It was like being whisked away. First I thought of NYC obviously, as that's a
common site, but perhaps New Orleans was more apt. The music was madly swinging with bass way on
top of the beat and wildly, ecstatically driving and busy, but still that
essential blues character. This was
swing and done hard. We were at Smiths
and the band was concocted from visiting players from Harry Connick's band that
was playing the next night at the Canberra Theatre, but this was a club and we
could hear these guys and see them close up and have a chat between sets. My joke was to bassist Neal 'Sugar' Caine
that I wouldn't shake his hand because it must be so strong. He'd been playing with huge strokes and
effort for loud notes and I guess it's from a history of playing jazz bass with
no amp (unamplified jazz bass is hard work) but maybe form mainly playing
gut. And there was his partner Jerry
Weldon, all slouched over his tenor, explosive and inventive but also dynamic
with quiet phrases ... occasionally.
These were the leaders and they introduced the members and tunes. The tunes were all standards and the style
was swing, often very hard, and the
energy was 110% although there was a ballad.
Jerry would largely manage the solos and swapped fours for local Andrew
Dickeson and to some degree for local resident Americans John Harkins and JC
Styles and he'd lead a few more fills from a few more horns from Connick's band
later in the night when they sat in for a few final tunes. A jam session expanding with fellow
internationals! Not a common Canberra
experience. All that with that explosive
energy that's the USA. I see it as an
element of desperation and love to hear it, although I'm wary of the winner
society that's partly its source. But it
makes for commitment and that energy is a feature. John Harkins was a bit more restrained
although could be quick and could be chromatic.
JC Styles was crispy sharp and lithe with clipped notes. The later visitors were Deon Tucker and Geoff
Burke, respectively trom and alto, comfy and busy in the end of night loss of
restraint. We were all smiles at this
stage, amused and amazed by the energy that can be unrestrained swing. Lucky and worthy local Flynn Marcus got a
very decent chorus in too. So this was
the night. There was a good degree of
milling around past midnight as the night ended and we exited Smiths. Oh, not West 4th or Frenchmen St but not far
off this night.
Jerry Weldon (tenor) and Neal 'Sugar' Caine (bass) led a
quintet with JC Stylles (guitar), John Harkins (piano) and Andrew Dickeson
(drums) and two sit-ins Deon Tucker (trombone) and Geoff Burke (alto) from
their Harry Connick Jnr band and local Flynn Marcus (tenor).
