Black Swan Jam Session - Sept. 5

Not, in truth, a vintage jam session, no duelling banjos or solos that lasted twice as long as February although there were fleeting moments of class.

The house trio for the evening set the marker opening up their short set with Stella by Starlight and closing with All the Things You Are. This got me to thinking I could write  jam session set lists - any jam session - in advance except that never in a month of Tuesdays would I have included Steve Kuhn's Saga of Henry Crabfeather, the number book-ended by the other two!

It was back to the script as Kate O'Neill stepped up for a lusty rendition of Misty, followed by My Baby Just Cares For me. Isn't it about time the lyric was updated? Lana who? 

Ian Drever did a job on The Good Life and Maybe Next Time - maybe. As an afterthought I wondered if the brickwork had been checked.

David 'Showtime' Gray played trumpet and sang You Took Advantage of me. It was fine although King D's drum solo, brilliant as it was, seemed somewhat out of context.

Stan Woodward on bass guitar took over from PG so that we had 50% of the original Knats. The indefatigable Edgar joined the party and they took Miss Jones to the cleaners. 

Cantaloupe Island had jam session debutante Luke Allen on keyboard and a funky solo by Woodward. Showtime had solos on trumpet and trombone. On Chick Corea's 500 Miles High his triple tonguing on trombone was a testimony to his technique.

A further switcheroo brought in Alon Dagan on keys and another first-timer, Harry X on drums to back Bethany Tate who sang Misty. Unlike the earlier version by Kate this was softer and more simpatico with the composer's intent. Two individualistic approaches. You Don't Know What Love is sang Bethany. The room, judging by the applause, know now.

We were entering the home straight. Ray Burns played and sang This Masquerade with Esther doodling on alto. However, when she switched to clarinet, the doodling was done and she meant business. It won't be long before the local traddies will be waving their cheque books (piggy banks) to entice her to the coast. Laurence Harrison and the ubiquitous Showtime helped out on Blue Bossa followed by her signature dish Mr. P.C.

Le tout ensemble assembled for the closing It Don't Mean a Thing (if it Ain't Got That Swing). Harrison moved over to keyboard resulting in a rousing finale to an evening that, as always, turned out fine again. Lance

Steve Glendinning (guitar); Paul Grainger (bass); King David Ike-Elechi (drums) + David Gray, Edgar Bell (trumpet); David Gray (trombone); Esther Coombes (clarinet/alto sax); Ray Burns (harmonica); Harry ? (drums); Laurence Harrison (guitar); Stan Woodward (bass guitar); Alon Dagan, Luke Allen, Laurence Harrison (keys); Kate O'Neill, Ian Drever, David  Gray, Bethany Tate, Ray Burns (vocals).