Maine Street Jazzmen @ Rosie's (Rosie Malone's, South Shields.)

Olive Rudd (vcl), Herbie Hudson (tmb/hca/vcl), Jim McBriarty (clt), Malcolm Armstrong (pno), Alan Rudd (bs), Mike Humble (dms).

Last week, Ray Harley was blowing as though there was no tomorrow and it turns out there wasn't - he's now returned to the Iberian peninsula! 

It took a while to adjust to the ensembles without his rumbustious lead however, Herbie compensated well on trombone, harmonica and vocal.

Talking vocal, Olive put me well and truly in my place by opening up her songbook and extracting Blue and Brokenhearted, Blue Skies and Mean to Me. All sung in her inimitable style - nothing predictable this week! Later, Meet Me Tonight in Dreamland and a rousing Bourbon Street Parade to finish.

Throughout, Jim blew fine clarinet and Malcolm had some powerful solos. Alan underpinned the whole shebang aided and abetted by some imaginative percussiveness from Mike Humble on drums.

There is an atmosphere in Rosie's you don't get anywhere else - I half expect George Raft to come in wearing spats and flicking a silver dollar in the air.

Lance.