This afternoon Brian Hicks, Selina and I went to a concert at the Musical Museum in Brentford. This featured the recently restored Mighty Wurlitzer (console pictured), played both by a musician and from piano rolls. We also had recitals from a pianola, a female singer and a piano-accordion. Bucks fizz was included in the price. Our intention had been to have lunch in the pub across the road but this proved impossible due to the absence of the chef. Instead we ate in Cafe Rouge near Kew Bridge. The food and wine were excellent, although we had to tolerate a blast of cold air as the main door was frequently opened.
In the evening the three of us went to the
Berrylands Hotel in Surbiton, for
Brian White's Magna jazz band, with Keith Brown (drums, pictured) replacing Rex Bennett. Numbers that we particularly enjoyed were as follows:
'The Old Stack o' Lee Blues', original composer unknown, celebrating the murder of William 'Billy' Lyons by Lee Shelton in 1895;
'The Georgia Grind', by Spencer Williams in 1915;
'Goody, Goody', composed by Matty Malneck in 1936 with lyrics by Johnny Mercer, sung by Brian with the usual standing ovation by his fans enhanced by me standing on my chair (Alan Dandy's suggestion);
'Shimmy-Sha-Wabble' again by Spencer Williams;
Alan Dandy's feature, combining 'Ghost of a Chance', about which we know nothing, with 'Willow Weep for Me', composed in 1932 by Ann Ronell. This is the number that Fred Hunt played as his solo feature at every performance of the Alex Welsh band that we ever saw, and there were many.
Labels: Concerts, Eating out, Jazz
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