Paul Bacon (drums), Liz Bacon (clarinet), Jeff Milner
(trombone & vocals), Sarah Thatcher (banjo & guitar), Mike ‘Spike’
Kennedy (double bass) & Emily Bacon (vocals)
Review by Russell).
Bank holiday Monday at the end of May means one
thing…it’s the Bell and Bucket New Orleans Jazz Festival! This 2015 festival,
the second of hopefully many more to come in years to come, mimicked last
year’s inaugural event; a two day event, a one o’clock start with invited
guests from around the UK and the support of the weekly Monday session’s
regulars.
The Bacons – Paul and Liz – are dedicated
practitioners of the music of New Orleans. In a nice touch they invited
daughter Emily to return to Tyneside to sing at this year’s event. Ms Bacon lives
in Bangor, Wales. Sarah Thatcher (banjo and guitar) lives in Newport (in Wales,
not Rhode Island), making for a one-third Welsh-based contingent on the stand.
A fifty-fifty split in genders made for an unusually healthy number of female
musicians in a world all-to-frequently dominated by BOFs (of the male variety).
Trombonist Jeff Milner returned following his well-received appearance at last
year’s festival and Spike Kennedy (bass) was making his debut at the Norfolk
Street festival.
Emily Bacon wasted no time getting up to sing In a Sentimental Mood and, iPhone at the
ready (a lyrics’ download, you know), You
Are My Sunshine. Mr Milner showed he could sing as well as play trombone on
Love Letters in the Sand. Liz Bacon
(clarinet) and Emily Bacon teamed up on Crazy
and Emily stayed on to sing everyone’s favourite – All of Me.
Festival interval raffle prizes were many – bottles of
plonk and various Bacon/Mississippi Dreamboats’ CD releases to choose from.
Cullercoats Brewery dominated the bar (no bad thing) and the sun shone, what
more could one ask for on a holiday weekend?
Second set. One or two (welcome) later comers boosted
numbers. A Ducal treat – Creole Love Call
and Mood Indigo (the latter
featuring Emily’s vocals) – ensured that day one of this year’s festival got
the thumbs-up from all present. Sarah Thatcher’s musicianship got the thumbs-up
from your reviewer, as did her rhythm partner Spike Kennedy.
Day two (Tuesday) features three of the north east’s
finest; Mr Mac Rae (on this occasion on clarinet), trombonist Laurence
McBriarty (to quote Paul Bacon: He can
play anything) and pianist Dick Straughn. Sarah Thatcher and Mike Kennedy
are staying over. They are well-worth catching. One o’clock start and it’s free
admission.
Russell.
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