Bird Lives @ Rosie's

Ray Harley (tpt), Herbie Hudson (tmb/hca/vcl), Jim McBriarty (clt), Malcolm Armstrong (pno), Alan Rudd (dms), Tommy Graham (dms), Olive Rudd (vcl). + Mike Bird (clt).

There are few better sounds in the whole of jazz than the out chorus to South Rampart Street Parade. You may sneer and wonder if a confessed modernist like myself has gone salt peanuts but no I just love that grand finale of the old Bob Crosby Band.

I'm pleased to say the 3 man frontline of the Maine Street Jazzmen managed to re-create that sound admirably - nice one.

There were of course other delights in the form of Mike Bird from Wakefield sitting in on clarinet for a few numbers.

China Boy, I'm Confessin', Royal Garden Blues and a skiffly type thing that escapes my memory.

He's a good player. In his solo on Olive's vocal on I Double Dare You he executed a patterned phrase that came off really well.

Not that Mike was the only clarinet player on a roll. Jim McBriarty too blew some good stuff as did Herbie on his various instruments and Ray Harley on his various trumpets. At one stage Malcolm Armstrong slipped into an almost Bach-like solo before reverting to his trademark barrelhouse mode.

Tommy and Alan as ever...

An enjoyable afternoon's entertainment.

Photos.

Lance