Black Swan Jam - March 22

Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (bass); John Bradford (drums) + Jan Spencelayh, Fionnuala Bradbury, Will Reece, David Gray (vocals); Edgar Bell (cornet); David Gray (trombone); Isaac Wilson, Murray Wankling (piano); Jacob Egglestone, Charles Harrison, Laurence Harrison (guitar); John Pope (bass); Keith Tulip (elec. bass); Michael Mather, Wilf  Pease, Mark ? (drums). (Clockwise l-r: Law, Bell, Gray, Wankling, Wilson, Spencelayh, Bradbury) 

Jam sessions are ephemeral - a time to experiment. A time to try something new. It may work, it may not and if it doesn't there's always a next time. Tonight was a mix of the usual suspects and the new kids on the block - I use the word kids advisedly.

The house trio put down the bench mark with Bye Bye Blackbird and The Man I Love setting the scene for the first of the sitters-in.

Jan Spencelayh, a regular visitor, sang What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life? Let's just say this was a work in progress. Jan fared better with This Can't be Love. David Gray, who would soon be throwing his own vocal chords into the ring, did some slush-pumping on both songs.

Jacob Egglestone and the brothers Harrison alternated on guitar, John Pope played bass and there was also a rare appearance by Keith Tulip, formerly of jazz rock band Redemption, on electric bass. On drums we had Michael Mather, who never stops smiling, Wilf Pease and Mark somebody or other who was deserving of full name recognition.

Isaac Wilson, an 11th year student at Kings Priory School in Tynemouth, occupied the keyboard chair for Close to You (or was it Pure Imagination? - answers on a ten pound note), Out of Nowhere and Senor Blues. He was mightily impressive as was Murray who took over for a piece called It's On. 

The singers were now starting to show. David Gray, wearing his 'Showtime' ensemble had already belted out the vocal on Senor Blues and he was followed by Ms Bradbury who dusted off The Son of a Preacher Man, To our great regret she resisted calls for another one. No such inhibitions from Will Reece who took All of Me to the cleaners before doing the same to On the Sunny Side of the Street.

Who could possibly follow that? Surely not Jan?

I soon found out that Jan can! I Put a Spell on You put a spell on me! She kicked ass, if you'll pardon the expression, and all was forgiven. The first round knockdown seemed a 100 years ago and the decision was unanimous.

The final Anthropology saw the zoot-suited cornetist Bell who'd been up and down all night rejoin the ensemble sending me on my way rejoicing. Lance.

PS: Where have all the sax players gone?