Olive Rudd (vocals); Mick Hill (trumpet); Paul Gowland (tenor sax, soprano sax); Neville Hartley (trombone, vocals); Colin Haikney (keyboards); Alan Rudd (double bass); Tommy Graham (drums).
(Review by Russell)
Good Friday, the sun shone as if on a midsummer's day. The Lonsdale looked a picture with its predominately student clientele basking in the sun in the pub's outdoor seating area. Turning into West Jesmond Avenue the British Legion Club's symbolic lone Tommy dutifully stood guard under a relentless sun.
Inside, the split-level lounge was well populated with jazz-a-holics eschewing the sunshine in favour of their twice-monthly West Jesmond jazz fix courtesy of Classic Swing.
One or two deps in on this holiday Friday gig; veteran trumpeter Mick Hill and the Lesser-Spotted Paul Gowland playing tenor and soprano saxophones. Olive Rudd opened the show, as usual, singing It Don't Mean a Thing (it sure don't) and over the course of forty five minutes or so Classic Swing's first set comprised many familiar numbers including our Lesser-Spotted soprano saxophonist taking a good, long look at Lady be Good and the band's premier vocalist taking us up to raffle time with Bye Bye Blackbird and a celebratory Easter-time Blue Skies.
The interval: a chat with Harmonica Man Dan, a bottle of Dog (Brown Ale) and, importantly, the purchase of (winning?) raffle tickets - six prizes, two of them Easter eggs! Winning raffle tickets? No chance, miles away.
The Basie-Eddie Durham cooker Swingin' the Blues opened part two as an instrumental before Rudd returned to sing Meet me Tonight in Dreamland followed by Some of These Days supported by a muted Mick Hill and big tenor from Gowland. Now then, move over Olive, the band's other vocalist was about to take centre stage. Trombonist - and, on other gigs, occasional pianist - Neville Hartley took the mic to sing Smiles (comp. Lee S Roberts). Rudd was impressed, everyone was. Expect Mr Hartley to exercise the tonsils on Tuesday at the band's Ship Inn gig in Monkseaton!
Hartley and Hill retired to the bar leaving the stage to Paul Gowland and the rhythm section - Colin Haikney, piano, Alan Rudd, double bass and energetic drummer Tommy Graham - to play Alone Together. A highlight of the afternoon.
It was nearing the three o'clock finish. Rudd obliged a requester by singing Dr Jazz, Hill's muted work once again accompanied our vocalist on Out of Nowhere and that was that save for the 'outer' - Tuxedo Junction. Classic Swing will report for duty once again at the British Legion on Friday 3 May, one o'clock sharp.
Russell
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