Natural
Habitat
It
was 19th
December we arrived much too early. I had forgotten that
performances in bars or cafés never begin anywhere close to the
advertised time. However, it was a lucky mistake. Another
characteristic of live music in cafés is that the venues rarely suit the
purpose. This one was long and narrow with a bar running most of the
way down one side. However we managed to find ourselves a perfect
spot at the corner of the bar, close enough but not too close to the
podium. From this position we watched as the musicians fiddled,
struggled and unravelled switches, sockets, cables, microphones,
music stands and drum kits. A woman dressed in a shabby track suit,
looking every bit as if she'd just escaped from rehab, occasionally
gave helpful advice. The man next to me started a conversation, on
discovering that I was British he asked me why I wanted to leave
Europe. My answer was brief, partly because I couldn't be bothered to
explain the whole Brexit thing yet again but mostly because his evening
meal had contained way too much garlic!
I
was born and grew up in London during the sixties There can't have
been many places at any time with so much and such a diversity of
music! The older brothers of some of the girls we used to hang around
with were into modern jazz. There was a Traditional Jazz
revival based, somewhat loosely, on 1920's music from New Orleans.
Rock and Roll had arrived, my older sister bought her first ever
record, it was Elvis Presley, we played it secretly in our attic. When I
left school the Beatles,The Rolling Stones and similar bands were
emerging. Then there was a 'folk revival', a curious mixture of (using modern terminology) Americana, Singer- Songwriters, and bearded men
in knitted jumpers and women with long straight hair, in flowery smocks, singing
traditional English, Irish and Scottish ballads. Collectively they were known as folk singers! There were clubs everywhere, jazz clubs, blues
clubs, folk clubs and more. Well known ones like Ronnie Scott's, The
100 Club or the Marquee Club and an infinite number of others above
or behind pubs, in bars and there were lots of damp and dingy cellars. Other venues included decaying
hotels,schools,universities, church
halls and derelict factories. Often small and/or uncomfortable, in the weekends
they were crowded. Oh yes.. and I had friends who were repeatedly
forming and reforming bands, while others
were closely involved or part of the folk scene. It's not so
surprising then that I spent a lot of my time in pubs, clubs and
other places watching and listening to live music. The beer and the attractive young women were, of course, a welcome bonus!
The
last sound check was over. The band was ready. The track-suited lady
had transformed into a perfect copy of a 1940's, 50's jazz singer,
with voice to match. Music from before my time. Because of those
early brushes with jazz, in an age of blues-rock and protest songs, female singers like Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holliday and
the less well known Blossom Dearie were my guilty
pleasures. This band mostly played numbers by Peggy Lee,
you can add her to that list. The bar filled up, the musicians moved into top gear. The beer flowed, the conversations got louder but
never so loud that they interfered with the music.
As
I ordered another couple of beers brewed by Belgium Trappist monks I
was hit by a tidal wave of good feelings. The atmosphere, the jazz,
the singer, the gentle babble of conversation, the beer, the amiable
bar staff and enthusiastic customers. Cool music in a warm café on
a cold, wet, midwinter evening, it felt good, it was good. I even became quite
friendly with Mr Garlicbreath sitting next to me!
A
different era, different country, different town, different beer and
different music but nonetheless a rare sighting of the Robertus
Potestates (Bob Powers) in
its natural habitat.
Play
it again Sam!
