In 2011, six nights of gigs at the Red Room, have raised all the funds necessary for a Blue Plaque to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated and their beginning of “British Rhythm and Blues” at Ealing. (more on the fundraising gigs to follow)
The Ealing Club Blue Plaque will be celebrated, on 17th March 2012. Final plans for this are being made with the help of Ealing Events at the council.
Blues Britannia: Can Blue Men Sing the Whites (Currently on BBC I Player)
This superb BBC4 documentary, contains a little information on the Ealing Club and even some pictures of those steps, where musicians have recently started to return.
It is here, Keith Richards first heard Alexis Korner, call out the words “Dooji Wooji”. Korner’s band, Blues Incorporated, then blasted into their own interpretation of the Duke Ellington classic.
Keith Richards was just one of the musicians who would “cut their teeth” in 1962/63 at Ealing. Eric Clapton came to sing in the intervals and a young Pete Townshend absorbed the sounds of Graham Bond, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker. In 1964, John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers and The Who would be just a couple of bands to play the club, but not before the early success of Manfred Mann (the first British band from Southern England to break the US market)
Lets hope people write and film more, about this in the future!
Ealing should have a “spirit” for music, just as Wembley does for football. We don’t need a stadium!