A first visit to the Morden Arms in Greenwich to catch Sarah Spencer's Sugarfoot Strut. Listed in CAMRA's Good Beer Guide as 'Unpretentious, without an external pub sign or even name', the Morden Arms is just that, a proper old boozer. Walking through the door fifteen minutes before the one o'clock start, the regulars didn't look round and the piano player didn't stop playing (actually, there wasn't one - pianist or piano!). A pint of the local Brockley Brewery's Pale Ale, a vacant bar stool to sit on, we were ready to go.
As one o'clock struck there was no sign of Sarah Spencer. It transpired Sugarfoot Strut's bandleader was visiting Disneyland, possibly Disney World, one or other. Spencer or no Spencer, in time honoured fashion, the show went on. Back Home in Indiana for starters, regulation Dixieland. All of Me (trumpet and vocals), Satin Doll (keyboard a touch loud), the seven-piece outfit found itself playing to a full house. A punter confirmed the Morden Arms is always busy on a Thursday afternoon. Darktown Strutters' Ball, On the Sunny Side of the Street (an alto sax feature for John O'Neill), lots of Dixie. A full house, happy punters, you couldn't knock it.
The interval. Raffle MC Terry 'The Hat' began to tell a string of one liners. A punter leaned over: You don't want to hear these, mate. They're terrible! Terrible or not, our man did get a laugh or two. Second set. The frontline - trumpet, alto sax and trombone - had been round the block a couple of times and picked up where they left off, supported by keyboards, a banjo-playing guitarist, baritone sax/five-string bass guitarist and a regulation Dixieland drummer. Canal Street Blues and a whole lot more, then the outer, a rousing C Jam Blues. And that was the Morden Arms. Russell
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