(Review by Russell)
Sage One's
level one stalls and level two seats were sold out as Ray McVay's orchestra
took to the stage at fifteen hundred hours. A well-drilled unit, the personnel,
set list and choreography much the same as on previous sorties. Miller in
civvies, Miller in AAF uniform, this afternoon performance would stir memories
for many in the audience.
Hello
Gateshead! We were
off to a good start, veteran bandleader Ray McVay remembered where he
was. In the Mood to Flying Home to vocalist
Mark Porter's opening contribution - The Nearness of You - the
UK Miller band was well and truly airborne. Pennsylvania 6500 required
audience participation. Pennsylvania, six, five thousand couldn't
be that difficult, could it? Oh, yes it could! Half the audience missed its
cue, the other half managed a barely audible effort. The band stopped playing,
disgusted with this Gateshead effort. So disgusted the band walked off stage -
quite right, too! McVay stood there, all alone. Come on guys, come
back! Our bandleader joked the boys in the band were off to the bar.
Reluctantly they returned to the stage. Let's try again...Pennsylvania, six,
five thousand. That's better! It was, of course, a well-rehearsed joke and
everyone played along. Aye, those were the days!
Leeds
College of Music graduate Catherine Sykes joined the boys to sing As
Time Goes By - now yer talkin'! Bogart, Bergman and Dooley Wilson.
Bogie won the war, you know? Single handed...Time for the Swing Time Jivers to
jump-jive on Hot Toddy. McVay said he remembered when he could
do that. Aye, those were the days! These days McVay took every
opportunity to sit down and take a breather.
Simon
Meredith stepped out of the reeds to play a surprise soprano sax feature
- My Funny Valentine proved to be one of the highlights of the
afternoon. Drummer Bobby Cleall upped the tempo on Sing, Sing,
Sing to close an enjoyable first set. Twenty minutes break, no more,
any slackers would be put on jankers peeling spuds.
During the
interval binoculars were trained on Sage Gateshead's bustling concourse looking
out for bona fide jazzers. One solitary figure was spotted as a Tyneside jazz
scene regular - the Tottenham Hotspur supporter shall remain nameless. A
carrier pigeon was despatched to inform BSH High Command of the spotter's
findings.
Upon
resumption of hostilities Tommy Dorsey made a brief appearance with a cracking
take on Opus One. Our vocalists, now in military fatigues, returned
to the front keen to do their bit for the war effort. A Nightingale
Sang in Berkeley Square crooned Porter, All of Me sang
Sykes. Ms Sykes stayed on, above and beyond the call of duty, to sing Lullaby
of Broadway. Excellent, take a bow.
Ray
Wordsworth has been round the block a few times. Singing Minnie the Moocher held
few fears for the classy trombonist. Perhaps his effort emboldened trumpeter
Danny Hammerton as he stood in the spotlight to reprise Harry James'
chart-topping recording of You Made Me Love You. Excellent, award
the man a medal!
When Ray
McVay introduces Mark Porter's Sinatra medley (unfortunately it didn't feature
Sinatra's Columbia/Capitol years) you know the war, sorry, concert, is coming
to an end. The Swing Time Jivers returned one more time for an energetic
workout on Running Wild. McVay looked exhausted and he was
simply watching the jiving foursome. The Moonlight Serenaders serenaded Sage
Gateshead's nostalgia-fuelled audience with a beautifully paced Chattanooga
Choo Choo with McVay choosing to play Joy to the World as
an encore, perhaps forgetting Christmas had been and gone. One final number, as
always with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, 'til the next time - Adios.
Russell
Glenn
Miller Orchestra UK: Ray McVay (MD); Mark Porter (vocals); Catherine Sykes
(vocals); Andy Potts, Simon Meredith, Martin Dunsdon, Dan Faulkner, Loren
Hignell (reeds); Dave Ford, Alan Berlyn, Danny Hammerton, John Hinch
(trumpets); Dale Gibson Jnr., Ray Wordsworth, Bruce Douglas, Keith Hutton
(trombones); Bunny Thompson (piano); Paul Scott (double bass); Bobby Cleall
(drums)
Uptown
Hall Gang: Simon Meredith (clarinet); Alan Berlyn (trumpet); Ray Wordsworth
(trombone); Bunny Thompson (piano); Paul Scott (double bass); Bobby Cleall
(drums)
Moonlight
Serenaders: Ray Wordsworth, Catherine Sykes, Alan Berlyn, Dan Faulkner
Swing Time
Jivers: Jemma Gould, Vanessa Mayfield, Shangomula Edunjobi, ?
3 comments :
Looking at the photo, don't these guys know about the blackout?
Great review, sounded like a wonderful nostalgic show, you are so fortunate to have the Sage. Thanks Russell
As a tyneside jazz regular who supports Tottenham Hotspur I enjoyed the Glenn Miller concert, I like your joke about being spotted on the concourse at the interval, unless there is more than one Tottenham Hotspur supporter I was at the bar, just for the record the Middlesborough goal was offside, no VAR!
YOU KNOW WHO
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