Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone - May 25

Brian Bennett (banjo & vocals), Bob Wade (trumpet), Laurence McBriarty (trombone), Bill Colledge (bass) & Fred Thompson (drums & vocals)

(Review by Russell)

The Vieux Carré Jazzmen’s regular Thursday lunchtime session in Holystone sees the band set up at one end of the bar, the band’s regular supporters occupying front rows seats, and the seen-and-heard-it-all-before veterans sitting in the cheap seats with a pint of Deuchar’s. The Holystone pub’s lunchtime trade devours generous-sized portions of food from its busy kitchen…the jazz comes as a free-of-charge side platter. 

On a blue sky day a local business elected to hold a staff meeting in the Holystone’s beer garden… someone’s got to do it! 

Discussions on balance sheets and KPIs were soon forgotten as the Buddy Bolden Blues caught their ear. Canal Street Blues, Christopher Columbus, Bourbon Street Parade, the Vieux Carré were in fine form; principal vocalist Fred Thompson, recent recruit Bob Wade with his Bixian look blowing muted and open horn alongside the band’s evergreen Laurence McBriarty.

The beer garden staff meeting contributed to the interval raffle (there was much blue sky drinking if  not blue sky thinking), the band topped-up their tans, and before long bandleader Brain Bennett set about rounding-up the ‘gentlemen of the orchestra’ to play a second set. Up a Lazy River (the lazily crooned vocals fitting on such a blue sky drinking day), On the Sunny Side of the Street (no shade) and a frantic Runnin’ Wild entertained up ’til three o’clock when Bennett sent us on our way as he’s done for many a year with a chorus of Goin’ Home.   Russell.