Jazz In The Afternoon - Crescent Club, Cullercoats. July 11

(Review by Lance).

July = Wimbledon, The Tour de France and the Hong Kong invasion. Murray's won Wimbledon, Froome's looking good in Le Tour and the Hong Kong/Italian axis have conquered north east England!

As you will have gathered from the previous post, Blaydon happily surrendered and, this afternoon, Cullercoats too welcomed the invaders, The audience, many of whom, I'm sure, served in the Home Guard or the Land Army in the second (or was it the first?) World War, loved it. It may well have been the First World War as everyone seemed to know the words to It's a Long Way to Tipperary and Pack up Your Troubles in Your Old Kitbag  when Sarony and Broddle did their Flanagan and Allen routine.

The house quartet got things rolling with Lover Come Back to me followed by Acker Fleck playing Stranger on the Shore.

The Italian contingent of Pellini and Valussi and, our Man in Hong Kong - Colin Aitchison - took to the stage, disregarded the calendar, and played Sunday even though it was Monday proving that music is timeless. Colin took the vocal and played what can only be described as 'hot trumpet' Chet Baker's never darkened Colin's door although maybe the former Ellington trumpet man Harold Baker has. His dad would have liked to think so! 

Valussi we remembered from last year (as well as the hilarious account of his birthday earlier this year) and his Goodmanesque clarinet playing is outstanding for 364 days of the year. Pellini has a big big sound that reminded me of Ike Quebec. That full tone came to the fore again when Colin and Red took Lazy River to Wallsend and back.

John Broddle, the poor man's Bing Sinatra, threatened to See me in my dreams  but, instead, went Underneath the Arches with Sarony. Who said that 'vaudeville is dead?' it is now!

The delightful Teresa sang It had to be You. I thought she was singing to me but, after the raffle ticket she sold me turned out to be a dud, I realised she wasn't. Sometimes I'm Happy brought the set to a close and, although I didn't win the raffle, the kiss and the cuddle from Teresa made me feel as though I had!

Colin Aitchison, apart from his regular gig at Ned Kelly's in Kowloon, also has a radio show on RTHK - Vintage Chart Toppers. The first series has just finished but there is a second series in the offing and, guess what? yours truly has been interviewed! Watch this space...
Back on the stand drummer Rillands took the mic. Roy Gibson the keys and we had a whole lot of shakin' going on!
The ladies were letting it all hang out on the dance floor and I'm sure it was just coincidence that Red Pellini suddenly remembered he had to catch a flight back to Rome this very afternoon!
Miles Watson, he of the Jazz Esquires, sang and played The Darktown Strutters Ball - no politically correct protests made! He stayed on stage and Colin and he had a good old blast on one of those good old good ones they both excel on.
It was a great afternoon and, if I've concentrated too much on the guests, I Apologise. The house band were brilliant. Chester on piano, later, dusted off his trombone and blew some nice things. Smoother, more modern than is his norm.
Fleck matched his fellow reedmen whilst Rillands and Hallam were right there on the money.
If you do like to be beside the seaside then this is the place. Fish and Chips, Icecream and Kiss Me Quick hats outside and great music inside.
Photos.

Lance.
PS: The Kiss Me Quick Hats, I'm told, are now more explicit!
Derek Fleck (ten/clt); Brian Chester (pno/tmb); John Hallam (bs); Ollie Rillands (dms/vcl) + Colin Aitchison (tpt/vcl); Red Pellini (ten); Franco Valussi (clt); Neville Sarony (vcl); Miles Watson (tpt/vcl); Teresa Armstrong (vcl); Roy Gibson (pno); John Broddle (vcl).