The Abracadabra / Club (Mercers Arms)

The Abracadabra/Yardbird Club 

(Mercers Arms)

by Pete Clemons

An article about The Mercers Arms pub, close to the old Highfield Road stadium, was recently released onto a Coventry Facebook site. It appeared to attract quite a bit of interest. Repeatedly though, comments were appearing about The Yardbird Club.

I can recall The Yardbird Club as being held at the Mercers during the mid to late 1970s but some of the comments seemed to suggest that the club existed during an even earlier time. And, as it turns out, they were correct.

It appears that The Abracadabra/Yardbird Club  first opened its doors, some sixty years ago, during early 1959. It began as a jazz club, held on Sunday evenings, in the concert room at the rear of the pub. The opening night showed the clubs ambitions as the guests that evening were Ronnie Scott and Tubby Hayes.

It was a certain Harry Flick who used to organise the events. And I say 'a certain' as I recognised Harry's name from a recent book about drummer Ginger Baker. It turns out that Harry had promoted one of Gingers old bands, The Graham Bond Organisation. He even put on their second ever gig at The Yardbird Club. The bands debut had been at Klooks Kleek in West Hampstead.

The book says 'Our very next gig was in Coventry for the promoter Harry Flick. He was a big jovial bloke who got us loads of gigs in the Midlands and was rather fond of a joint. He would take a long hard toke and say 'where's it all gonna end fellas? Where's it all gonna end?' before he exhaled'.

It is clear that Harry had connections. For example, if the Johnny Dankworth Orchestra were in the area then members of that group would guest at the club. Such as Danny Moss sextet or The Dankworth Four.

Also guesting during the clubs opening year were the likes of Ronnie Ross and Allan Ganley who, during September 1959, also appeared at the Newport Jazz festival.

It does appear that, from its opening night, the club was a huge success. And this had me wondering if Harry had been an influence on Ronnie Scott when he first opened his club in London towards the end of 1959.

Other key figures such as Jamaican born jazz musician and a pioneer of free form, Joe Harriott, also starred. This meant that, almost certainly, legendary drummers the calibre of Phil Seamen would have appeared on stage as he had been in Joe's band.

It looks as though all formats of jazz, trad through to rag time, were covered as, in later years, guests included the likes of Pete King (Ronnie Scotts partner at the London club), Terry Lightfoot, Mick Mulligan, Eric Allandale, Harold McNair, Ken Colyer, Mike Cotton, Georgie Fame and a whole host of others.

The Abracadabra Club, in its initial format, ran until around 1964. After this it became known as The Yardbird Club. This was until activities appear to have concentrated more on the already established Leofric Hotel Jazz Club. Also, as I understand, organised by Harry Flick. The Yardbird Club as I remember, was it seems, a revival of the name.

It certainly appears that I cannot overstate the importance of The Abracadabra/Yardbird Club. Sixty years ago it must have easily been one of the most important outside of London.