The Mouth of the Tyne Festival maybe isn't Glastonbury, Newport, Gateshead or wherever but, on a hot summer's day in Tynemouth, it's unbeatable. No big jazz names although there were big hitters from other genres over in the ruins of Tynemouth Castle but, we didn't care, we were here for the jazz and we got it! I missed Alter Ego but, I'm told, they blew up a storm. I only caught part of the set by Classic Swing but they too were on form.
We've got a lot of great jazz singers in the northeast and yet, Olive Rudd isn't always on the list. She is now!
I caught Tin Roof Blues, 'S Wonderful and Tuxedo Junction. If you know anyone who can sing them better let me know, bearing in mind that Ella Fitzgerald is no longer with us.
The sun was beating down and Tommy Graham was in Caravan mode. I needed refreshment so, just as Tommy was setting off across the Sahara I sought an oasis. A pint of Abbot Ale, decanted into a plastic container at the Turk's Head did the trick and I returned just as Tommy was kicking sand in the faces of all and sundry. Nice one Tommy. Bob Wade, solid in swing era mode. Harry, Ziggy, Bunny, Cootie and Teddy (Teddy Langston a great but, sadly, long forgotten local trumpet player). Jim McBriarty blew tenor and clarinet and Don Fairley gave the dogs a bone to savour. At the back, Alan Rudd kept it all together and Colin Haikney tinkled the ivories as only he can.
Normally, it's 10 degrees cooler on the coast than it is inland. Not today!
Lickety Split, on a day like today, are well named and the icecream outlets were doing the business as folks melted in the heat.
The Turk's had run out of Abbot Ale so I had to make do with a Tyneside Blonde of which there were many although not all in glasses and more than one, I'm sure, achieved their allure via a bottle.
The Lickety Split set was a stormer. The West Coast sound here on the East Coast 'cept the cool guys in California rarely generated the heat that Paul Gowland; Alan Marshall; Eddie Bellis and Callum Mellis did. Bear in mind that Callum was depping for Kevin Eland and you get an idea of the magnitude facing the young man. He scored.
In the engine room, the ever-present Alan Rudd and Paul Wight kept the machine well fuelled and the summery attired Brad Johnston floated comfortably ' twixt front line and back line.
Finally, The Riviera Quartet rounded the afternoon's jazz off. Pete Tanton on trumpet, flugel and threatened vocals; John Pope on bass; Joel McCullough guitar, and Russ Morgan on drums combined to make this one perfect Jazz on a Summer's Day.
Lance.
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