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

Olive Rudd (vcl), Herbie Hudson (tmb), Jim McBriarty (clt), Steve Whitfield (pno), Alan Rudd )bs), Mike Humble (dms).

Steve Whitfield depped for Malcolm Armstrong and played some great piano. Less barrelhouse than Malcolm, Steve is a more contemporary player yet still fitted in with the Maine Street Gang.

A surprising choice today was Masquerade played by Herbie on harmonica - it sounded good drawing out the melancholic feel rather like the wail  of a wah wah trumpet mute in the hands of Cootie Williams.

Olive worked out on Just Friends, Blue Skies, I Got Rhythm and an opening number the title of which escapes me. A standard yet one I can't recall hearing before. It was an appealing start. Olive has since informed me it is called Says My Heart. Burton Lane/Frank Loesser the composers.

Pleasant afternoon in congenial company.

Lance.