Once upon a time, possibly around about 1960 there was a pub in Jarrow - The Forge and Hammer which, like so many pubs, is now long gone although the pub opposite, The Albion, is still braving the elements.
This story begins, as good mystery stories do, on a dark and stormy night. The late Jimmy McDowell and myself had ventured forth, braving the elements, knowing that local pianist, the late Ray Tones, would be doing his Erroll Garner impressions in the boozer.
Back then, the River Tyne seemed to have a shipyard on every corner and, as such, also played host to famous cruise liners that popped in for an MOT or whatever it is that cruise liners pop in for.
One of those boats was The Queen of Bermuda who worked the Hamilton, Bermuda, - New York run.
This particular night some of the crew wandered in. One had a tenor sax, another, a trumpet, maybe there was a guitar, time dims the memory. However, the memory that time hadn't dimmed was the tenor player.
I think he was Jamaican, but possibly he wasn't, I didn't care if he was from Planet Mars all I could do was allow my jaw to drop and, not just to allow the ale to flow freely, but to take in what I was hearing.
The trumpet player was good, as was the guitarist and the guy who sang the blues - even Tones played at a level he'd maybe never ever top again but it was the tenor player who picked up the Havanas. I wish I'd gotten his name - maybe he went on to record for Blue Note or maybe he just died at sea.
I've often wondered if, somewhere, there is an archive listing the names of the musicians who worked on The Queen of Bermuda. Of course, maybe he was the ship's cook and just played jazz as a hobby. Either way he sure could cook!
Lance
Let's here about your jazz encounters. Tell us about those musicians you heard in a bar or busking on the street that you never heard of again - who knows...
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