Wednesday 23 February 2011

HAVANA & DEUCHAR AT McGONAGALL'S - 80'S

This top notch image features the guitarists of Dundee jazz outfit, Havana Swing and local legend, Jimmy Deuchar on trumpet.
Havana Swing started off as a guitar trio in 1986 - Alain Legrand, John Whyte and Kevin Murray.
By 1987, the band had added Calum McKenzie on double bass and Walter Smith on clarinet.
However, also around 1986, story has it that during one of Havana Swing's gigs in Dundee, Jimmy was in the audience (he had his trumpet with him) and was so smitten with their performance that he leapt out of the crowd and joined them centre stage for a bit of the action!
After that impromptu introduction, he actually went on to play regularly with them.
Just wondering if this photo was that actual gig's "spontaneous moment" or whether this was taken later when they were all together as a unit?
The venue was that well known pub along Perth Road, McGonagall's.
The pub started jam session twice a week in 1986, and as you can see on this particular advert dated March 1986, Havana Swing were the band leading the jam.
So there could be a connection to the photo.
By the way, in the 50's, Jimmy released an album called "Pub Crawling" - so the Perth Road the perfect place for him to be!
Photo by The Bear.

5 comments:

  1. Didnt Alain get fined for stealing sheep? He used to play with my old pal John Adam, the saxophonist.

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  2. I knew alain as Bretenbach was this an asumed name or two guys that looked very familiar?
    this was taken in 86 if Im not mistaken.
    the bear

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  3. Breitenbach and Legrand - same guy.

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  4. RIP Jimmy, fantastic guy

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  5. Alan can be seen every sunday at Errol car bbot sale, loooking for musicalo bargains.
    The beard is a wee bit grey now, though.....

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