THe Jammers Pre CHristmas Bash: A Review

Write a review they said. You must be joking I said. You must be joking they replied.

Quite what High Road Cantina expected is anybody's guess. The Bash went rather well, with the venue calling in extra staff as the day wore on. 35 musicians got up and boogied away a lazy arvo, with the music swinging from rather good to deafeningly awful and back to rather good - sometimes within the duration of one chorus.(*)

The Venue: Generally approved of. Food was good - so good they nearly sold out mid arvo; and the range of beers on tap meant no-one risked dehydration. We started by lugging all the gear from the Bowls Club back to our old haunt, and had it set up and running beautifully in no time. Or was that set up and running beautifully at no time? - you choose.

Highlights? Hmmm, it would be invidious to pick one, or two or three, or, what the hell, the Andrews sisters (**) got up and sang with Clark, Keen and Kuhn , Fermin played so dense a solo I still can't work out what tune he was playing, Stan, grinning from ear to there as is his wont, played some neat bass, as did Anton later on, Doug ditto but on a double, all the saxes were good, even Roger (you know who I mean!). Mike and Roger on comped guitars, Yuko or the late Miss Smith perhaps the pick of the tonsils du jour, and a hot set from Judee Horin. Some old friends in attendance (John Bell, tpt, Lee de Bendigo and Julian the flute, we're looking at you.)

A Record of the day: Viciously, Martin Clifton videoed the lot, possibly with a view to sending out threatening letters or cease and desist notices. And Michael Findlay took some proper photos. Consider yourselves warned.

And what of next Year? We have just under 12 months to get this right, in time for the next Bash. It might be a tall order.

Happy New Year!