Blame it on the pterodactyl.

I took some good photos of Don Weller and the rest of the group at The Red Lion on Monday but in a fit of tidying up I deleted them. Doh!

 I’m going to blame it on the pterodactyl. It wasn’t anything to do with not feeling well or being in a bad mood or going to bed far too late, let alone being an old idiot – it was the pterodactyl, really.

www.red-lion.info

Don Weller was in great form – I saw him a few months ago and he was a bit subdued after some major surgery, last night he was playing a series of his own compositions and fighting it out with the rest of the band.

In the third number and again second from last (they were keeping the numbers secret) he challenged John Donaldson – playing a phrase, then waiting for John to echo it which he did. Then again but more difficult and again, and again.

He did the same with Trevor Tomkins on the drums – he was up for it too.

Andrew Cleyndert was on bass and he, John Donaldson and Trevor Tomkins had a couple of spells as a quiet trio that took the roof off while you could hear a pin drop.

Strange people, jazz people.

This was another quartet, which I prefer. As a result it was half empty – next week its back to five and the pub will be packed out.

I suppose there was a good end to a grumpy day (until I hit the delete button) – I won fourth prize in the raffle – a Diana Krall CD that I would never have bought and now will have to listen to – always the best way to hear new music.

That Pterodactyl?

 

 It’s just appeared, in a corner. There you are, spending your days moulding dinosaur sculptures for the kiln, when suddenly the landlord of your local pub rings up; “It's an emergency, we’ve got an empty corner, you couldn’t help us out with something?” 

He sounded desperate; “Not too big, we don’t want a Tyrannosaurus Rex or anything silly like that, people would only laugh at us”.

“I know” said the artist thoughtfully; “I’ve got a small, rather restrained pterodactyl that would do just right there, I’ll drop it off for you”.

He smiled enigmatically;

“Of course, it’s always possible that ignorant people might mistake it for a griffin – but that's a chance we’ll have to take”.

Neil Harris

(a don’t stop till you drop production)

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