Budtet @ The Globe + Jam Session. Jazz Coop Xmas Party - Dec. 16.

Stu Finden (baritone sax/vocal); Fiona Finden (tenor sax/vocals); Dave Weisser (cornet/vocals); Jude Murphy (alto sax/flute/vocals); Jim Crinson (guitar); Andrew Porritt (bass); Eric Stutt (drums).

(Review by Lance).

The party season is now in full swing. Down south in Hartlepool, Musicians Unlimited and Alice Grace were serving up the musical mince pies, way out west, in Blaydon, it was the Paul Edis Trio and guests pulling the crackers whilst here in town, at the Globe, it was Budtet who carved the bird.

It was an impressive set with Stu Finden blowing his recently acquired baritone with a facility that reminded me of my favourite bari-player, the late Cecil Payne. Hank Mobley's This I Dig of You set the standard and it was high. Everyone soloed and there were no passengers tonight. Boplicity, Take the A Train and a familiar sounding funky feely number kept the mercury bubbling over. Dave scatted and Jude fluted - is there a better jazz flautist around? Not many.

Time to cool it. You Go to my Head sang Fiona - mine too Fi, I thought, as she sang with so much feeling.

Back to 52nd St., for Dave Weisser's take on Annie Ross' take on Wardell Gray's take on Twisted - "My analyst told me..." you know the one. More flute from Jude and Fi took her cap off and let her hair down. On a sartorial note, all four horn-players wore some form of headgear. The rhythm section of Crinson, Porritt and Stutt may have been bare-headed but they were sure-footed as a team, keeping it all together and filling in the cracks with sound and solid solos.

Jude sang a number in Portuguese - or was it Peltonese? - whilst Keith and Nicola tripped the light fantastic.

Yardbird Suite not only had solos from all but concluded with some four-part vocalese from the frontline. Lambert, Hendricks, Ross and Weisser ride again.
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Keith Barrett (guitar); Sam Young (keys); Jim Crinson (bass); Matthew Fairhurst (drums); Debra Milne (vocals); Jude Murphy (alto); Johannes Dalhuijsen (soprano sax); Nigel Robson (trombone).

A break for nibbles and raffles and a jam session to round off the evening. Unfortunately, I couldn't stay for it all and so I missed some of the notables who were 'loaded for bear' and awaiting the call.

Bernie's Tune and Beautiful Love were the openers. Sam Young impressed on keyboard and Keith Barrett proved to be as good a guitarist as he is a dancer. Dalhuijsen played soprano sax and, undeterred by the calibre of saxmanship that had preceded, he made his mark. Robson blew trombone with great gusto and was applauded accordingly. Matthew Fairhurst, as ever, showed great empathy with his surrounds whilst Jim Crinson took the transition from guitar to double bass in his stride.

Debra, as befits a leading light of the Jazz Coop Board of Directors, took centre stage for Stomping at the Savoy and a poignant tribute to Nancy Wilson with Save Your Love For Me. This was made even more emotional when Jude leaped up to blow an alto solo that eclipsed just about all that had gone before. She captured the mood and I caught the metro.
A splendid evening of cooperative jazz.
Lance.