Just about everyone, myself included, who had a degree of competency passed through the Newcastle Big Band. The Sunday lunchtime sessions that were held in what was then The University Theatre, have become a part of Newcastle's jazz folklore.
At the helm was Andy Hudson whose memories and subsequent escapades have been well documented within these pages. Suffice to say that he opened doors to a lot of people who became better players and non-musicians who, overnight, became jazz fans.
Tonight, those of us who survived having to play Beefeaters at every gig met up at a pub in Jesmond and it was one of those occasions where the tape should have been rolling to capture all the stories and the memories that were recounted.
San Sebastian, Pau, Seaham Harbour - this band was truly international! I mention Seaham Harbour as, for some reason or other Jacky Denton didn't make that particular gig in a local community centre so we played without a drummer. Imagine, a band playing Basie, Herman, Quincy Jones without a drummer!
The late Trevor Johnson was on the gig and I bumped into him a couple of weeks later and remarked that I hadn't seen him since Seaham Harbour. Trevor's dry sense of humour came through: "Seaham Harbour? It was more like Pearl Harbour without the bombs!"
Sadly, like Trevor, so many NBB alumni have now left us: Charlie Carmichael; Nigel Stanger; John Pearce; Alf Parker; Don Eddy; Mike Gilby; Ronnie Pearson; Bill Shaw; Marshall Walker; Jacky Denton; Bob King; Ronnie McLean; Graham Shepherd; Bobby Carr etc. etc.
Still it was good to meet up again - for many of us it was the moment of our musical lives. If I had any grandkids I'd be telling them that Sting was in the band but, who knows? Maybe he's telling his grandkids that BSH's Lance was in the band - we can dream...
Lance
Lance
In the photo, taken by the former supremo of Impulse Studios Dave Wood, are (l-r) Brian Chester (trombone); Laurie Rangecroft (tenor sax); Germaine Stanger (vocals); Andy Hudson (piano etc.); Lance Liddle (tenor sax); John Hedley (guitar). Down front is Cormack Loane (alto sax) - probably still the youngest living member!
3 comments :
That band must have been good - I used to drag myself out of bed on a Sunday morning to drive up to the University Theatre to see the show. Actually the band could be distinctly ropey in places (a lot of not-quite-sight-reading going on), but that didn't matter a damn, because it was the embodiment of "joie de vive": happy, hilarious, loud, exciting, and presided over by the ebullient Andy Hudson, who occasionally legged it from in front of the band to play a piano solo on "The Kid From Redbank". Some great musicians, many of whom went on to great or even greater things, but perhaps Andy Hudson should be singled out for the work he went on to do promoting Jazz - not just the big names he's better-known for, but the steady work he gave to us local musicians during his time running the Newcastle Jazz Festival, and other gigs. Happy days!
Hi I'm Stephen Carmichael, Charlie Carmichael's son. I'm trying to get in touch with my father's band colleagues. I have his instruments and obviously the Newcastle Big Band album. Would love for some of his band colleagues to get in touch and help me find out more of his and their lives.
Kind regards Stephen
For those interested in "the early days," both Nigel Stanger and Gordon Sumner of Newcastle Big Band were session players on a recording that David Wood (of Impulse Sound Studios) produced in 1975. David kept it hidden for FIFTY YEARS, until 2 months ago, when he OFFICIALLY RELEASED the song (called "Put on Your Wings and Fly") on limited edition, numbered, colour vinyl. Only 325 copies made! I'm helping David reach interested fans... Ask me if you'd like more details!
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