Sue Ferris (tenor sax); Graham Hardy (trumpet, flugelhorn); Ben Lawrence (keyboards); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums)
It's the new thing at Central Bar - doors at 1:45pm with hardly a soul to be seen, by the two o'clock down beat the first floor room is all but standing-room only. This month's session featured Sue Ferris' excellent quintet playing Horace Silver. Not an album as such, more a selection from the pianist's extensive back catalogue plus a couple of non-Silver compositions for good measure.
Ferris' regular band with just the one dep - Russ Morgan in for the double-booked John Bradford - hit the ground running with Señor Blues. Cast iron contributions from all, the near full house liked what it was hearing. From 1961, Silver's The Gringo raised the bar with four stonking solos: the horns of Ferris and Graham Hardy, Cumbrian based pianist Ben Lawrence and bassist Andy Champion. Graham Hardy's flugelhorn featured on Peace (of late, ace trumpeter Hardy has been at the top of his game), and bandleader Ferris tore it up on Song for My Father. Great stuff.
Fun Size received its world premiere here on Half Moon Lane. Ben Lawrence brought along charts for a recently-written composition, his bandmates took a look at it, liked it and decided to play it. Horace Silver would have approved, that's for sure. Time for two more...Graham Hardy's arrangement of One Hand, One Heart from West Side Story, then Soppin' the Biscuit (Roy Hargrove's tune is on Sue Ferris' new album). All five musicians, not least the excellent Russ Morgan (in for John Bradford), were in sparkling form. Next month's Central Bar session is scheduled for Sunday June 2 (2:00pm). Russell
Set list: Señor Blues; Ecaroh; The Gringo; Peace; Nica's Dream; Jodi Grind; Song for My Father; Fun Size; One Hand, One Heart; Soppin' the Biscuit.
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