A bit of context - at school in Yorkshire in the early 1960s, I started a trad band (2 of the players were teachers) and most of the rest were not improvisers but learned by rote the licks and solos that I prepped for them on manuscript. Then in ’65, arriving in Newcastle to study Chemistry at the University, I started a swing band and also via the Uni Jazz Society put on a few concerts.
This led to a commercial
interest in jazz (an odd combination really and seldom seen ie “commercial” and “jazz”
in the same sentence).
Older readers of BSH may
be aware of some of these earlier efforts….The Newcastle Big Band (’69 -’77)
and the Newcastle Jazz Festival.
Taking the latter first,
I staged a number of events, taking the personal risk (and losing money)-
arresting the usual suspects - the Balls, Barbers, Bilks, Mellys and
Scotts - and eventually adding
Skidmore, Surman, Taylor, Winstone, Rendell, Garrick, Tracey and fresher, more
experimental names, via a small grant from
the forward looking City Councilman the late Hughie White and the Newcastle
Jazz Festival became a runner. When I departed in late 1978 to head South it
was left in the capable hands of Jazz North East (At that time Alex Roberts, Chris
Yates and Margaret Barnes all, sadly, no longer with us however, the
organisation is still going strong).
Turning to the Big Band
and particularly those Sunday lunchtime sessions - It pleases me that on my
occasional trips to Newcastle, how they are fondly remembered by so many. The
pool of players was about 30 at its peak, of mixed ability and local fame. We
knew that some of us were not the best players, but I contend we were by far
the best entertainers. Those sessions were packed with fun humour and running
gags and I realised that if players seem to be enjoying themselves then this
transfers across the footlights (or in the case of the University Theatre bar
the two inches between the Sax section and the punters). That bar, currently
licenced for 80 persons, to my certain knowledge on one occasion had an
audience of 700 - judging from the receipts.
At the risk of
retrospective HMRC tax action I have asked Lance to publish here an extract from the accounts that I sent him
some years ago (see graphic) – which will also show him earning as much as Sting – a situation he hopes will be restored again
soon!
That mention of crossing
the footlights has been a niggling critique of mine for years. In the following
weeks I will try and share some experiences with you of working with the
greats, BB King, Ray Charles, Miles, Brubeck, Shearing, Ella, Sarah V, Herbie H,
Blakey etc…
Something they all shared
was the ability to PUT ON A SHOW as well as showing their own individual
creative genius. Far too often, there is an introspection among more contemporary
players that is either apologetic or subscribes to the Van Morrison -
couldn’t-give-a-toss school of presentation.
3 comments :
Happy days, Andy! I think I learned a lot about performing ro an audience from those University Theatre sessions with you leaping up from the piano stool and bounding around in that tiny space between the punters and the band, including the audience in the joyous experience of live jazz. I remember most of the band, and I'm astonished at how good it was when you consider that several of them read music worse than me! Many thanks are also due to you for including me and my band in supporting roles in several Newcastle Jazz Festivals. I got to hear, and sometimes play beside or in support of some legendary figures, and to see many more that you booked, including Bud Freeman, Benny Carter, Dexter Gordon, Ralph Sutton, George Melly...... You also organised a £200 grant from Northern Arts (I think) for the Savannah Syncopators to transcribe (well, Kevin Elliott did it) and perform Duke Ellington's first extended composition "Creole Rhapsody" in 1978. I'm looking forward to further installments!
THis reminds me of what a friend told me about the Newcastle Jazz festival. He'd better be name;ss and he lives away now. He was involved in the organisation and had to arrange menus. so he put on a pork salad. Guess what? He'd forgotten one vital fact - the jazz musician who the meal was meant for was Jewish!
I came up in 1975 to run the Science & Engineering museums in Tyne and Wear. It was a short step from the old Museum in Exhibition Park to the Union so I got to experience the Newcastle Big Band for a few years and eventually play with some of them. A few characters, definitely!
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