(Review/Photos by Russell).
Easter Monday.
Cullercoats. A pint of Consett Brewery’s Last Tap…not quite. ‘It’s off,
finished’ said the barman pulling a lifeless hand-pull on the bar at
Cullercoats Crescent Club. Make it a pint of the Darwin Original. If it’s
Monday lunchtime it must be Cullercoats Crescent Club. For as long as Jazz in
the Afternoon regulars can remember it’s been this way. In the dark recesses of
BSH’s (fading!) memory bank, Jazz in the Afternoon first made a jazz sound at
the Wooden Doll pub perched high above North Shields Fish Quay. A change of
venue perhaps, the session retains that much sought after commodity…a full
house.
Prosaic as JITA
may be, nevertheless it does what it says on the tin - the one marked JAZZ. A
pint, or a coffee, a cheese toastie, what more could any jazz fan want? The
house band – Brian Chester (piano and trombone), Derek Fleck (clarinet and
tenor saxophone), John Carstairs Hallam (double bass) and Ollie Rillands
(drums and vocals) – played a few opening numbers before inviting a few friends
to join them. Just a Closer Walk with
Thee to start proceedings. Derek Fleck, comfortably seated/slumped in front
of the band, suggested it was an appropriate number considering the time of
year. During the afternoon Fleck made, for the most part, inaudible
announcements, content to blow some laid back tenor and clarinet.
First up to join
the boys was the redoubtable Mr Lawrence McBriarty – a man who likes a pint,
and a man who knows just about every tune in the book. Later McBriarty would be
joined by pianist Mr Brian Chester, making it two trombones – safe in numbers –
when welcoming the participation of a Cajun band. Your reviewer had been tipped
the wink. Cajun? Folkie-ish, squeezebox stuff, penny whistle, acoustic guitar,
lots of jigging about. If you think BSH’s reviewer travelled to Cullercoats to
be, er…’entertained’ by a bunch of…
Back to the
jazz…John Broddle sang I’ll See You in My
Dreams. Excellent, the highlight of the day! Another highlight, always a
highlight, the Queen of Cullercoats, Teresa Armstrong sang a couple of tunes – After You’ve Gone and Almost Like Being in Love. Trumpeter
Miles Watson got up to hide behind a pillar as the band played Baby Won’t You Please Come Home, Roy Gibson
took a spell. The wizard of the keyboards looked bemused – or was it amused? –
as he accompanied the Cajun boys. The man at the back, Mr John Carstairs
Hallam, took it all in his double bass stride. It should be noted that Ollie
Rillands’ Route 66 routine had ‘em up
dancing. One assumes the establishment has a valid licence for such goings on. Mr
Harry Stephenson was in the house, and, in due course, he got up to blow a mean
clarinet.
Jazz in the
Afternoon, every Monday afternoon, 1:00pm, free admission, do purchase a raffle
ticket
Russell.
Jazz in the
Afternoon: Brian Chester (keyboards & trombone), Derek Fleck (clarinet
& tenor), John Carstairs Hallam (double bass) & Ollie ’Route 66’
Rillands (drums & vocals) + guests – John Broddle (vocals), Teresa Armstrong
(vocals), Lawrence McBriarty (trombone), Miles Watson (trumpet), Roy Gibson
(keyboards), Harry Stephenson (clarinet) & the Cajun boys
I WAS THERE, I DID NOT SEE YOU!!RAYMOND NEWTON
ReplyDeleteRussell is our undercover reporter. Blends into the background - despite his check shirt - making notes, taking photos, giving us the lowdown on the goings-on at the coast.
ReplyDeleteHe could tell us more but the lawyers took out an injunction otherwise...