Neville Dickie at Barnaby’s Lounge

Neville Dickie plays Boogie Woogie

Barnaby’s Lounge hosted favourite BBC pianist Neville Dickie for a journey through the first fifty years of jazz piano on Wednesday 10 April. Jude Montague was there.

Paul Carpenter arranged for Neville Dickie to be at Barnaby’s Lounge for a special event at which he presented the first fifty years of jazz through piano tunes. Paul used to play tennis with Neville but they had not been in touch for fifty years, until Paul bravely rang Neville and invited him to Hastings to perform. Paul is also a (former) bandleader and pianist and performed a few tunes in the break.

Neville Dickie is a boogie-woogie and stride piano player from Durham who has regularly performed at the BBC and internationally particularly in Europe and America. A packed house greeted him at Barnaby’s Lounge and appreciated his humble and charming presentation of various songs including tunes by Fats Waller, Harry Warren and Ivor Novello.

One highlight was his adaptation of the theme from the film Golden Earrings the American romantic spy film from 1947 starring Ray Milland and Marlene Dietrich. Neville pointed out that the woman who wears the golden earrings will bring love to her life. The magic of music helps bring alive this kind of talismatic theme.

Dean Morris joined Neville on the drums. It was the first time they had performed together yet the two had a good chemistry.

Neville Dickie and Jude Montague – photo by Barnaby Davies

In the 1960s Neville performed at the Combe Haven caravan park. The owner, he told us, began in Bromley with one caravan and built up his business till he owned a park catering for 300 caravans. The big names of jazz of the day, Acker Bilk and Kenny Ball, would come down to play. Neville remembered getting two speeding fines in Hastings both rushing to find out the racing results.

Barnaby’s piano is his childhood instrument and it’s wonderful to hear its clear honest tones ringing in the room. He is very generous with its use and I’m lucky to play it each week on a Wednesday – I hope more people will come and join me, I play at 6pm or 4pm, depending what other acts are on that day.

The famous Neville Dickie will be returning for a visit in June or July, dates tbc.

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