From Russia with Love

From Russia with Love

A friendly true story

In July 1990, Reg Aveyard (the banjo player with the Savoy Jazzmen) and I, went to hear a touring Russian band at Telford’s Warehouse, Chester. The ‘Eight of the Neva’ from Leningrad (changed back to St. Petersburg in 1991) were a fine Dixieland band who had a great reception from a packed venue.

The drummer had a tee-shirt with “Life is Music” on the front, and “Jazz fran Sovjet pa turne” on the back.. At the interval I asked him if he would swap his tee-shirt for my “Hot Jazz”(with sousaphone motif) sweatshirt. He went beserk with delight ! Later on he wanted me to sit in on his drums – no way ! Chatting after the event , the trombonist nudged me, pointed at the tee-shirt and said ”No Russian – Swedish !” Cyrillic characters never occurred to us duffers. (And it was made in Brazil.) My wife thought I was mad – and still does – swapping my sweat shirt for a tee-shirt.

Later that year at Pete Allen’s Manx Jazz Festival, on the open-top bus into Douglas, wearing my ‘Russian’ tee-shirt, a lady tapped me on the shoulder and very slowly said “Are-you-enjoying-your-holiday-in -the-Isle-of-Man ?” My equally slow reply “Yes – thank-you, -can -you- understand-my-Lancashire-accent ?” Mirth all round on the bus.

12/05/22 - A follow up. The author's name has been removed for security reasons

In the light of Russia’s appalling assault on the Ukraine and it’s people, I don’t want anything to do with anything Russian. As a consequence, I have posted the Russian tee-shirt shown in that article, to the Russian ambassador – a Mr. Kelin – at the Russian embassy in London. That package included a USSR / Union Jack pin-badge, and 2 badges I bought from a Russian sailor at the ‘Return of the Tall Ships’ to Merseyside in 1992, and 2 vinyl LP’s of Russian jazz bands.

In the accompanying letter, I made it clear why I do not wish to possess anything from Russia in light of their war on the Ukraine and their status as the international pariah. I did not include my name and address – the first time that I have ever done that ! - even telling them ‘why’, referring to the ‘Salisbury’ episodes etc. I signed it from a ‘British sympathiser with the Ukraine and it’s people.