The heir to the Deuchar brewing dynasty, the young banjo player distanced himself from the business although not necessarily from its products.
Harper provides an almost note by note account of those early days at the old New Orleans Club in Newcastle's Melbourne St., the formation of the still ongoing Vieux Carré Jazzmen, the Professors of Jazz (a band that included a young John McLaughlin), Deuchar's early dabble with cycle racing and much more.
Apart from McLaughlin there are many other familiar names from the north east trad scene including local legends such as John Saxelby, Clem Avery, Jimmy Stewart, Jack Goodwin, the Panama Jazzmen (whom Deuchar hated) as well as, from further afield, clarinettist George Lewis, Humphrey Lyttelton, Ken Colyer and Chris Barber.
The author paints an accurate picture, warts and all, of one of the most enigmatic figures to emerge from the north east scene of that era. However, this is a book of much more than just local interest. Big Pete made his mark far and wide, not least when he decided to cycle around the world as will be described in volume 2.
A glossy 245 pages including 24 pages of photos, mainly supplied by Brian Bennett the current leader of the Vieux Carré Jazzmen as well as a chronological listing of the personnel of the band.
Northumbrian Blues: The Lost World of Big Pete Deuchar: Volume 1: 1933-60 (ISBN: 978-1-0683644-5-7) is now available in a limited printing of only 100 copies from www.jazzinbritain.org
A bargain @ £13! Lance
1 comment :
Thank you, Lance!
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