The Rotary Club of Corringham Thameside

With the station having been granted a five year broadcasting licence by OFCOM, Gateway 97.8 (new frquency) will start broadcasting on a regular basis.
A new series of Gateway to Jazz starts on Wednesday 29th September with a musical tour of the city that gave us jazz. We will visit many of the sites of New Orleans and I will be your guide.
We will start on the southern banks of the Mississippi in the district of Algiers, and walk along the “Jazz Walk of Fame”, taking in the names of the jazzmen and women of the Crescent City who gave us this wonderful musical heritage. It is here that we pause to play “Algiers Stomp” before visiting Mardi Gras World. This is where they construct the floats for the famous Mardi Gras parade. You can tour the factory and see the floats and try on some of the costumes for a modest entry fee. We now play “As we danced at the Mardi Gras”.
Next we take the ferry back across the mighty Mississippi to the main part of New Orleans, enjoying the sights on the river as we listen to “Mississippi Mud”. A short walk along the Moon Walk, past the riverboat “Nanchez”, and Jackson Square to the French Market and into St. Phillip’s Street where the great clarinet player George Lewis once lived. This time we play “St. PHillip Street Breakdown” before making our way through to St. Peter’s Street and the famous “Preservation Hall” where we pop in to listen to the band playing “I wish I could shimmy like my sister Kate”. After this , it is round the corner to the bustling Bourbon Street with its lively bars, restaurants, jazz clubs and strip joints. Bourbon Stret forms a major part of the route for parades like the French Quarter Festival which we recall with “Bourbon Street Parade”.
After all that excitement, we travel north to viist Louis Armstrong Park which roughly occupies the site once known as Congo Square where the African slaves would dance to the rhythmic sounds of the music of their homelands. Here too is Perseverance Hall No.3 the home of one of the early benevolent societies that took care of the arrangements for funerals, including the booking of the bands. Recalling the uniqueness of the New Orleans Jazz Funeral we play “Oh didn’t he ramble” which brings us to Canal Street whose name comes from the turning point of the Carondelet Canal formerly located on the street. Predicably, here we play “Canal Street Blues”.
We are now entering the once notorious district of Storyville, famous for its houses of ill repute. This former red light area was opened in 1898 and closed by the Secretary for War in 1917. This area once lined with extravagent bordello’s from the infamous Lulu White’s Mahogony Hall to Emma Johnson’s mansion. It’s no surprise then that we play the tune that Clarence Williams wrote immortalising Lulu White’s establishment with “Mahogony Hall Stomp”.
We have now crossed Canal Street and entered South Rampart Street. Today, there’s not a lot going for it, now it is mainly parking lots, but you can still sense the jazz history all around you. Close your eyes and you can visualise the great Buddy Bolden playing from a first floor window calling his children to him. Bolden played loud and his lyrics were generally outrageous. It is here that we recall the first king of jazz with “I thought I heard Buddy Bolden say”. On the 1st January 1913, the young Louis Armstrong was arrested in South Rampart Street and then sent to the Coloured Waifs Home for Boys, this event was to change his life forever. In those days, parades were an everyday feature of life in New Orleans, so let us pause to hear “South Rampart Street Parade”. Just off of South Rampart Street is Perdido Street where Satchmo’s mother Mayann brought the toddler to live. It is here that he first heard the music drifting from the Honky Tonk’s which led to his dream of becoming a musician. “Perdido Street Blues” is our next choice of music, and this is where we say farewell to Storyville, its the end of the tour and our last tune is Dr. Michael White together with Gregg Stafford, two of New Orleans finest crop of current musicians playing “Farewell to Storyville
In the second hour we commence with a look at jazz that reached the charts , before we showcase some of the artistes and bands that entertain us on the local jazz circuit. Heather Simmons, Dave Browning, Ollie Benson, T.J. Johnson and Brian Carrick all feature this week. Then we turn our attention to my A-Z of jazz. This first show of the new series brings us “A” for Armstrong, Ammons, Alison, Allen, Anderson and Adderley. You won’t find out what they play unless you tune in. So don’t forget GATEWAY TO JAZZ 7p.m. until 9 p.m. on Wednesday’s, introduced by me on behalf of the Rotary Club of Corringham Thameside right here on GATEWAY 97.8, Basildon and East Thurrock’s brightest sounds, coming from the heart of Eastgate. I look forward to you joining me, if you don’t live within the catchment area listen on line at Gateway 97.8

Thursday 23rd September was hastily rearranged to be a “Friends and Family” evening to accomodate a visit from one of our past members who was visiting from Ireland.  Rotarian Roger Jordan and his wife Jennifer were in England on business and took the opportunity to visit the club where they had enjoyed many a happy time.  Having moved to County Mayo some four years ago, Roger has since joined an Irish club. After dinner, he entertained the assembled group with a mixture of humour and odd scenes appertaining to their new life in Ireland.  Showing some of the beautiful scenery adjacent to his new home.  Such was the interest in his talk, the evening went way over schedule, but nobody seemed to mind. Also attending the meeting was another ex-member odf the club, Dermot McGoldrick and his wife Karen.  It was great to welcome them, Dermot soon made himself at home and it was not long before he was crawling around the floor assisting Roger with his presentation. It was amost enjoyable evening which was supplemented by the opportunity to talk to old friends.

Now that the new school year has just begun, two club members, Brian Monroe and David Fenn have started to visit Corringham Primary School to listen to the children read.  The children aged between six and seven years old are of a mixed ability, but their response has been admirable.  Each child in turn spends approximately five minutes reading to one of the Rotarians (there are some Mum’s there too).  We found the children enthusiastic, well behaved, polite and put every effort into their task.  It was a very rewarding couple of hours and we look forward to doing it again next week.

At the club’s meeting on Thursday 9th September, President David Fenn inducted new member into the club.
President David Fenn extended the hand of friendship on behalf of the members and hoped that they would make new friends, have fun and would work together with other club members to help others.
At the end of a short ceremony, Terry Finnegan was asked to formally introduce our new member to each of the Rotarians present. We hope that our new member will enjoy many happy years as a member of Corringham Thameside.