Jack Honeyborne's 98th Birthday Party @ Spice of Life, London - June 22

Jack Honeyborne (piano); Bruce Adams (trumpet); Art Themen (tenor sax); Nils Solberg (guitar, vocals); Sandy Burnett (double bass); Matt Home (drums) 

On a sweltering summer's day it was a cert the Spice of Life would be busy. Sure enough, fully one hour before the down beat, they were queueing on the stairs at the Moor Street venue. The occasion? A 98th birthday party for Mr Jack Honeyborne. A fixture on the London jazz scene, pianist Honeyborne is no stranger to the Cambridge Circus pub. 

On paying a tenner at the door, seats were at a premium. Grabbing three partially obscured-view seats, the order at the bar was two teas and a pint of Guinness 0:0. Looking around the room, the house upright was festooned in 'Happy Birthday' bunting. A notable absentee was the ailing Richard Pite. At short notice, Matt Home stepped into the breach, joining bassist Sandy Burnett, guitarist Nils Solberg and the frontline pairing of Bruce Adams and Art Themen.

In a celebratory atmosphere, Mr Honeyborne proved beyond a shadow of a doubt age is no barrier to playing great jazz piano. Dazzling runs, an ear cocked, leading the ace rhythm section. The horns couldn't help but dazzle - trumpeter Adams, for the most part, the epitome of restraint, tenor saxophonist Themen playing the right thing, every time.

In a rare solo spot, birthday boy Jack Honeyborne chose to play a Jimmy Van Heusen selection. The applause said it all. Next year it'll be Mr Honeyborne's 99th, and the year after... Russell