The house trio kicked things off on what was expected to be a relatively quiet night with I Will Wait For You and How About You? We didn't have to wait too long before Mr Bassman Grainger was saying to an ever-increasing influx of instrument cases "How about you?"
The line was forming on the right.
First up was bass guitarist Richie Richardson who spelled Paul for some Jaco with Mercy, Mercy, Mercy and The Chicken.
King David Ike-Elechi replaced Southpaw Syd on drums which gave King's sidekick in Knats, trumpet player Ferg Kilsby, and bassist Oscar Ho time to decide to play All the Things You Are after the kit was mirror-imaged.
The temperature continued to rise when Harry Toulson added more alto to the mix and Laurence Harrison kicked in on guitar. I didn't do the maths but, by this time the average age of the band must have been about 18! There Will Never be Another You really nailed it! (The Sam Toulson Quartet are at The Globe in January - not to be missed unless ...).
Perennial favourite Nick Gould drove down from Edinburgh. After hearing the young trumpet player and the two alto saxes the tenor player must have felt like Coleman Hawkins did when he ran into those Kansas City cats way back in the 1930s!
Ray Johnson chose flugelhorn for My One and Only Love. Nick joined in before they had a blast on My Little Suede Shoes.
So far, no vocals - that was about to change!
Sid White took to the mic for Pennies From Heaven and it didn't hurt at all - more please. Ferg Kilsby also blew a nice chorus.
Killer Joe saw another bass guitarist on the stand - Steve Picking. The clock was ticking and they entered the home straight with Scrapple From the Apple. A request for The Christmas Song was despatched before the penultimate Take the A Train. Trumpet, flugel, tenor, piano, guitar, bass and drums (the Hos and the Toulsons had caught an earlier train) which arrived ahead of time so Paul decreed that they had six minutes to see off Straight no Chaser which they duly did as I left to catch the 27 Crusader. A great jam plus mince pies and Xmas crackers - Lance
(Top photo by Russell, the rest by Lance who apologises for the quality.)
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