The Whitley Bay Carnival 2023 - May 28

A bank holiday weekend and for once the weather was fine. The Spanish City promenade looked a picture, the place a throng with day-trippers and locals alike 'taking the air', parading their beer bellies, tattoos, buggies and man's best friend. A fun fair, street entertainers, fast food stalls and music stages, the latter the main attraction. 

The scheduled appearance of Bradley Creswick's Western Swingfonia eluded your reviewer, perhaps there had been a last minute change. At noon the unmistakable Soznak took the Plaza Stage opposite the Spanish City. Paul Miskin and co launched into Horace Silver's Song for My Farther, later mixing it up with a selection of poptastic hits, Jude Murphy the band's start vocalist. Further along the prom in the Marquee Stage the beer was flowing as MSK opened their set. MSK? That's M for Martin (Martin Douglas), S for Steve (Steve Glendinning) and K for Katy (Katy Trigger). 

Guitarist Steve knows all the chords, Katy and Martin the groove merchants in the trio, we were listening to a set of, for want of a better term, 'jazz-rock', original material too!

Tynemouth Market beckoned, the search for the Buddy Bolden cylinder goes on...  Russell