Spoilt Broth - 4th July

The latest from the spoilt broth collective hits Nrwich on Saturday 4th July - all the details on the flyer. The venue has passed me by but details here.

Podcasts here

Another CDR - just for TJB

Tim just posted he had a load of the old comps I did (and so he has). Infact I was inspired to do one aimed at what then were his fave style of tracks, at least he was nice enough to say they were. On the back of the Fatboy Slim single I let my imagination run riot again and came up with "Jazz Soul Brother". But it did what it said on the tin pretty much:

Check the old style flyer as well...





Freddie Hubbard - Return of the Prodigal Son
Clarence Wheeler & the Enforcers - Right On
The Clique - Wormin’
Oscar Brown Jr - Mr Kicks
Jackie Lee - The Duck
Linda Jones - My Heart Needs A Break
Soul Shakers - I’m Getting Weaker
Ray Redmond - Ain’t That Terrible
Billy Preston - Greazee Pt 2
James Taylor Quartet - Blow Up
Sugar Pie DeSanto - Do The Whoopee
Aztecs - Damelo Baby
Ray Barretto - New York Soul
Monguito Santamaria - Juicy
Ivan “Boogaloo” Joe Jones - Black Whip
Young Disciples - Move On (Lynch Mob Beats)
Terry Callier - Look At Me Now
Etta James - Mellow Fellow
James Brown - Shhhhhhh! (For A Little While)
Jimmy Smith - Mission Impossible
Jack Constanzo & Gerry Woo - Green Onions
Montego Joe - Fat Man
Ray Barretto - Right On

What we have here is a mix of latin / boogaloo / soul and one slightly left field modern (ish) tune from the Young Disciples, whch is basically some rather groovy hammond organ and flute looped over some tasty beats. In my mind the best thing to come out of Talkin' Loud with one great album "Road To Freedom"

Anyway, this CDR kicks off with some well tasty jazz and rumbles straight into one of my favourite funk / soul / hammond work outs from Clarence Wheeler. I have to play this again soon! Then into The Clique, which I picked up from an early Acid Jazz "Totally Wired" album. I assume this is the same 80s revival JTQ-influenced band? Sounds great anyway.

"Permit me to introduce myself, my name is Mr Kicks, I dwell in a dark dominion down by the River Styx" - oh yes. Vocal jazz at its finger clickin' darkest - epitome of cool. But a pig to dance to!

Via a quick Mirwood classic and back into another couple of tracks from the aforementioned Loma compilations from the previous post. I'm a sucker for OTT soul with a big build up and crescendo, especially well the vocals are as good as Linda Jones. This doesn't disappoint. Add in the Soul Shakers and Ray Redmond (which again I really ought to play again - boogaloo meets soul meets shingaling in a whole mess of dance chaos!)

By way of hammond mayhem from Billy Preston and JTQ at their simplest and finest before they got, to my mind, a bit heavy and Led Zep fixated, we get to some serious club soul from smokey basement clubs - see also the Etta James

Time for some latin and what on earth are the Aztecs talking about? But some great latin boogaloo swiftly followed by ne of my all time fave latin soul numbers "New York Soul" - 'scuse me whilst I have a quick slide across the carpet. Then from when I had a phase of buying some Venezualen (I think) Fania imports comes Monquito Santamaria geting juicy all over the place throwing pips and fruit peel all over the dance floor.

Sampled or covered at the time by I can't recall who comes Boogaloo Joe Jones rather excellent "Black Whip" and the YDs and then into more low down gritty 60s club soul pausing to take in Terry Caller's masterpiece (well, one of them!). This oozes class - just look at him now. Etta James could be singing about suited and booted Mods and Mr Brown throws organ riffs and mad mumbling all over the shop, taken froma German Mojo Dancefloor Jazz compilation (volume 2 I think). Next up my hero "god on a hammond organ" taken from a reissue 12" which i think also had "House of Bamboo" on as well - picked up second hand far too many years ago now

Then I rounded off with more crazy latin - sucker for a cover version of well known classics just to mess with the heads of audiences expecting Booker T, a really tasty "Fat Man" taken from a latin jazz comp possibly on BGP (red and green sleeve I think - must get into my record shelves more frequently!) - and then the second track entilted Right On to finish and what a beauty.

OK - having just skimmed through these I must dig a few out for another outing soon. I like some latin and remember hearing my first slbs of it in Bournemouth in 1988 at a Mod rally. I still want Tony Middleton "Return To Spanish Harlem" but will have to make do with a tape entitled Asterix Goes Latin from that period hawked around the mod rallies for my copy! I'm not sure the price of a copy back then was helped by Mr Midleton being collectable for "To The Ends Of The Earth" as well. Apparently the flip (not that I'll ever see it now!) is on the BGP comp. Just seen it offered for 200 quid!!! Certainly won't be seeing it now!

Anyway, I've just enjoyed the last hour listening to these tunes for the first time in ages and writing drivel - enjoy!

Early Personal CDRs

A few years after we started in November 1994 I splashed out on what was then cutting edge technology (sort of) in the shape of my first hi fi separates including a CDR recorder / burner. This was maybe 1997 (?) and well before the now ubiquitous nature of PC CDR / DVD drives. I wanted to burn CDs of singles and album tracks and in those days it was like the old days of cassette recorders - cue up, press record and hope you (a) don't cut the start of the track off or (b) have three seconds blank at the start of a track. There was also the added complication that the CD didn't always want to record and I'd get a 30 second blank. In those days CDR discs were maybe three quid or you could splash out maybe £8 for a re-recordable CD-RW, burn onto that (erasing errors first) and then copying from CD to CD-R. Not for me then select tunes online, download and burn in maybe 30 minutes total from start to finish. There was no such thing as volume levelling, editing of crackles and hisses or cross fading.

I was quite pleased with my first effort, imaginatively entitled "AOY The CDR Pt.1" and represents what I was playing then from a mix of single, LP / compilation and the odd CD:

Mike Cotton Sound - Harlem Shuffle
Sly - Buttermilk Pt 1
Brother Jack McDuff - Let My People Go
The Brand - I’m A Lover Not A Fighter
Thane Russell - Security
The Action - Hey Sha-lo-ney
Hayward Lee - Oogaloo
Fabulous Peps - So Fine
Little Caesar - Everybody Dance Now
Jimmy McGriff - The Worm
Monk Higgins - Watermelon Man
The Betterdays - Don’t Want That
Sonic Invasion - Go Out And Get Her
? & the Mysterians - Got To
Buddy McKnight - Everytime Pt 2
Andre Williams - Do The Popcorn
Eddie Wilson - Shing-a-ling Stroll
Little Mac - In The Midnight Hour
Billy Hawks - Oh Baby I Believe I’m Losing You
Georgie Fame - Somebody Stole My Thunder
The Birds - Say Those Magic Words
Mike & Ike - Ya Ya
Brian Auger - Black Cat
Jimmy Smith - Stay Loose
Rhinoceros - Apricot Brandy
Barry “Barefoot” Beefus - Barefoot Beefus
John Mayall - Crocodile Walk

Quite a mix of genres but I loved the lot (still do) and infact most of these languish unplayed now although Georgie Fame and The Action still get an airing. I particularly lve the Beefus which I have on very quietly cut "This Is Loma Volume 2 or 4 (?)" LP - infact I have the set of I think seven comps in this series. Anyway...

Around the same time I received / swapped comps and this one I found lurking on my MP3 player in the gym last week:

Booker T and the MGs - Plum Nellie
Caretakers - East Side Story
Bob and Ray - Air Travel
Julian Covey - Sweet Bacon
Clarence Carter - Snatching It Back
Wimple Winch - Save My Soul
Baby Washington - Think About The Good Times
Woggles - My Baby Like To Boogaloo
Joe Tex - You're Right Ray Charles
Music Machine - 96 Tears
Patti Drew - Fever
Johnny Taylor - Who's Making Love
Ike and Tina Turner - Ya Ya
Deep Purple - Hush
Mongo Santamaria - Sweet Tater Pie
Ray Charles - I Chose To Sing The Blues
Apostolic Intervention - Tell Me Have You Ever Seen Me
Johnny Jones and the King Casuals - Soul Poppin'
Elmore James - Shake Your Moneymaker
Etta James - Do I Make Myself Clear
Dee Clark - My Little Girl In The High School Sweater
Jackie Ivory - Do It To Death
France Gall - Der Computer No.3
Honeybus - Tender Are The Ashes
Perry and the Harmonics - Do The Monkey With James
Tina Britt - Sookie Sookie
Cyril Davies' All Stars - Someday baby
Lavern baker and Jimmy Ricks - You're The Boss

Interesting mix of the outstanding and the slightly bizzare. Loved the MGs "Plum Nellie" and am ashamed to say that even after listening to soul in various guises for nearly 30 years don't recall having heard this. I assume it's the same as the Small faces, although I've seen it attributed to both Marriott / Lane and Cropper / Dunn etc and I've seen (not yet heard) a similar titled track by Jimmy Smith

Circular Soul

Martin from Circular Sounds Records runs the third Saturday alternate months to us (even months) playing clssic northern and motown. His next date is Friday 19th June:



In addition he's starting up a series of soul and related free nights on Saturdays at "Comfortably Numb" (or Facebook) just down the road from his shop in St Benedicts St. This Saturday sees funk, RnB and Southern soul and is free from 8 til 12:



The hope is that this will run on 2nd Saturday every month, but there are contact details available if you want updates direct from Martin.

He also has on 27th June a night of Motown, Northern and RnB, to be repeated on 25th July and 29th August:



It also looks like he's planning a blues and deep soul night and a jazz / 70s soul night - TBC

When Martha met Irma

Over the last few months I've been introduced to two quite outstanding slabs of female soul of which I was previously blissfully unaware.

First up was Martha Bass (yep, Fontella's mum) "Since I've Been Born Again". I've not seen this on original vinyl but would guess probably Checker or Cadet as I've seen something else by her on Ebay on that group of labels. It is on the Soul Jazz Soul Gospel Vol.2, where you can hear a 60 second blast, which was about all I heard when I first came across it. It ws on a "6 on 6" set on the Craig Charles' Funk and Soul Show on 6 Music probably autumn 2008. Listeners send in six top tunes of theirs and he plays (played as I think he's stopped that part now) snippets of each tune back to back. Now I don't regularly listen to the show, sometimes when cooking the tea. I'm not a huge funk fan and get a bit bored of funk by numbers (just as I'm sure some people think all Motown, Northen etc sounds a bit samey as well I guess). Having said that I've owned Eddie Bo's "Hook and Sling" and Luther Ingrams' "Puttin' Game Down" (on KoKo! - and yes it is the "Baby Don't You Weep" man!) on 7 inch for maybe 20 years , so I don't what you call hate it! Anyway, there's nearly always a little gem thrown in there even f I'm only listening for half an hour. This is all hand clappin', foot stompin' gospel at a great dance tempo. Surely too earthy for the gospel sentiments? I can't find it on any other albums and can't vouch for the rest of the album so still searching.

Then by another quirk of fate I caught a smal part of the final Radio 2 Saturday show hosted by Martin Freeman and Liza Tarbuck before Jonathon Ross completed his three moth ban around january 2009. Mr Freeman has form in compiling a Motown CD as well as citing mod influences (Independent in 2005 - article now taken off line and see also Modculture). They alternated records and bang came on Irma Thomas "Hittin On Nothin" which I'm ashamed to say I'd not heard before - flip side of "Ruler Of My Heart" and enned by Allen Toussaint - see here for example. This is available on a CD called We Sing The Blues / New Orleans Our Home Town, which is also on download at Napster and iTunes I believe (legally) for about seven quid. Great early RnB soul, right for "now" I'd say. You can see from the playlist that on that day listeners got some real treats (Terry Callier, Etta James, Staple Singers, JB...) - remember when Radio 2 was the MOR station? Either I'm getting old or people of my age and background are getting their hands on the knobs. Well worth tracking this down and as a legal and cheap download probably no excuse not to?

Soul band in Gorleston

Just received this although I'm away unfortunately...

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The 45's - 8-Piece Live Soul Band (tracks by sam and dave, the four tops, otis redding, stevie wonder, the temptations, wilson pickett, james brown, curtis mayfield, kool and the gang and many more...)

There will also be a DJ

The Ocean Rooms, Pier Gardens, Gorleston

Doors open at 8pm

Tickets cost £5 and all profits go to charity - beach radios 'help an east coast child' appeal

If you want any more info, or if anyone is interested in tickets, then check out the website at www.thefortyfives.co.uk

Friday 15th May 2009

This was the second of our new Friday dates after having spent just over 14 years on Saturdays. Numbers were up a bit from March but our last Saturday before the switch in January had also been very quiet. Not sure if this is a result of the new day or numbers at clubs being down more generally. We certainly seem to have encountered a new set of people we've not come across before so in a way it's almost like trying to rebuild the club again whilst relying on a small group of faithful followers. You know who are and your support really is very much appreciated. You may even lure me out from behind the decks for a boogie again!

Having said that this Friday most of the newer crowd cottoned on to what we're about quickly and were happy with a diet of soul plus some old classics. It also meant we dug out a few oldies which fall into the "overplayed but underplayed" category as Steve calls them - those tracks you've known for years so never play but actually sound really great once in a while as you've in reality not played them for a long time. So this time we included Marvin Gaye's "Ain't That Peculiar", Anthony and the Imperials' "Better Use Your Head" and The Impressions' "You've Been Cheating". Do they sound good after a while or what? OK so no prizes for super rarity or anything but frankly who cares?

So onwards and upwards to the next night in July. If anyone reads this please feel free to come along and help us keep going in our 15th year. You know it makes sense.

The Animals (and friends)

I first saw the current incarnation of the Animals (see here) on 3rd October 2008 (I remember as it was my birthday) up at the Blakeney Harbour Room, an unlikely bastion of RnB perhaps? I was not a huge fan, having heard mainly the "obvious" and slightly poppy sounds but live, in this formation did they play some dirty RnB? You bet! Plus special guest for the second half was Spencer Davis...very nice.

So on to the Maddermarket Theatre on Thursday 2nd April which was an even weirder venue. Anyway, getting there the front desk was selling some Animals CDs (old and new material) plus a couple of Zoot Money Cds. I asked how on earth was a relatively obscure (compared to the Animals anyway) artist on sale? Only 'cos he was guesting on keyboards all night. What an unexpected treat. The "usual" keyboard player (Mickey Gallagher - post Alan Price) was on tour with the Blockheads! Don't this guys ever retire? No Eric Burden obviously but the lead vocals of Pete Barton are pretty fine in my opinion and had a real raw energy.

So onto the set. Kicking off with "Baby Let Me Take You Home" and interspersing the Animals crowd pleasers with a great selection of RnB classics and a couple of soul numbers (and not just the obvious - Ray Charles "I Believe To My Soul" anyone?) - pick the bones out of (my fave of the night) "Road Runner" (Chuck Berry / Bo Diddley), John Lee Hooker "Dimples" and a great version of "Boom Boom" with lead guitar and Zoot's keyboards duelling (my second fave of the night), Dale Hawkins' "Suzy-Q" plus others which now escape me. Shame this was a seated venue and Zoot's only featured track was "Big Timer Operator" (no "Uncle Willie" unfortunately).

Well worth a look and it transpires last year they had Steve Cropper as ther guest! What a gig that would have been. I think they are in Wells Next The Sea in Augus this year...

Just a quick postcript - they ended with "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place" and how it was the US forces nunber 1 for three years during Vietnam plus the obligatory (but great version of) "House of the Rising Sun"

Cadillac Records

I went to see this film the other Saturday (you can find details on the official web site and on the IMDB site). For those of you who don't know it's the story of Chess Records from its formation in 1947 to the death of Leonard Chess in 1969. I enjoyed the film I have to say, although holes can be picked in it for historical accuracy. Some comments on the IMDB forum talk about inconsistencies with dates and types of car. I'd certainly query the lack of visibility of Phil Chess in the story and, whilst there are many artists on the Chess rosta, no mention of Bo Didley strikes as a bit odd. There are some questionable stories about Little Walter gunning down a namesake to preserve his name and I don't know how accurate the Leonard Chess / Etta James "love interest" actually was. I plan to dig out my copy of "Spinning The Blues Into Gold" to have a more detailed read up.

Spinning Blues into Gold: The Chess Brothers and the Rise of the Blues


That being said, it's a movie, a story plus it reminded me to dig out some great tunes I'd not played for many years. So, what's it like?

The story centres around mainly Muddy Waters (I like the performance played with a mix of world weariness and musical enthusiasm), Little Walter and Leonard Chess with larger parts for Etta James nearer the end and Howlin' Wolf lurking in the background like some malevolent force of authenticity. I have no idea if the Wolf was really like this, but his hard bitten, refusal to be bought attitude provides a neat counterpoint to the flash and swagger of the arrivistas revelling in their (supposed) new found wealth. Early on he says he can't be bought and won't have a "daddy" as he rolls up in his battered pick up truck, contrasted with Waters' most recent cadillac, and turns down an advance on his recordings - "just pay me what you owe me"...

There are flashes of the racial iniquities of the music business throughout the movie without it ever becoming didactic. Howlin' Wolf's aformentioned attitude, Muddy Waters' incomprehension that the caddies are infact payments and real money will be handed out by Chess as some form of benevolence and the alleged payola system with white DJs being paid to play "race" records. However given the very deep seated and overt racism of the period (segregated dance halls, police brutality, bus boycotts) it is also suggested that Chess got black artists into places they wouldn't have been able to access with the money and power being in the hands of white clubs and studios. It's an interesting point to consider where mutual advancement and co-operation stops and exploitation begins. Later Chess is seen being attacked at his studios one night as increasing black consciousness leads to anger amongst some about the perceived disparity of a white owner of black artists in a black neighbourhood. Against this backdrop the refrain "I'm a man" is also "...and don't call me boy"

However the film also shows that the music is also fundamentally a sexual tool(every pun intended). There is one recording scene where Wolf is virtually getting down and dirty when singing "Smokestack Lightning". In this sense I'm a man, I made 21 and I got something in my pocket...well, you know the rest (including various conotations on John The Conquer Root...and rubbing thereof). Whether the same displays of sexual prowess found as much support amongst women artists and their relationship with a predominantly male repertoire is debatable. Of course no one would argue with Bessie Smith, Nina Simone, Billy Holiday or Big Mama Thornton but sexual freedom and expression is perhaps sometimes perceived to be more favourable for men than women. It displays some of the bluesmen with a peacock swagger, violence and attitude toward women and money which may enhance stereotypes and portray them as the precursors of a certain type of rapper. Infact the story is neatly bookended by Willie Dixon starting the tale and finishing with a rap artist using a classic Chess tune as his backdrop...

So, overall an enjoyable film. Maybe not 100% historically accurate, perhaps doesn't always address some "big issues", but sure as hell reminds you of some great tunes.

Sta Prest reform for gig in Norwich

Just received an email to say that post-punk / revivalists the Sta Prest "playing again and have reformed Sta Prest for the Mod Mayday Festival – we are playing “Eighteen” Bedford Street tomorrow – St 14th March – and CD copies of Schooldays are available – for collectors"

More details here:

Beggin' you for "Mercy"...

Thanks to the ever brilliant RSS feeds from Modculture I was alerted to the recent release (9th March 09) of a cover of Duffy's "Mercy". Now I really liked that song regardless of any backlash prompted by her subsequent rise to fame and of course the video was good fun. However the Third Degree version on Acid Jazz (check their MySpace site for a streaming audio version) is great and apparently picking up radio plays. This is a bit earthier and has echoes of Spencer Davis thrown in for good measure. This will cost you six quid with UK postage from their ebay site. I believe it's a limited release so pick up your copy now (if you want - it's not obligatory obviously!)

PS - talking of "beggin.." (see the post header) I finally got to listen to the Frankie Valli original of the Timebox classic now bastardised by some dance outfit. It still doesn't match Timebox I have to say, but still has a certain "charm"

PPS - just listened to the streaming audio version again and at about 2:16 I swear there's a riff lifted straight from "There Was A Time" (Gene Chandler rather than JB I think) - I'm sad I know...

Remember new dates...NOT on 7th March

Just a quick reminder. Under our old slots we would have been due to play at The Waterfront this saturday 7th March (1st Saturday of the "odd" months). Please remember we have been switched to the 3rd Friday of the sdame months so we're now due again on FRIDAY 20th March (with the 80s night downstairs). As it will have been some time between the date in January plus it's the start of the new experiment let's "make it a packer"

Ta

Norwich easter egg scooter run

Received notification of a scooter run on 5th April 2009 from the Prince of Denmark to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital - depart 1-15pm. There's also a fund raiser at the Red Lion Pub on Bishopgate on 28th March 2009 from 8pm "with raffle etc all the normal scooter sounds etc". Organised by Norwich SC with a flyer below:

More Five Corners Quintet

Hot off my xmas gift lift comes "Hot Corner" from Scandanavia's rather fantastic Five Corners Quintet. I've raved previously about their "Chasin' the Jazz Gone By" from 2005. This is like listening to an uptempo Blue Note / Prestige from maybe 1966 - all big horns, driving drum beats and funky piano work. Well worth a look. I still kick myself that I missed them a few years back at a local gig when I'd not come across them. Released back in November apparently - go get this one...

Ho Ho Ho

I'm sure, like me, you can't wait until 1st November every year and "Now that's what I call Christmas tat volume 12" begins to play in all the shops and that great body of work including Slade, Wham!, John Lennon and Wizzard permeates your brain (again). NO? Not a fan of the canon of festive fun singles? Feel your hackles rising? Not just me then...

So as the antidote to all that here's a picture of the only xmas record I ever play - Jimmy McGriff "Christmas with McGriff" on Sue. The xmas angle? Shameless use of sleigh bells on the intro...thanks Jimmy

Any other good xmas records I should include?

Ho Ho Ho everyone...

Save yourself some entrance money...

I think usual entrance to The Waterfront is £4-50. They have a reduced £3-50 rate for National Union of Students (NUS). I've just found out that by signing up to a free discount card they will offer that rate to non-NUS on production of the card. See their Facebook page and the discount card site. Not sure if there are any drawbacks but worth a look?

Next night Saturday 3rd January 2009 and then third Friday of the "odd" months...

Shop local, shop Soundclash Records

Just in the process of starting (again) to digitise some vinyl (and heck is THAT going to take a long time!) got me thinking about the amount of vinyl I'd amassed over the years and a source of much of it - Soundclash Records in St Benedict's Street in Norwich. Started probaly back in the late 80s it emerged from Back's Records on Lower Gate Lane and is a traditional non-chain shop with vinyl (still) and knowledgeable staff. Paul generally gets a copy of the each of the new Kent / Ace CDs and whilst he can't compete on price with the corporates at least he still stocks the good stuff and you don't have to explain to someone what RnB really is!! He also sells tickets for UEA / Waterfront gigs and charges only the absolute minimum in fees / add ons he has to.

Asell as the usual Kent / ACE suspects he has or can get the Jazzman and similar reissue singles on lovely seven inch. Whilst I've not had a thorough oook there is also a parallel downloads section should you want to avoid the Apple Corp and associated alternatives.

Anyway, back to digitisng Acid Jazz "Totally Wired Vol.1" - number 7 done - only another half dozen to go...

Mailing list

Given the recent changes to dates and days from March we've added a mailing list contact to the home page of the web site. You can always opt in and out at will. This will hopefully allow us to remind people of upcoming nights for AOY

Thanks

Change of dates

For many years we've operated on the "1st Saturday of every other month" frequency. The Waterfront are revamping some of their nights and AFTER 3rd January 2009 we will be moving to a "3rd Friday of every other month" - same months, different day.

This means we'll be sharing the night with an 80s night downstairs rather than Meltdown.

The same times and costs apply as far as we know. Your continued support will be much appreciated on:

Saturday 3rd Jan
Friday 20th March
Friday 15th May etc etc

Ta

Geno, Geno - Geno, Geno etc etc

Saw the This Is Soul tour last nigh and generally pretty good fun I have to say. It was my first time in the new Theatre Royal - very nice but really conducive to low down nastiness and soul fun or with room to dance. Certainly not "back in 68 in a sweaty club", if you get my drift?

Anyhow, I was surprised to see, after an intro from Pauline Black, that Eddie Floyd opened. I'd say he was a bigger soul influence than Geno globally, but maybe in East Anglia thelatter still has a following from his touring in the 60s? Anyhow, Eddie kicked off with Soul man and then into a Wilson Pickett track I've not heard for ages (should play it more) 634-5789. Sounds great and his voice is still powerful. A moody "Ain' No Man" got me right in the soul areas and makes you realise the diffeence between the recent hyped singers and those with genuine talent and longevity. Very pleased to hear him do Big Bird, although not sure quite how well known this was amongst the general audience. He said he wrote it after hearing the news of Otis Redding's plane going down. Finished, of course, with Knock On Wood and eventually we were on our feet in the plush new seats. Just about five numbers but for a man of his age and career he still holds a tune, looked great and enertained. Nice one

Next up was Pauline Black, kicking off with a number of reggae covers with a soulful tinge (Let Your Yeah Be Yeah, Prisoner Of Love amongst others. I thought she'd mellowed since the early 80s, but haven't we all? She sounded more soulful and I wasn't 100% convinced with her on the reggae tunes. A Nina rather than Bob & Marcia feeling Young Gifted & Black was great though. Then a cover of Alcohol from Special AKA In The Studio and the mood was swingy, almost Billie Holiday-esque and this suited her vocal a lot better I thought - really ryhtmic and across a spectrum of vocal ranges. Finished off with On My Radio - had to really I guess?

Quick 15 minute break and into part two. The Ram Jam Band had been on stage with both acts and came back on with Night Train before Mr Washington arrived to a frenetic I Can't Turn You Loose. From there on in it was entertainment, crowd pleasing and cheesy grins and asides to the audience. Can he work a crowd or what? Tracks morphed into one another with at one stage the vocals to Shotgun over the soundtrack to Shaft. Some James Brown Covers (Brand New Back and I Got You) were thrown in and f course he had to do Michael and (another track I've not played for years) Que Sera Sera. Showmanship, a tight band and quite frankly shameless good fun.

The encore featured all three harmonising for This Little Light Of Mine

Like I say, transposed to a less formal setting with a proper dancefloor would have improved the event, but these artists didn't disappoint across their genres. Well worth a night out I'd say.

Geno online

Pauline Black online

Eddie Floyd online - more about his early group The falcons here