Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Start with a cup of coffee and two million notes..


Now and again I sup a small glass or two with some like-minded Hats and we consider the state of the world and what we should be doing to improve things. Known - rather unkindly I feel - as the 'wet elbowed philosophers' (work it out for yourselves) these deep and meaningful sessions, which invariably embrace music, usually conclude, along the lines of the G20 summits, with far reaching life-changing decisions none of which can be remembered in the morning. I am sure many of you are doing the very same even as I speak....

These meetings started out long ago in nineteen hundred and freezing in Old Compton Street, Soho not far from where Nero and the Gladiators and Georgie Fame slept on mattresses on the floor and Billy Fury's groupies used to bang crazily on the wrong door in the middle of the night. Pete Brown, the poet who became the lyricist for Cream used to drink coffee and read poetry in the Partisan Cafe round the corner where the Hat had the occasional game of chess and plotted revolution whilst someone played the blues. The backdrop to everything was music. It was the soundtrack to art, politics, drama and every creative outlet. Jazz, blues, rocknroll, folk, skiffle and bluegrass all vied for attention. Ever present throughout every crisis, a constant companion was the cry of the blues, often a lament, sometimes a call for change, frequently the story-telling of pain, love, hurt and struggle for survival and then a burst of joy, humour and freedom.

Flick open the crowded Gig Pages of say, Blues in Britain or Blues Matters. This is a long long way from the deep Delta and yes, chess and coffee sound pretty tame nowadays. However, isn't it great that despite the ravages of time, or maybe because of them, it survives and flourishes with as much vigour as before? There was no hiding from the rawness of Lady Day or the simple grit of an acoustic Guthrie or Broonzy then, and now who can fail to be moved by the fabulous blues singers of today or the searing pull and magic of the lone electric guitar? On February 18th 1967 some chap called Hendrix played York University (in Yorkshire) - he and the band got £60 for the gig. Ain't it grand to be able to report that the blues are still kicking in Hebden Bridge (in Yorkshire) in 2011. Yep. Lets all go and have another drink to that.....

Sit in a Hebden bar like my old hatted crazies and debate who is the blues best, fastest, coolest, king or queen or most influential...(Stevie/Greenie/Freddie/Buddy....er..Paddy?) and you will be there all night - maybe that's the point - but I bet one of the things you won't be arguing about is "how to fund a Blues festival". Ronnie Scott was famous for his line on how to make a million which was 'start with two million and run a jazz club' and blues festivals are also on that Mad List alongside Perpetual Motion and Man-Powered Flight. Last May, the first Hebden Bridge Blues Festival flew. Amazingly, the number-crunchers haven't been frightened off having a second one. They don't want no corporate event, thank you, no no no, but any festival needs sponsors, friends, philanthropists, rich music fanatics and lottery winners looking for a good cause. I couldn't help noticing that the festival brought hundreds of spenders in to Hebden and although the commercial support was terrific last time, I hear that there is always room for more. I have tried lurking in the Town Hall with a collecting box but they hustled me out the last time and threw my hat out after me. They said they don't have a bean to spare. A hat sale would barely cover the cost of a set of strings and there were absolutely no takers for my idea of renting out Paddy and Jason by the night. So, if you know a business that is thinking of raising its profile, getting that good warm feeling and loads of thanks - and a T-shirt of course - then what a super bargain this would be.......check the website. Now.

Finally, I have to mention that after my last post the photogenic Cozy got a love letter. He will not be replying. Not because he does not care, but rather that his confused knowledge of the history of the strings of musical instruments has made him nervous of strangers. I hope you understand.

Pip Pip!

The Man in The Hat