J'AIME JUNE 2018

appears at the 2018 Lichfield Festival, both of them on
Friday 13 July. One is as restaurant critic, the other is
as jazz pianist, and common to both is his compelling
skill as a raconteur.
My Dining Hell comes first, an early afternoon oneman
show in which the critic of in excess of 700 eating
establishments homes in on what he knows his readers
take the most delicious delight in: damning reviews of
lousy restaurants.
He writes about his Penguin-published book of this
title – its subtitle is Twenty Ways To Have A Lousy
Night Out:
“I have been a restaurant critic for over a decade,
written reviews of well over 700 establishments, and
if there is one thing I have learnt it is that people like
reviews of bad restaurants. No, scratch that. They
adore them, feast upon them like starving vultures who
have spotted fly-blown carrion out in the bush.
“They claim otherwise, of course. Readers like to
present themselves as private arbiters of taste; as
people interested in the good stuff. I’m sure they are.
I’m sure they really do care whether the steak was
served au point as requested or whether the soufflé had
achieved a certain ineffable lightness. And yet, when
I compare dinner to bodily fluids, the room to an S &
M chamber in Neasden (only without the glamour or
class), and the bill to an act of grand larceny, why, then
the baying crowd is truly happy.”
On the evening of Friday, July 13, Jay untucks the
napkin, re-caps the poison pen and unpacks the sheet
music and set list instead. Although there is not a
complete break with food: songs like The Ladies Who
Lunch, Black Coffee, Peel Me A Grape and Food,
Glorious Food are likely to feature in that set list.
With Jay on piano are double bass player Robert
Rickenberg, saxophonist Dave Lewis and Pat Gordon-
Smith on vocals. Their first CD is called A Night Of
Food And Agony.
Jay writes: “It’s not enough to choose songs; you
have to know why you are playing them. Happily, I
always have. My job as a restaurant critic gave me
half the repertoire. Jazz and restaurants have been
long intertwined. After all I met the Quartet’s brilliant
musicians, bassist Robert Rickenberg and saxophonist
Dave Lewis in the Ivy Club. And then there was my
late mother, agony aunt Claire Rayner. The anecdotes
she left me provided the other half of our setlists.
Because so many blues songs sound like letters to a
problem page.”
What unites both shows is the larger-than-life
character and generosity of spirit that is Jay Rayner.
As celebrated jazz critic Clive Davis points out:
“Rayner… boulevardier, is the perfect communicator”.
Jay Rayner: My Dining Hell and Jay Rayner Jazz
Quartet are at Lichfield Garrick Theatre on Friday,
July 13, at 2pm and 8pm respectively, as part of
Lichfield Festival. For more information on the Festival
see www.lichfieldfestival.org or phone 01543 412121.
The Competition
J’AIME HAS TEAMED UP WITH THE LICHFIELD FESTIVAL TO OFFER TWO TICKETS FOR JAY
RAYNER’S HUGELY ENTERTAINING SHOW, MY DINING HELL, AT THE LICHFIELD GARRICK
ON FRIDAY 13 JULY AT 2PM. TO BE IN WITH A CHANCE OF WINNING, SIMPLY ANSWER THE
FOLLOWING QUESTION:
WHICH BBC TV SHOW DOES JAY RAYNER REGULARLY APPEAR ON AS A JUDGE?
Send your answer, along with your name, address and telephone number, by email to competitions@jaimemagazine.com with Lichfield
Festival competition as the email subject. Entries must be received by 5pm on Friday, June 29, and our winner will be notified by
Wednesday, July 4. No cash alternative is available. Terms and conditions apply. Visit www.jaimemagazine.com for further details.
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