This evening’s Black Swan jam session attracted yet another full house, they were queuing at half past six, an hour before the down beat. The house trio - Stuart Collingwood, Paul Grainger and Abbie Finn - warmed up with Henry Mancini’s Days of Wine and Roses. It wasn’t long before the first of the hopefuls caught the eye of MC Grainger.
Up stepped Harry Keeble. A tenor saxophonist of some renown, this evening HK arrived with a soprano sax. Well, let’s hear if he can play the thing. Of course he could! Unforgettable the choice, great stuff! And it wasn’t long before alto saxophonist Luis Verde joined HK to play Lover Man. If that was to be the highlight, it was worth queuing for.
The singers got the nod: Kate O’Neill sang Night and Day and It’s Only a Paper Moon. Jan Spencelayh chose Love Me or Leave Me followed by a surprise vocal duet with Davd Gray, our duo making a great job of It Had to Be You.
MC Grainger called for a piano player. His luck was in, step forward Murray Wankling. What’s more, Jamie Watkins was in the house (our MC joined Stu C at the bar). Drummer Abbie took five, Bailey Rudd a more than capable sub. The house trio returned to the stage to support Messrs. Keeble and Verde on a rip-roaring take on Ornithology. The horns blazing, MC Grainger cookin’. If that was to be the highlight, it had been worth queuing for.
There’s no use crying over spilt milk, so the saying goes. The Nolan brothers were first heard many years ago busking on Northumberland Street. As school kids, they were good, very good, superb vocal harmonies. Fast forward a few years to this evening’s Black Swan jam session. Now, as young adults, calling themselves Spilt Milk, how would they shape up? Oscar, Isaac and Theo sang Me and Mrs. Jones. Now, it takes something special to upstage Harry and Luis, but on this occasion Spilt Milk did just that. Superb!
The finishing line was coming into view. MC Grainger called on the Esther Coombes Experience to close the session. Esther, clarinet and alto sax, is one of the Black Swan jam session’s most loyal supporters and, with all onboard the ECE, they went out on Chameleon, all blowing, drummer Bailey nailing the groove. It had been quite a night. The next session will be on Tuesday, May 21. It all starts at 7:30pm but if you want a seat you know what to do…starting queuing now. Russell
Stuart Collingwood (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums) + Harry Keeble (soprano sax); Luis Verde (alto sax); Kate O'Niell (vocals); David Gray (trombone, trumpet, ocarina, vocals), Edgar Bell (trumpet); Bailey Rudd (drums); Jan Spencelayh (vocals); Murray Wankling (piano); Ian Drever (vocals); Jamie Watkins (double bass); Shayo (vocals); Esther Coombes (clarinet, alto sax); the Nolan brothers - Oscar, Isaac & Theo (the Spilt Milk vocalists)
No comments :
Post a Comment