James Harrison (keys); Paul Grainger (bass); Russ Morgan (drums) + Roly Veitch (guitar); John Rowland (tenor); Ray Burns (harmonica/vocal); Dawn Furness (vocal).
(Review by Lance).
Another night, another jam, another fun-packed evening? Well er, yes... How could it not be with the effervescent James Harrison at the keyboard? Add Messrs Grainger and Harrison and you have the foundation to build a multi-storey and there was a multitude of musical stories to tell from tonight's players.
A rhapsodic Oh Lady Be Good followed by a fiery Latin piece called, I think, Obsession got the ball rolling and all three were up for it. I'd already lost count of the quotes James had pulled out of the air. Things Ain't What They Used to be; Moanin' and Stompin' at the Savoy, just some of the ephemeral moments that flashed by - American Patrol and Ornithology also figured in some later numbers.
Roly plugged in, switched on and kicked off with East of the Sun, All the Things You Are and, later, Darn That Dream, exquisitely played with sympathetic accompaniment.
Next up, John Rowland, inscrutable as ever, blew some booting tenor on Come Rain or Come Shine (with the inevitable quote from a certain Gene Kelly movie) and How High the Moon.
Misty seemed to be drawing to a balladic close when, from out of left field, Ray Burns appeared and sang, without a mic, the words to the Erroll Garner classic and, for good measure, threw in a couple of choruses on harmonica à la Toots Thielmans.
A surprise appearance by jazz coloratura Dawn Furness gave Basin St. Blues a workout as well as redefining Bye Bye Blackbird - nice one. More mouthie from Ray - miked up this time.
There Will Never Be Another You and a rollicking Roly's Blues kept things stomping along and the grand finale had just about everyone in the mix.
I may have got the running order wrong and omitted a tune or two but my notes were in my shirt pocket and I put my shirt in the wash this morning (it's that time of year) so everything is written from memory. My apologies if I've missed out any highlights in an evening jam-packed with highlights which also included a beautiful Georgia on my Mind by James and a 'Hit him in the slats Bob' drum solo from Russ*.
Lance.
*Legend has it that, during the course of the world title fight between Jim Corbett and Bob Fitzsimmons in 1897, Fitzsimmons' wife cried out for her husband, who was behind on points, to 'Hit him in the slats Bob' which he duly did and thus went on to win the fight and the title.
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