NORTHUMBRIAN MUSIC
NIGHTS
What we said about
Mose Scarlett with Jim
Condie
MOSE SCARLETT at the King's Head in
Allendale
Don't you just want to kick yourself when you miss something great? From the first chords on Mose Scarlett's guitar, accompanied with exquisite subtlety by Jim Condie on six finely tuned strings, and the first echoes of that inimitable voice in the intimate function room of the King's Head last Saturday in Allendale, it was clear the evening was going to be a great evocation of nostalgic tunes. And how the songs poured out, the kind you can sing along with, the kind you take home with you, humming along as the week's burdens seem just that bit lighter.
Sometimes things don't work out the way local promoters would hope, but the fact is that the community group calling themselves Northumbrian Music Nights does manage to present consistently the most superlative music, week in and week out. And the evening with Mose was no exception, even if something happened on the audience's way to the show.
It was 'Big Bad Bill' who is Sweet William now, and 'Don't go looking for trouble', before a brief sojourn into Louis Armstrong territory with 'A kiss to build a dream on'. Or the Billy Mayhew number, 'It's a sin to tell a lie', a motto the NMN group takes very much to heart.
Some incredible guitar picking during the Harry von Tiltern number 'I used to love you but it's all over now' primed us all for 'Fool's Paradise', and it really wasn't hard to pretend we'd been stayin' out 'drinking' and gamblin' all night. Or the classic recorded by the Glen Miller Orchestra in the thirties, 'The moon is a silver dollar', which had everyone swaying along. Sweet harmonies, subtle chords and over it all that incredible Mose voice, taking us back to places we'd only distantly touched in dim memories, to feel all over again.
After the break it was moving along with the 'Sheik of Araby', and 'Makin' Whoopie', numbers Mose has done before to wild acclaim. An audience participation number, 'Diddy-wah-diddy' heard everyone in fine voice, but we were moving along nicely in listening mode with 'Somebody stole my gal'. Jim Condie earned a standing ovation with his amazing slide rendtion of 'Sleepwalk', which seemed like a brilliant riposte to the ballad, 'After you've gone.'
How can you top 'Ukelele Lady', or 'Sweet Georgia Brown'? Maybe with the old Cole Porter number, 'Marie', or the sing-along encore of Vera Lynn's 'We'll meet again'. It was a great evening, and well worth a self-administered kick or two if you missed it!
