The Black Swan jam session - May 31

Stu Collingwood (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Rob Walker (drums) + (more or less in order of appearance) Haaruun Miller (alto sax, tenor sax); Felix Parkin-Christie (drums); Jan Spencelayh (vocals); Magda Ruta (vocals); Giles Strong (guitar); Chris Finney (drums); Jacob Egglestone (guitar); Niffi Osiyemi (vocals); Kit Giroux (vocals); Murray Wankling (double bass, piano); Ray Smith (drums); Ian Dreever (vocals); Susan ? (vocals); Will Reece (vocals); Edgar Bell (cornet); Michael Mather (drums) + 'Busking Elvis' (vocals)

The Black Swan jam session is nothing if not varied. The fortnightly session's recent trend of welcoming ever more newcomers - both performers and audience -  continued this evening with one sitter-in arriving from London by way of Bamburgh! In the temporary absence of drummer Rob Walker the house trio began as a duo, that's the redoubtable Messrs Collingwood and Grainger. 

MC Paul Grainger called Haaruun Miller to the stand. Miller, an Early Bird alumnus, opened on alto sax playing On Green Dolphin Street going into Scrapple from the Apple, later in the evening returning to blow some tenor. Meanwhile...Felix Parkin-Christie (name check required!) threw his metaphorical hat into the ring. Making his jam session debut at the age of fifteen, Felix held his own in some pretty fast company. He'll be back, that's for sure.

Time for Jan, that's Jan Spencelayh. Always a welcome visitor from the Tees Delta, our Musicians Unlimited's big band singer surprised us with a refreshing take on Every Breath You Take. Excellent, and Jan couldn't have wished for a better accompanist in pianist Stu Collingwood. Two top notch guitarists were in the house - Giles Strong and Jacob Egglestone. Strong, the established 'pro', Egglestone, the Newcastle University 'apprentice', both in great form. One gets the impression Egglestone has found his feet at the Black Swan. His first few jam session appearances were that of a shy, hesitant performer. Not any more, Egglestone is now playing some killer stuff, not least on Pat Metheny's Bright Size Life.

The arrival of Niffi Osiyemi invariably results in the decibel count rising at an alarming rate. Not so this evening and all the better for it. Similarly, Ian Dreever, his take on Lush Life one of the highlights of the evening. The singers were out in force, cue Kit Giroux. Yesterday, another unlikely choice, but a winning one. 

At a Black Swan jam session there invariably comes a point in the evening when events become a little hazy. Your Rivet Catcher-imbibing correspondent is yet to understand why this should be the case. To compound matters, your scribe was without notepad and pen. Thanks to bar manager KT, a length of till roll became a makeshift pad. 

The morning-after-the-night-before, said notes appear as indecipherable scrawl. However, further noteworthy comment must include mention of a memorable masterclass in the use of brushes by Ray Smith. Arriving 'up north', earlier in the day our Londoner took in the delights of Bamburgh before finding his way to the Black Swan. A class act is Ray Smith, let's hope he drops by again. Russell