Barry
Soulsby (clarinet & vocals), Paul Gowland (tenor saxophone), Lawrence
McBriarty (trombone), Brian Bennett (banjo & vocals), Bill Colledge (double
bass) & Fred Thompson (drums & vocals) + Teresa Armstrong (vocals),
Derek Fleck (clarinet) & Paul Thompson (drums.)
(Review by Russell).
The Crescent Club, for once,
wasn’t bursting at the seams. Tea and biscuits the popular order of the day
(regulars no doubt saving themselves for a bit of first-footing), a pint of
Northumberland Brewery’s Secret Kingdom the choice for some, Wednesday
residents the Vieux Carré Jazzmen took to the stand and appeared to be sober…it
was early days.
Fred Thompson sang All of Me. Moving on…’Just a minute!’ MC
Brian Bennett wasn’t about to let it pass…it was FT’s birthday! A chord from BB
and the room sang a mostly in tune Happy
Birthday. Barry Soulsby, back on the scene following an enforced absence,
sang Down Among the Sheltering Palms
and birthday boy Mr Thompson sang another – Making
Whoopee (solos from Paul Gowland, tenor and Lawrence McBriarty, trombone). Honeysuckle Rose, Exactly Like You and
Thompson singing Black and Blue (more
from Gowland and McBriarty), the Vieux Carré certainly know how to keep things
moving.
Bourbon St Parade (murmurs of approval from the audience for a
classic number) heard Soulsby singing again (and playing his usual fluent
clarinet). A bottle of Pinot Grigio sat on our table. Songstress Teresa
Armstrong won the raffle and had no hesitation in making it her selection from
the prizes on offer! And so it was TA’s turn to sing; I Can’t Stop Loving That Man of Mine with first rate tenor from
Gowland. McBriarty returned to the business of playing some serious jazz with a
rousing Dark Town Strutters Ball
(Soulsby vocals).
Mr Derek Fleck arrived, and with
a glass of red in hand, joined the band to play The Love Nest (some made the connection with a hit US
television show of yesteryear) highlighting the band’s ensemble work. Fleck
stayed on as FT sang Alexander’s Ragtime
Band. Mr T vacated the drum stool in
favour of Mr T. Fred joined the frontline to sing ‘ S Wonderful as Paul Thompson (son of) showed he had been well
schooled by Thompson Senior, the soloists across the horns impressing. The
Vieux Carré Jazzmen guarantee a good session. Catch them next at the Red House
Farm pub in Whitley
Bay
Talking of Graham Hardy…on
returning to Newcastle
late afternoon, a Winter Carnival crowd was gathering in big numbers at
Monument. The pre-fireworks music began with the Northern Monkey Brass Band.
GH’s band blazed a trail with familiar tunes and their ranks were peppered with
familiar faces – David G, Brendan M, Alistair L, Nik A. Horns and drums
bedecked with flashing lights, bowler hats with light bulbs attached, perfectly
normal attire and attachments for such an occasion. The turn-around was quick –
The Hardy Boys hadn’t quite left the stage as the Baghdaddies (Pauls S and S,
et al) were ready to go. Fireworks at midnight, the Toon, Party City
Russell.
1 comment :
Cheers, Russell!
Sorry I didn't get to chat to you, but at the end of the session when I went to seek you out you'd 'done a runner' - anyway, just to wish you (and Lance) all the very best for 2015.
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