BSH interviews Mike Farmer (part five)

BSH: Many years ago, I stayed at a hotel in Rawtenstall and, as I was having dinner, I heard a tenor sax warming up. Turned out it was Don Rendell and there was a local jazz club in the adjoining room. Can you remember the place?

Mike: If it was opposite a railway station that may have been the Rhythm Station which was run by Denis Dundon who I saw at Morley Green Club when Greg Abate did the gig there with Dave Newton recently. Denis was also at the Railway when Greg played there with the Paul Hartley trio. I think Greg stayed at Denis Dundon’s place in Rawtenstall. The Rhythm Station featured many top jazz acts and I remember seeing Danny Moss there. Danny showed me his Link mouthpiece which was very small and I was impressed by the big sound he got. I saw Houston Person play there but I didn’t go there too often as at the time I worked nights at a hotel and had a rather unreliable car and was also short of money. I’ve been trying to find more info about the Rhythm Station but without success.

BSH: I've since discovered via the March 1964 issue of Crescendo that the venue in Rawtenstall was the Queens Hotel and Thursday night gigs were organised by trumpet man Bob Price. As well as the Don Rendell Quintet the Gary Cox Quintet also appeared there. The resident band included Price, Harold Salisbury (tenor), Alan Thacker (piano) and Ian Taylor (bass).

Mike: I’ve not heard of the Queens Hotel in Rawtenstall and I’ve not come across trumpeter Bob Price or pianist Alan Thacker. However, Harold Salisbury used to play at the Black Lion, Salford on tenor in a sextet that can be seen in Bill Birch’s  book on page 220 and Ian Taylor is also pictured. Taylor sometimes did gigs at the Club 43 and was an excellent bass player. Salisbury later switched to alto sax and I think he may be still active around the Preston area. He had a quartet that I booked once which was a sort of fusion outfit that he called Free Parking which achieved some success.  Crescendo mag I used to buy along with Downbeat, Jazz Journal, Jazz Monthly and the Wire. I’m off to the Railway now so I’ll ask around and see if anyone remembers this venue. I have a feeling Denis Dundon may have some info and I will try and contact him.

Part one. Part two. Part three. Part four.