Maureen Hall (vocals); Gavin Lee (clarinet, alto sax); Don Fairley (trombone); Malcolm Armstrong (keyboards); John Robinson (double bass); George Davidson (drums, vocals)
(Review by Russell).
Spanish City, once neglected, has been restored to its former glory. A familiar landmark on Whitley Bay seafront for more than a century, the striking architectural structure officially reopened to the public today. Over the weekend its doors opened to a curious public eager to take a look inside. They queued in their hundreds, possibly thousands, and no one could be other than impressed with the lovingly renovated building.
The sun shone, a fun fair on Whitley Bay Links did good business and the food and drink outlets - coffee shops, fish and chip shops, pubs and restaurants - were doing a roaring trade. Ice cream, anyone?
Outside Spanish City, a back-of-a-lorry stage presented jazz on Saturday afternoon and again on Sunday. Early Sunday (11:00am) Maureen Hall's Rendezvous Jazz entertained a large crowd baking under a scorching sun. Weary Blues featured Gavin Lee's superb clarinet playing, bandleader Hall herself sang Birth of the Blues accompanied by a fine Don Fairley trombone solo.
Dixie is right up Rendezvous Jazz's street and an instrumental feature - Waiting for the Robert E Lee - made the connection with North Tyneside's Confederate platoon. N'Awlins' brolly dollies responded to Hall's call to parade down South Rampart Street and with the never-ending glorious weather it wasn't such a stretch to imagine Whitley Bay being twinned with the Crescent City.
Russell.
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