Weather better than fine, Metro running to timetable, it was a day to while away doing nothing much. A trip to the seaside, an unexpected 'find' and a couple of busking pitches occupied by diverse talents, it was to be an enjoyable day out. 
Tynemouth Station's weekend market was doing good business, traders and customers alike habitually practicing the art of social distancing. One of the market's second hand record stalls attracted a certain type - AOR tour t-shirt-wearing types clutching bundles of vinyl albums. A solitary box marked 'JAZZ/BLUES' simply had to be investigated. Some nice items in the price range of £15 to £30 and something for a fiver...Ray Bryant and his Combo 'Dancing the Big Twist'. Cover in reasonable nick, the LP similarly okay. The line-up included one or two Basie sidemen - Joe Newman, Harry Edison, Buddy Tate plus Ray Barretto and Mickey Roker. A fiver, thank you very much.
Wandering along a socially distanced seafront to Cullercoats, a coffee in Cullercoats Coffee, a peek at a forlorn looking, yet-to-reopen Crescent Club (the twice weekly jazz sessions will resume at some point!), then time to head back into town.
Arriving back at Monument, Newcastle city centre couldn't have been busier, socially distanced, of course. Who's that? A brass funk sound emanated across from Grey's Monument. Ah! That looks like...yes, Tom Dixon blowing tenor, amd that's Ben Fitzgerald on the kit. Tuba? Trumpet? Answers (not on a postcard) to BSH. Up Northumberland Street to Haymarket. We know who that is...Ojay came into view. Playing six-strimg bass, looping sounds, delays, fx, a shop door Covid-compliant supervisor remarked: I could listen to this guy all day. Yeah, nice work if you can get it.
Russell
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