Mississippi Dreamboats @ Great Exhibition of the North, Blackett Street, Newcastle - July 21

Liz Bacon (clarinet); Jeff Milner (trombone); Richard Speight (banjo, vocals); Ray Newton (double bass); Paul Bacon (drums)

(Review by Russell)

It's been one of those days...a lunchtime trip on the Metro to Regent Centre, then a short walk into Gosforth to listen to a local country blues guitarist only to discover the event wasn't due to start until late afternoon. What to do?

Walk along the Great North Road on to Gosforth High Street to resume the life-long search (rummaging in second-hand shops) for that recording by Buddy Bolden that no one believes was ever made. No luck, some other day. A bus into town, the latest issue of Jazzwise is out and, after a lengthy hiatus, WH Smith has resumed stocking Downbeat (the July issue is on the newsstand).  

The Great Exhibition of the North is around every street corner and on Blackett Street, there is a weekends-only transformation of the usually busy bus route. Traffic banished, re-routed around the city centre, the road surface is covered in artificial turf with table tennis tables and deck chairs set out for use by one and all. 

Entertainment is provided and this afternoon the Mississippi Dreamboats turned up, parking themselves at a bus stop. If they were waiting for the 39 bus they would have a long wait as the bus stop is out of use until Monday! Strike up the band! On the Sunny Side of the Street, was anyone listening? They were! A smattering of applause greeted the five-piece band's efforts. Wannabee table tennis players fired balls, inadvertently, of course, at the Bacons - that's Liz (clarinet) and Paul (drums). Baby Face... you've got the cutest...yes, babies and toddlers were running around having fun/annoying people (delete as appropriate), and that was about it for the day, save for I Scream, You Scream, oh, let's go and get an ice cream.  

Russell