Strictly Smokin' Big Band @ the Bridge, Newcastle - May 25

Michael Lamb (MD), Billy Bradshaw, Dick Stacey, Gordon Marshall (trumpets); Jamie Toms, Matt Forster, Keith Robinson, Steve Summers, Sue Ferris (reeds); Mark Ferris, Kieran Parnaby, Chris Kurgi-Smith, John Flood (trombones); Pawel Jedrzejewski (bass guitar); Graham Don (keys); Guy Swinton (drums); Alice Grace (vocals)

A couple of 30 minute sets went down as well as the pints of Doom Bar etc. Seats were at a premium and so they should be - this was the sale of the century and it was free. It does however, call into question gigs that are free, 'jar on the bar' or raffle supported. I'm not going to pursue this further at this stage but I think that it is a subject very much open for discussion.

Technically I suppose this would be classed as an open rehearsal with the band digging deep into their library's back catalogue.

It was an interesting journey, the hiccups were few and the highlights were many.

Alice had most bites of the cherry. She was, as always, excellent although the balance/sound system didn't do her any favours. The arrangement by Marty Paich of Can't we be Friends? really worked - just as it originally did for Sammy Davis Jr. If Alice can hook on to any more arrangements by a guy who was one of the all-time greats then it won't do her any harm - they worked for Mel Tormé!

Pete Tanton had gone AWOL to Cuba - well not the Cuba - but across town to the Prohibition Bar. Billy Bradshaw was called up from the bench. He only had but one solo - the chorus that split Alice's vocal on You Turned the Tables on me - but it sizzled!

MD Lamb also did some sizzling in his solos and, whilst Toms, Summers, Forster, Kurgi-Smith, Flood, Don, Pav and Guy  were also heard to great effect, it was Parnaby's feature on Frankie, Johnny and Keiran that won the cigar. A solo in the Ellington tradition that saw him growling like 'Tricky Sam' or Quentin Jackson would have done had they'd auditioned successfully for this magnificent band. 

They're heading off to a sold-out gig in Halifax. Our man, Russell, suggested there was nothing better to do in Halifax. He could have replaced 'Halifax' with 'anywhere'. Lance

Walk Spirit, Talk Spirit; I Love Being Here With You; Filthy McNasty; Orange Colored Sky; Ol' Man River; Switch in Time; People Will Say We're in Love; Spain; St. Louis Blues; Frankie, Johnny and Keiran; Every Time we Say Goodbye; A Flower is a Lovesome Thing; Can't we be Friends?;Almost Like Being in Love; So in Love; You Turned the Tables on me