The Stuart Fowler Quintet: Blue Mitchell's The Thing to Do + jam session @ Central Bar, Gateshead - Oct. 11

Stuart Fowler Quintet: Stuart Fowler (trumpet); Jamie Toms (tenor sax); Alan Law (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); John Bradford (drums)

Another jam session, a Monday evening at that! Would people turn out? Only one way to find out, head to Central Bar at the Gateshead end of the High Level Bridge for a half past seven start. Arriving in good time to order a pint of a more than acceptable porter, a nod to some of the musicians in the downstairs bar, let's take a look upstairs...

A fiver admission (this was a concert plus jam session affair), a few folk had already taken their seats in the dimly lit room. Advertised as a 7:30 start, trumpeter Stuart Fowler's hard bop quintet took to the stage right on time to play Blue Mitchell's 1964 Blue Note album The Thing to Do in its entirety. In the tradition of Blue Note recordings of the time, Stuart and co opened up all guns blazing on Funcii Mama with a  succession of blistering solos - Stuart, Jamie Toms, Alan Law. Wow! More, please! And that's exactly what we got with a rip-roaring take on the album's title track, The Thing to Do. 

The calibre of Stuart's band mates suggested it would be a good session. Wrong...this was a session to die for! Jimmy Heath's Mona's Mood temporarily took it down, giving the boys in the engine room - Mick Shoulder and John Bradford - the opportunity to catch their breath. Joe Henderson's Stop Lightly upped the tempo once more, the soloists shooting from the hip - Stuart as Blue Michell, Jamie recalling Junior Cook. To conclude a brilliant set, the quintet went out on Chick Corea's Chick's Tune. Well, that was one helluva session, well worth the fiver admission! 

Jam session: the house band + Abbie Finn (drums); Harry Keeble (tenor sax); Martin Williams (tenor sax); Michael Lamb (trumpet)

The format for this welcome addition to the Tyneside jazz scene is to play an in concert set followed by an all-comers jam session. The first part of the equation exceeded expectations, would the jam session to follow be something akin to 'after the lord mayor's show'? Go on, have a guess! 

Following a half hour interval the house band returned to kick off the jam session. Yet more superb playing on the jam session staple What is This Thing Called Love? Two of the brightest stars on the north east jazz scene - drummer Abbie Finn and tenor saxophonist Harry Keeble - were in the house. They're always around, making themselves known, and in the process, making connections. Abbie and Harry were first to throw their hats into the ring. Harry called Beatrice then Impressions. We know Harry as a fine tenor player. Here at Central Bar he threatened to blow the place apart. Who could/would dare to follow him? In the shadows (this was proper jazz club lighting!) stood another tenor player. Up stepped the man. Within a few bars it was a case of WOW! WOW! WOW! Who the bleep, bleep, bleep is that?! Harry came by: Harry, who's that? Harry: I'll find out, he's a f***ing monster! Harry returned: He's Martin Williams, lead tenor in the BBC Big Band! Ah, that explains it! 

Picture the (dimly lit) scene...Stuart, Jamie, Harry and Martin trading killer hard bop solos. Quite simply, this was impossibly good. And, a bonus, Strictly Smokin' Big Band MD Michael Lamb joined the party blowing fearsome bop trumpet. Superb! In a Mellotone, all blowing, and to close a memorable evening, the man who put together the evening's session, Stuart Fowler, called: Blues in F. A jam session, going out on a blues, what a night! 

Next month's gig plus jam session is scheduled for Monday 8 November. Keep checking Bebop Spoken Here for details/confirmation of the date. It's one night you won't want to miss! Russell