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The Black Lion (Salford)

I remember going to the Black Lion in Salford in the sixties every Saturday night to listen to Zenith Six jazzband. I think it was Keith Pendlebury.

Very boozy, tables swimming with beer. Very noisy. Great nights. Great memories.

Allen Holmes - 23/11/12

Almost spit a mouthful of Brown Basstard (bottom half Bass, top half Newc Brown) into my keyboard after seeing the Black Lion listed here.

Was working at the Salford City Reporter 1965/66 and interviewed the much-traveled Joe Silmon of the superb Zenith Six trad jazz band, who were resident at the Black Lion. Great lunch of sandwiches and beer (on expenses ... perfect!) at the Town Hall Tavern, off Albert Square, Manchester, while hearing some of Joe's escapades. The man can tell a story.

(He can also write ... google "Joe Silmon: The Making, Breaking and Repair of a British Jazzman" for a 2005 piece from "Just Jazz" magazine with a myriad memories of the jazz trenches plus photos - the Thatched House, Manchester; Manchester Sports Guild; Tommy Ducks; Victoria Station - honest!)

Spent several memorable Saturday nights upstairs at the Black Lion with girlfriend Mary Quinlan, Reporter staff photog Eric Willoughby and a succession of his delectable "birds," as Joe, his compadres and vocalist Marcia McConnell tore the walls down. Those were the days, my friend ...

Jack Grimshaw, - Dana Point, Southern California - 25/7/13

 

Comments

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Ian Case
5 years ago
I remember the Zenith Six and Marcia McConnell too. They played in an upstairs room at the Black Lion and to get there you had to run the gauntlet of the Teddy Boys playing the jukebox in the bar downstairs. The beer  was good. After the gig on a Saturday two or perhaps three of the band (Alan Pendlebury who was the pianist I think and  the drummer whose name I forget would drive to a small nightclub on the corner of Wilmslow Road and Platt Lane in Rusholme where they carried on playing more smoochy music until the early hours. I worked with the drummer at Gallaher Tobacco. Sadly on the way to one of these late night gigs their van was involved in an accident and he was thrown out of the unclosed sliding door and killed. He was married with children. 
Marcia McConnell was up there with the best female vocalists and the banter and humour of the Zenith Six was wonderful making a Saturday night at the Black Lion a great night out. 
Ian Case
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