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| (© Sheila Herrick) |
The trio were flying with Alan proving that age is no handicap. If you've got it you've got it and boy has he got it! A swinging Four was followed by a contemplative How Deep is the Ocean? with a fast Cherokee completing their all too short set. Andy Champion was, as always, a tower of strength with Sid White driving things along. The bench mark had been set - follow that if you can!
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| © Sheila Herrick) |
Not many could follow that but Lewis Watson isn't just anyone. When it comes to playing saxophone he scares the pants off most of his contemporaries and tonight he was sizzling. Combine him with Mark Williams, John Bradford and Andy Champion, who was having a busy night, then you have a dream team. Wayne Shorter's Yes and No, Lewis' own Times Past and A Song For Keith (Morris) made up the half hour set. However, if you need to hear more of this ace quartet they're back on Sunday Nov. 6. One for the diary oh and, er, thanks for the name-check it did my street-cred no harm at all!
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| © Sheila Herrick) |
Mark, Andy and John stayed on stage where they were joined by Zoë. This made for a quick turnaround which enabled them to slip in an extra number. All four numbers went down a storm. The singer was in good voice displaying quite an amazing range. You'd be so Nice to Come Home to, No Words, Caravan, featuring John Bradford and finishing up with Harry Edison's Centerpiece before Andy left to pickle his fingertips.
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| © Sheila Herrick) |
John Bradford hung around to be joined by Alan Law, Paul Grainger and Pete Tanton. In an evening dedicated to the memory of a north east based American singer/trumpet player it seemed only right that the evening should feature another north east based American singer/trumpet player - Pete Tanton who actually opted for flugelhorn. It was a nice touch. Apart from Pete's playing and singing another musician in scintillating form was Alan Law. Book-ended by Alan Glen and Stu Collingwood he had to be! With the ever dependable Mr P.G. providing the foundation and John Bradford in control we heard There Will Never be Another You, The Seventh Son and Bridges.
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| © Sheila Herrick) |
The third of the evening's piano aces settled stage left, Neil Harland plugged in and, after some technical hitches in the sound department, they were up and running. In Walked Bud could have been re-titled In Walked Graham who blew on the Monk classic like as if he was on a Blue Note record date with Neil equally impressive whilst Stu too was on the ball backed up by Sid. Nature Boy, a favourite of Dave's whose ashes and other 'assets' looked on approvingly before the set concluded with I Wish I Knew How it Felt to be Free as I left to wrestle with the public transport system. This meant I reluctantly missed Mo's set which will be covered by Russell.
The evening had begun with a spirited set by the 'Railway St. Irregulars' led from the back by Jude Murphy on bass and voice. Particularly impressive was her vocal on Some Time Ago which came in between There Will Never be Another You and Blue Bossa.
The impact Dave Weisser made on the local scene was testified to by the musicians and fans who turned out. Just about anybody who was anybody turned out. As for those who missed it please submit your sick notes. Gone but not forgotten. Lance
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