Franklin’s big hit (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman. Ms O’Neill sings with a passion and has become a something of a fixture on the scene.

Drummer Mo Hazem was in the house, as was a growing band of new found Ingerlunders huddling around Laura’s PC to watch the looming penalty shoot-out. As the house trio played Gerry Mulligan shouts of ‘C’mon’ and ‘Get in’ echoed around the room. Did Mulligan ever experience support on a concert date like this?! Ingerlund, Ingerlund Ingerlund!  

Better late than never BSH’s Editor in Chief arrived. Fred Wesley’s For the Elders (a first Jazz Café airing of the JB Horns’ man’s tune) funked it up, On Green Dolphin Street more regulation, then the Dorsey/Sinatra number from 1941 – Violets for Your Furs – featured fine soprano playing from PG, Abbie Finn seeing off fours, all amidst a sense that post match euphoria had calmed.

JP arrived a little later than planned, nevertheless, PG (that’s bass man Grainger) was pleased John Pope had made it, allowing him to get to the bar to quench a thirst. The Preacher featured just about everyone left standing, Finn showed them how on St Thomas, Showtime blowing a ‘six nowt’ kind of trombone solo, then, before the young whippersnappers were left thinking they were ‘the business’ a sensational ‘good night’ solo from the main man, house drummer Mr Russ Morgan.

The Ingerlund intervention certainly had an impact on the evening, so much so that James Harrison playing some stonkingly good piano for once took second billing. The next Jazz Café jam session is post-World Cup on Tuesday 17 July. Expect a full house, down beat at eight. And it’s all for free. 
Russell