Newcastle is a party city and never more so than on a Saturday night. There were probably more revellers per square yard than you'd likely find on Sauchiehall Street on New Year's Eve.
The pubs and bars were overflowing and spreading out on to the city centre. It was like Mardi Gras on Bourbon Street. All that was missing was the music. Well not quite ... From the Prohibition Bar on the corner of Pink Lane and Forth could be heard the polyphonic weaving of clarinet and trombone calling the children home.
The Mississippi Dreamboats were in town and, even without cornet man Gwyn Lewis who was indisposed, the authenticity of the music couldn't be questioned.
Paul Barbarin and Paul Bacon share more than the same initials they also share/shared a love and a feeling for the music that emerged in Storyville. By coincidence, many years ago, Pink Lane and Storyville had more than music in common.
The first set stomped off with Darktown Strutters' Ball. Some of the strutters left and some stayed. I think the ones who stayed were in the majority although not by a landslide. Jim Blenkin took the vocal, as he did on most of the tunes. In between he blew Kid Ory inspired tailgate trombone. Liz Bacon's clarinet playing was as delightful as ever. I often get the impression that the journey from Basin Street to 52nd Street wouldn't be too big a jump for her.
Sarah Thatcher provided the harmonic foundation on banjo and tenor guitar with, Kennedy, a recent acquisition on bass, rounding things off nicely.
Circumstances decreed that I missed the second set but, nevertheless, it had been enjoyable. From Stephen Foster to Tony Bennett who could ask for anything more? Lance
Darktown Strutters' Ball (v); Old Fashioned Love (v); Smiles (v); In Apple Blossom Time; Moose March; Way Down Upon the Swannee River (v); Highways Are Happy Days (v); Savoy Blues; Because of You (v)
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