Anyone for tenors? There's no shortage of them tonight. They buck the trend and outnumber the girl singers 4 to 1.
Harry
Keeble's the first to put up with a somewhat reflective opener that seems to
meander a bit. However, Tadd Dameron's Ladybird dispenses
with the meandering and Harry unleashes the torrent of notes we expect from him
and the now crowded room roars its approval.
Undeterred by this early benchmark, George Sykes doesn't attempt to fight fire with fire choosing instead to demonstrate his melodic side with Beautiful Love and Blue Bossa. Mo has taken over at the kit and it runs smoothly.
It's been awhile since Paul Gowland showed at the jam but, fresh from his paintstripping alto blast at last Saturday's birthday bash for Dave Weisser, he's up for doing it again on tenor. Here's That Rainy Day finds him digging in then, appropriately, I'll Remember April. Remember it? Who could forget this version? Is this game, set and match? Well, er, not quite...
Hearts and Hibs may be no great shakes when they cross Hadrian's Wall but when Edinburgh''s finest, Nick Gould, lays siege the sparks fly. Tonight it's Shiny Stockings and On Green Dolphin St. that light up the room. What a night for tenors!
And what a night for singers too. The ever delightful Jan delivers Lullaby of Birdland followed by The Look of Love. I'm sitting up front so I'm hearing it good. However, those sitting further back lose the intimacy of the moment, partly due to the chit-chat at the back of the room and a sound system that maybe needs turned up a notch or two.
John Pope's now on bass and Joel Brown, back from Senegal, is at the keyboard and Bob Caswell's taking us to Brazil. The veteran crooner has still got it as he proves when he manages to silence the barflies with My Funny Valentine.
However, tonight it's all about the sax with Keeble and Sykes laying waste to Wayne Shorter's Speak No Evil. Abbie and Charles Harrison get behind Gowland and Gould for Invitation and we're on Central Avenue in LA and it's Dexter and Wardell taking us in to the home straight - Straight No Chaser to be precise. Keeble makes it three tenors and the horns give it their best shot over two choruses each.
Harry
Keeble's the first to put up with a somewhat reflective opener that seems to
meander a bit. However, Tadd Dameron's Ladybird dispenses
with the meandering and Harry unleashes the torrent of notes we expect from him
and the now crowded room roars its approval.
Undeterred by this early benchmark, George Sykes doesn't attempt to fight fire with fire choosing instead to demonstrate his melodic side with Beautiful Love and Blue Bossa. Mo has taken over at the kit and it runs smoothly.
It's been awhile since Paul Gowland showed at the jam but, fresh from his paintstripping alto blast at last Saturday's birthday bash for Dave Weisser, he's up for doing it again on tenor. Here's That Rainy Day finds him digging in then, appropriately, I'll Remember April. Remember it? Who could forget this version? Is this game, set and match? Well, er, not quite...
Hearts and Hibs may be no great shakes when they cross Hadrian's Wall but when Edinburgh''s finest, Nick Gould, lays siege the sparks fly. Tonight it's Shiny Stockings and On Green Dolphin St. that light up the room. What a night for tenors!
And what a night for singers too. The ever delightful Jan delivers Lullaby of Birdland followed by The Look of Love. I'm sitting up front so I'm hearing it good. However, those sitting further back lose the intimacy of the moment, partly due to the chit-chat at the back of the room and a sound system that maybe needs turned up a notch or two.
John Pope's now on bass and Joel Brown, back from Senegal, is at the keyboard and Bob Caswell's taking us to Brazil. The veteran crooner has still got it as he proves when he manages to silence the barflies with My Funny Valentine.
The brothers Harrison are in the house and Laurence adds some guitar magic as the evening rocks on.
However, tonight it's all about the sax with Keeble and Sykes laying waste to Wayne Shorter's Speak No Evil. Abbie and Charles Harrison get behind Gowland and Gould for Invitation and we're on Central Avenue in LA and it's Dexter and Wardell taking us in to the home straight - Straight No Chaser to be precise. Keeble makes it three tenors and the horns give it their best shot over two choruses each.
It's been another great night although, as someone once said to me, the downside is that with such great music for free who wants to pay to see a band? Food for thought.
Needless to say, the house trio, as ever, have been superb. Dean Stockdale's opening Have You Met Miss Jones? played out of time with beautiful, rich harmonies told me tonight is going to be special and when Grainger and Walker picked up the tempo it was.
Lance
Dean Stockdale (piano); Paul Grainger (bass); Rob Walker (drums) + Harry Keeble, George Sykes, Paul Gowland, Nick Gould (tenor saxes); Hazem Mohammed, Abbie Finn (drums); Joel Brown (piano); John Pope (bass); Laurence Harrison, Charles Harrison (guitars); Jan Spencelayh, Bob Caswell (vocals).
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