(Review by Lance).
Last week at the Dun Cow Jam, singers and drummers were the dominant force. This week, at the Black Swan, the drummers were still queuing up but, with one notable exception, the singers were absent and it was the horns who took centre stage.
The vocal exception was the tornado that is Julija. Dynamic! Dramatic! Theatrical! JJ doesn't just sing the song she lives it! You'd be so Nice to Come Home to and Summertime. This latter piece bore a vague resemblance to the George Gershwin tune of the same name. If Gershwin had been a soul/funk/Motown man it may have come out like this - the room erupted. Showtime and Gould added to the mayhem.
The evening had begun quite tastefully with Glendinning and co setting the scene with All Blues, It Could Happen to You and How Insensitive.
Ray Johnson played flugel on Moments Notice and I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face - nice mellow sound.
Harry Keeble, with Abbie on drums, blew tenor on Softly as in a Morning Sunrise and Chick Corea's Humpty Dumpty. Some adventurous playing but neither of them fell off the wall.
That other prodigious young drummer, Matt, along with John Pope on bass, put the boot in behind tenor number two, Nick Gould all the way from Edinburgh. Solar (or was it Dolphin Dance?) bounced along merrily. Nick's sound is not unlike that of a certain Greek saxman who was 'up north' last weekend. On Green Dolphin St always reminds me of an old tv ad Fry's Turkish Delight and this was indeed delightful.
The ubiquitous John Rowland - have tenor will travel (by bike) - aided by Mo on drums gave us some Tenor Madness and that jam session staple Stella by Starlight.
Still the saxes appear. This time it's Jordan Alfonso blowing alto like Art Pepper on Besame Mucho. Matt back on the kit and Paul once more on bass. Another change, Steve retires and Marcus Tham takes control of the lonely keyboard and Grainger once more gives way to The Pope. On the Sunnyside of the Street had all four blowing up a storm which set the scene for JJ to explode as described earlier.
The evening was drawing to a close, but not yet - not with Dean Stockdale waiting in the wings.
The surviving horns took to the stage. With Dean on piano it was reminiscent of Oscar Peterson at a JATP concert. Straight No Chaser had rousing solos all round before going into Salt Peanuts for the closing riff.
As I left another bop classic wafted through the rafters but Metro called...
Another Wham! Bang! Thank You Jam!
Lance
Steve Glendinning (guitar); Paul Grainger (bass); Tim Johnston (drums) + Ray Johnson (trumpet); David 'Showtime' Gray (trombone), Jordan Alfonso (alto sax); Harry Keeble, John Rowland, Nick Gould (tenor sax); Marcus Tham, Dean Stockdale (keys); John Pope (bass); Abbie Finn, Matt MacKellar, Hazem Mohammed (drums); Julija Jacenaite (vocals).
1 comment :
Great to see you Lance! An excellent session. Loved your line about not falling off the wall!
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