Sand, sea, sun and…jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club - June 25

(Review by Russell)

Jazz in the Afternoon is what it says on the tin and that is exactly what you get at one o’clock week in week out on a Monday afternoon at the seafront Cullercoats Crescent Club. Something you don’t get too often is Mediterranean weather, but on this occasion, a heatwave enveloped the northeast coast; surfers, sun worshippers, swimmers...where do they all come from?

The Crescent Club’s bar was jam-packed. Cask beers, keg beers (boo!), wine, soft drinks, a cheese toastie, oh, and a real treat, a pint of Guinness. The band of regulars - Messrs H Hudson, B Chester,    J Carstairs Hallam and O Rillands - was in attendance, joined this week by trumpeter Ray Harley. In due course, the sitters-in would materialise but to start proceedings the Jazz in the Afternoon quintet pleaded Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone. No time for talking as JITA front man Herbie Hudson cautioned us about Careless Love.

Thoughts of sand, sea, sun and whatever encouraged our first guest - John Broddle - to take delight at the prospect of Makin’ Whoopie. The ever-young Teresa Armstrong sang September in the Rain - it may well rain in September but for now the sun shone on our Cullercoats Songstress. TA knows a tune or two and threw this one at the boys…Trust in Me. A tune from the late 30s, first popularised by Mildred Bailey, the band’s anchor, bass player Mr John Carstairs Hallam, later confided that it was a new one to him.

Miles Watson was in the house. Called to the stand following Ray Harley’s early departure, Watson sang That’s My Desire from 1931 before delving further back in time to sing Somebody Stole My Gal (1918). Sitting quietly to one side was the redoubtable Doris Fenn, banjo, playing all the chords, all at the right time. The boys at the back – Brian Chester, piano, later joining Hudson to form a two ‘bones attack flanking trumpeter Watson – and drummer Ollie Rillands did the business as usual.

Herbie Hudson wished he could shimmy like Sister Kate and as the afternoon‘s entertainment drew to a close Miles Watson dug up a number from 1909, no less, suggesting someone should Meet Me in Dreamland Tonight. You can but dream.  

Russell.                              

Ray Harley (trumpet); Herbie Hudson (trombone, harmonica, vocals); Brian Chester (piano, trombone); John Carstairs Hallam (double bass); Ollie Rillands (drums) + Doris Fenn (banjo); John Broddle (vocals); Teresa Armstrong (vocals); Miles Watson (trumpet, vocals).