Michael Young (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Mark Robertson (drums) + John Rowland (tenor sax); Luis Verde (alto sax); Shivan Ruddick (trumpet); Kate O'Niell (vocals); Edgar Bell (cornet); Lara Hopper (trumpet); Robert Johnson (tenor sax); Carl Peacock (piano); Jamie Watkins (double bass); Liam Oliver (guitar); Shayo (vocals); Haruki Shimizu (drums); Paul Ruddick (alto sax); Ian Drever (vocals); Moyo (guitar); Esther Coombes (alto sax, clarinet); Owen Jones (double bass); Niffi Osiyemi (vocals); Jan Spencelayh (vocals); Bailey Rudd (drums); Felix Parkin-Christie (drums)
Snow on a cold, dark, mid-November evening. Numbers would be down, wouldn't they? Ah, that's to underestimate the pulling power of the Black Swan jam session. Paul Grainger invited pianist Michael Young and drummer Mark Robertson to join him in forming the house trio. At the half past seven down beat, the room was, as usual, bustling with students, former students and a rag-tag of jazz lovers.
Trane's Lazy Bird got things underway. Over the course of the next three hours a raft of musicians would try to catch the eye of MC Grainger. First to get the nod, John Rowland. The second of our tenor saxophonist's choices - an inspired choice at that - I Can't Get Started, excellent exposition and coda. Next up - the master and promising student, namely the brilliant Luis Verde (alto sax) and still-at-school Shivan Ruddick (trumpet). Their second selection - On Green Dolphin Street - featured young Shivan at length, Luis content to listen, encouraging his fellow musician to stretch out. When he was done, Shivan puffed-out his cheeks. Excellent.
Lara Hopper (trumpet) and Robert Johnson (tenor sax), their combined age possibly the right side of thirty, are coming on in leaps and bounds, proof, if proof were needed, that the Black Swan jam session is a welcoming environment in which young musicians gain experience standing in front of a listening audience.
Carl Peacock played some piano (Michael Young taking a well-earned break), Newcastle University undergrad and postgrad students - guitarist Liam Oliver and bassist Jamie Watkins - dropped by, they're always welcome. Paul Ruddick blew some Baghdaddian alto, generous in his encouragement of the many young musicians getting up to show what they could do.
Over the last few weeks a rather good drummer has been sitting in. A music student? Your scribe was determined to find out who he is. Having sat in on a few numbers (most effectively), our mystery drummer stepped down. Your scribe (upturned collar and trilby) shuffled across the room. Excuse me! What's your name? On a scrap of paper our mystery drummer wrote (legibly!): Haruki Shimizu. Your correspondent enquired: Are you a music student? Haruki replied: No, I'm a geographer on a one semester exchange. In January, Haruki will be going home to Japan. Assuming Haruki turns up at December's jam sessions (Tuesday 3rd and Tuesday 17th), you could do worse than getting along to hear him play.
And then there was Jan Spencelayh. Always good to hear Jan, this evening singing Caravan. Snow flurries prompted Jan to make a sharp exit, visions of the A19 being closed and all that. If not before, catch Jan at a late afternoon/early evening New Year's Eve gig at Jackson's Wharf, Hartlepool.
The next Black Swan jam session (Tuesday 3 Dec.) features the house trio of Dean Stockdale, Paul Grainger and John Hirst. Unmissable? You bet! Russell
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