It is Friday but what a thursday night!

Last night at Brugundy's Wine Bar, we were all looking forward to another great night with the Les Bull Jazz Band but there were a few surprises ahead! Firstly it was without Les - there were lots of comments like he is in the Med on a SAGA cruise!! He is a the lead and trumpet player so it was an experiment to lead with soprano sax to create the Sidney Bechet sound. We felt that we were at the beginning of a new jazz sound. So I decided to sketch the front 3 - Steve Andrews on soprano sax & clarinet, Harold Salmesbury also on clarinet & sax and Mathew Woodhouse on trombone. Having done a pencil drawing in the first half, I set to paint in the second half. But then this lady comes to the front with a brilliantly shaped hat and striking dress and oozing character and presence. What a sketching opportunity that made my brushes quiver!! But so much more than that - she was the iconic Kim Weston, soul/jazz singer from Detroit who famously recorded "It Takes Two" with Marvin Gaye in 1966. Now 72 she was about to sing in this small jazz venue in Kendal. The air was electric and this was a 3 min sketch to try and capture the mood. Wow!!