Mike Durham, the fine trumpet player, festival organizer, and wit, sent along the following list. For those who have never been to the Whitley Bay International Jazz Festival — and 2010 is THE FINAL ONE — this list will be both enticing and mysterious. This is the schedule of which bands will be playing at what times during what is sure to be a thrillingly music-packed weekend. It takes place in a well-appointed hotel, and the “Cotton Club,” the “Sunset Cafe,” “Kelly’s Stables,” and the “One Cent Club” are rooms of varying sizes in the hotel.
The schedule both exalts and terrifies. I was saying to my first class the other morning (we are concluding MACBETH) that the universe is limitless, but the first choice, no matter how small, that one makes, renders other choices impossible. So it is at Whitley Bay: if I want to hear The Four Pods of Pepper (Spats Langham, Frans Sjostrom, and Norman Field) joined by Rico Tomasso, that makes it impossible, according to Newtonian physics, for me to be at “Kings of Stride” at the same time. Of course, I could hear the first set of the Pods and then scamper in for some Stride after the break. One must have a plan! Or I could do what I did last time: stay where my heart led me and then wander . . .
I’ll have my video camera, of course, and Elin Smith will have hers, but it isn’t the same thing as being there. Consider yourself encouraged to join in the fun, even if you don’t have a camera.
Find out more at http://www.whitleybayjazzfest.org/
WHITLEY BAY JAZZ FESTIVAL 2010 – DAY BY DAY, ROOM BY ROOM, HOUR BY HOUR (OR JUST ABOUT!)
FRIDAY
Noon-3.00 3.00-6.00 7.00-9.00 9.00-Midnight
Cotton Club Hot Antic Jazz Band Blue Devils New Century Ragtime Orch Les Rois du Foxtrot
Sunset Café La Retaguardia J B N ew Orleans Rascals Bohem Ragtime J B Red Hot Peppers
Kelly’s Stables Late Hour Boys Schumm’s Bixologists Hot Antics Bent Persson’s N Y Orch
One Cent Jeff & Anne Barnhart West Jesmond R Kings Kings of Stride Four Pods + Rico Tomasso
SATURDAY
Noon-3.00 3.00-6.00 7.00-9.00 9.00-Midnight
Cotton Club Blue Devils Les Rois du Foxtrot New Orleans Rascals La Retaguardia
Sunset Café Bohem Ragtime J B Flaming Reeds Red Hot Peppers Winteler’s Serenaders
Kelly’s Stables Schumm’s Bixologists Hot Antics Spats & Rhythm Boys Cecile Salvant
One Cent K Stephen’s Hot Club Trio Litton & Nichols – Ragtime Late Hour Boys + Rico Tomasso Doc Bastide’s Owls
SUNDAY
Noon-3.00 3.00-6.00 7.00-9.00 9.00-Midnight
Cotton Club Chalumeau Serenaders Bohem Ragtime J B Les Rois du Foxtrot Hot Antics (Grand Finale)
Sunset Café Winteler’s Jazz Serenaders New Orleans Rascals La Retaguardia Schumm’s Bixologists
Kelly’s Stables Late Hr Boys/Cecile Salvant (Billie H) Field’s Novelty Orch M Seuffert Sextet Winteler’s Jazz Serenaders
One Cent Jeff & Anne Barnhart/Boogie Piano Banjorama/Fidgety Fingers Hot Jazz Trio
JAZZ LIVES 
Michael-please put the Louis Armstrong recordings you played at your lecture at Whitley Bay this year on your site so that we can hear them again,plus a transciption of you lecture if you can-it was very interesting-I noted Bent P taking it all in.
Regards
Roger Offord
London England
Dear Roger,
I wish I could! Thanks so much for your kind words – – – but in the spirit of the music, my presentation was improvised from first to last. The rare recordings can all be found on the Ambassador label, though. Cheers, Michael