Black Swan Jam - April 4

Paul Grainger (bass); Bradley Johnston (guitar); Abbie Finn (drums) + Edgar Bell (cornet); Chris Kurgi-Smith (trombone); David 'Showtime' Gray (trombone/vocal); Luis ?, Oliver Pritchard-Jones, Cormac Loane (alto sax); Esther Coombes (alto sax/clarinet); Alan Marshall, Harry Keeble (tenor sax); Lauren Ainsborough (keys); Stuart Turner, Patrick ?, ?? (guitar); Alex Shipsey (bass guitar); Bailey Rudd, Kris Finney, Dan Potter, Michael Mather (drums); Claire Kelly, Jan Spencelayh, Niffi Osiyemi, Ian Drever  (vocals) - there may have been more!

After the house trio (pictured) had set the scene with Nuages, 'S Wonderful and All the Things You Are, with twenty-five (and counting) musicians coming and going in varying combinations, it soon became impossible to keep track of who played/sang what with whom.

Anyone for tenors? could have been the cry as Harry Keeble had first serve with Trane's Equinox and Wayne's Yes and No before Alan Marshall responded with Blue Bossa and more Wayne with Footprints, aided and abetted on the latter by trombonist Chris Kurgi-Smith out on parole from the SSBB. I think the next number was All Blues - if I've got it wrong then So What?

Luis, an alto player from Norway, showed up along with guitarist Stuart Turner and blew some blistering alto on Bernie's Tune. The bar had been raised and it was about to be raised even higher!

Musicians had been jetting in all evening: from Norway, Birmingham, Sunderland, Leeds and Jarrow however, the one who'd put in the most miles was Claire Kelly who'd been in Thailand teaching English to the King of that country's many children (I just made that bit up).

Boy oh boy has Ms Kelly upped her game! Must be the Asian climate. Água de Beber is now my favourite Jobim tune thanks to Claire. West Coast Blues wasn't bad either with some clarinet from Esther.

This was turning into the best jam session since the last one as yet another new star appeared on the horizon in the form of Leeds-based student Oliver Pritchard-Jones who blew alto on Bewitched. The only other instrumental version I've heard was by Art Pepper. Oliver reached similar heights without being high. Song For my Father had Harry Keeble back on court and it was faultless.

And so the show rolled on. Jan sang You Turned the Tables on me with some confusion from the rhythm section as to the ending and Cormac, up 'frum' Brum joined her for Hallelujah I Just Love Him so.

Cormac also teamed up with 'Showtime' for Just Friends. The latter's vocal technique is rapidly approaching that of his agility on trombone.

Drever sang Lady is a Tramp, Niffi sang something bluesy but, for once, she needed more volume or maybe my ears were still ring-a-ding dinging after Ian's Tramp!

I haven't mentioned the drummers as there were so many of them. Solid bass guitar from young Shipsey. Edgar was his inimitable self and the various guitarists did the biz.

Most of the survivors blew on Straight no Chaser but there was one slight hiccup.

After the battle-scarred troops had had their allotted two choruses, Lauren who only got the call for this last number set off on a perilous journey only to be cut off in mid-flight by the drummer who took off on his own. I'm sure it was accidental as they were at opposite ends of the stage and there were a lot of bodies in-between. Maybe next time. 

Still it had been a great night. Lance

PHOTO ALBUM