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The Left Wing Coffee Bar (Brazennose St)

Being so old, I remember the 'Wheel' when it was the 'Left Wing Coffee Bar'. John Rowlands, who later played with John Mayall's Blues Syndicate, used to run the all night jazz sessions there. We used to drop in after a Saturday night gig if we were passing through town.

John would sometimes import a 'name' in from London but the only one that I can remember seeing there was tenor player Don Rendell, one of my favourites. Don later had a quintet with Graham Bond who at that time was playing alto. Graham of course went on to play Hammond Organ, finally meeting a sad end under the wheels of an underground train.

I can't be sure who played with John Rowlands but it might well have included the likes of Roy Hilton and Hughie Flint (McGuiness Flint).

To give you some idea of how long ago this was, I can remember coming in to town in the early hours of a Sunday Morning after a gig just to look in Looker's window (the car dealers on Deansgate) to see this revolutionary new car that had been unveiled at midnight that night. It was the Mini.

Brazennose Street being almost opposite Lookers, we probably went on to the Left Wing for a cup of coffee and a dose of jazz.

Pete Crooks - 30/5/09

The Left Wing Coffee Bar was at 30 Brazennose Street off Albert Square, Manchester 2 and opened in 1958 as a beatnik coffee bar.

The M/C Left Wing Coffee Bar was opened by Joel Bennett (1923 - 2014), Bob Sheldon (b. Robert Sheldon) and Edmund Dell. Bennett became a Labour MP for Heywood and Royton in 1964 on his 41st birthday.

On Easter Saturday, April 16 to Sunday, April 19, 1960 The Left-Wing Coffee Bar reopened with The Jazzmakers with a new floor for dancing.

On Saturday, August 20 to Sunday, August 21, 1960 The Left-Wing Coffee Bar reopened with The Jazzmakers from 12pm to dawn.

John Rowlands who later played with The Blues Syndicate (John Mayall's Blues Syndicate), used to run all night Jazz sessions here. He would sometimes import a name from London like tenor sax player Don Rendell (1926 - 2015) who later had a quartet with alto sax player Graham Bond (1937 - 1974).

The club later changed its name to The Twisted Wheel Club which opened on Friday, January 27, 1963 with The Karl Denver Trio, The Skyliners and Dean West and the Hellions.

John Warburg 21 January 2022