Year End Jam Session @ The Black Swan - Dec 10

(Review by Russell)

An encouraging full house from the off, an attentive full house, many new faces. Three numbers from tonight's house trio (Mark Williams, Paul Grainger, Rob Walker) - Without a Song, Two for the Road and All the Things You Are - to get things under way. It's been noted many times...Mark Williams is as good a guitarist as any, his harmonic invention a marvel to mere mortals. 

We were to be treated to the Three Tenors in action, no, not that lot, rather the Black Swan's frequent feast of tenor saxophonists out to impress. Tonight, Messrs Keeble, Sykes and Gould blew in turn, supported variously by the house trio and/or a top class supporting cast of sitters-in including drummer Abbie Finn and pianist Joel Brown. 

First up, Harry Keeble. Someday My Prince Will Come, then Sam Rivers' Beatrice (thanks to Harry for naming the tune, sometimes titles elude your reviewer!). HK would be back for more. Next, genial George Sykes. Beautiful Love and, perhaps an unlikely choice, On the Sunny Side of the Street with Rob Walker taking five to allow Abbie Finn to show what she could do. Our third tenor player chose to bide his time...

Well, look who's in - Mr Graham Hardy! It's a rare occasion when GH has a blow at a jam session. What's he going to play? Last Christmas? Well, it's almost Christmas! In Walked Bud - a tune for any time of year not just Christmas. Winter Wonderland? Why not? Whatever the tune Hardy's trumpet playing is the tops. 

Tenor sax number three, all the way from Edinburgh by way of a diversion off the A1, the always swinging Nick Gould never fails to deliver the goods. Was that Everything Happens to Me? Whatever it was it was good stuff with NG given excellent support from up-and-coming pianist Joel Brown and, as ever, fellow tenor player Harry Keeble only too willing to join the party.

Vocalists were thin on the ground until not one, but two, turned up. Indigo Jazz Voice Carrie McCullock impressed singing That Ole Devil Called Love and JJ, that's Julija Jacenaite, insisted we had to make up our minds singing Love Me or Leave Me.

George Sykes departed, he couldn't hang around, leaving the stage to Gould and Keeble to see out the final jam session of the year. Jobim's Meditation. Was that the tune? If not a correction would be welcome. TS Monk is the 'go to' musician to take it out at a jam session. Lots of tunes to choose from, someone called Straight No Chaser. That'll do nicely and off we went, Gould swingin', Keeble chasin'. 

It had been a very good year. We reconvene at eight o'clock on Tuesday 14 January 2020.  

Russell

                      

Mark Williams (guitar); Paul Grainger (double bass); Rob Walker (drums) + Harry Keeble (tenor sax); George Sykes (tenor sax); Abbie Finn (drums); Graham Hardy (trumpet); Joel Brown (piano), Nick Gould ( tenor sax), Carrie McCullock (vocals); Julija Jacenaite (vocals)