Gavin Lee (clarinet, alto sax); Alf
Langthorne (keyboards); Les Crosby (drums)
(Review by Russell)
The other day Shotton Colliery lad
Gavin Lee found in the loft an old bass drum that he used to play as a member
of the late Reg Wall's New Orleans Ragtime Band. This stirred Lee into thinking
perhaps it was about time he played a gig on home turf. By accident or design,
the gig would follow on from Sunderland's big day out at Wembley - it would
take the form of a celebration or a wake...
The television set switched off with
tears not yet dry, Lee opened the first of two sets with Who's Sorry
Now? Wry smiles all round, there's always next season to look forward
to. The amiable Lee set about cheering up his marras, seemingly just about
everyone in a packed Officials Club appeared to know the New Century Ragtime
Orchestra's reedsman. Here's one from the hit parade, quipped
Lee...from the 30s, All of Me.
Lee's 'marras' on this Sunday afternoon
gig were veteran pianist Alf Langthorne and Soul Rebels' drummer Les
Crosby. Georgia nice and mellow with Lee on alto, our
bandleader moved on swiftly with one of trombonist Reg Wall's favourite tunes,
the up-tempo Night Train - feet tapping, life wasn't so bad
after all, SAFC will come again. It Had to be You with Lee
back on the liquorice stick closed an enjoyable first set.
Time for another bottle of Brown. A
bit crack with local lass Emma Fisk and a local poet who knows his Dankworth
from his Tubbs, the Officials Club, with its top of the range snooker table,
couldn't have been more welcoming, not least with a post-match 'spread' laid on
for one and all.
Second set, Lee contended It's
a Sin to Tell a Lie...perhaps. It can't have happened too many times when
Pete Fountain gets a mention on a Sunday afternoon in yer local social club.
Good on Lee to remember his fellow clarinetist by playing Midnight
Boogie which prompted a club old-timer to stomp away to his heart's
content! The popular Lee acceded to a request for the even more popular Stranger
on the Shore. A nod, a wink, this is what the people voted for! Our trio
kept the audience onside with a mention of Patsy Cline - little did the crowded
room know Lee was coming from the Dukes of Dixieland rather than the one-time
country and western megastar.
If I Had You ventured Lee, his
bandmates Langthorne and Crosby more than happy to oblige as a marra enquired
of Lee: Gavin, do ye play the moothie? Moving swiftly on the
main man suggested Shine - a good choice. As Lee wound up the
set he once more introduced Messrs Langthorne and Crosby, suggesting if a
representative of HMRC was in the house, his name was Engelbert Stinklebum. And
on that note this Reg Wall-inspired gig went out on Bye Bye Blues.
Such was the applause Stinklebum and co played another one - Some of
These Days. One of these days SAFC will do it, now that will be
some party!
Russell
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