The Jammers Bit: THE NEXT JAM SESSION…
The Middle Park Bowls Club rocks on,
Sunday 28th February, 3.30pm start
Keen readers of the Newsletter, and I know there at least three of you, will have noticed that the e-mail early warning system announcing another thrilling installment of this venerable organ has been missing in action.
Didn't seem to worry the 26 or so musos who fronted last Sunday, blissfully unaware of the earlier start - 3.30, not 4.00 hereon.
A dead bass amp notwithstanding, it was a pretty smooth session. There have been unconfirmed reports of passably adequate music being played. This is to stop immediately, as it can only set a dangerous precedent. I am indebted to POCKOTL for her observation "There are standards above which we must not rise"
Roger De Sax , with a hot Dave Taylor and Miss Jane as an opening stanza, followed by Kostas, meself, Malcolm and Peter Gerram on piano, although luckily not all at once as the stand is not built for that sort of thing.
Alan Richards drumming for starters, followed by Steve Bray, Martin, and Sala. John Perri arrived but did not play. Sala gets the award for dreamily wandering from a straight four to a swing beat.
Marion Lustig, easily the best recorderist, sans moonboot: Nature Boy and a coupla bebop numbers.
Laurie Savage eschewed Sugar and played Moanin' which is a better toon anyway. The Captain, fresh from his morning gig, called the shots all arvo, and even got to play a bit. Jeff and Michael popped up later. Nice one.
Guitars were, I thought, a little restrained, which is possibly a good thing sometimes: Fermin and Dean both popped some neat solos.
John Bell was our lone trumpeter, and such a good reader we made him improvise all afternoon; on occasions dwarfed by some smooth bass from Adam Fforde and Pete Micevski.
Tonsil artistes included Buddy (smooth), Debbie (too quiet at times), , newcomer Charles showing his experience, and Yuko whose voice, the Captain observed , is getting stronger by the day. So it should given the rehearsal hours she puts in...Classiest act of the arvo was undoubtedly Rod, Bette, and later on Jack and Audrey - amongst others, the audience.