Appeared

MONDAY 12th June 2006

The Very Exciting

6th. Ward Brass Band

Jazz Musicians visiting from

New Orleans

Playing their own style of New Orleans Street Band Music, more usually seen around the time of the Mardi Gras festivals, this band will appear at the Mardi Gras Jazz Club as a very special feature. The range of music covers tunes made famous by Louis Armstrong, Fats Domino and many others as well as Gospel songs.

To-date the New Orleans musicians who are likely to appear are:-

Terrence Andrews - Bass Drum

Bennie Pete - Tuba

David Andrews - Trombone

Sammy Cyret - Snare Drum

Will Smith - Trumpet or

Big Al Huntly- Trumpet

Kelvin Johnson - Sax

with John Richardson (Northampton) on Piano/Organ

The return of two Special Guests from New Orleans

2008 Canceled

On Clarinet:- Chris Burke

and

On Banjo:- Frankie Lynn

Palm Court Jazz Cafe Decatur Street - New Orleans

7th February 2008

The Stackyard Stompers

Christine, the leader of the band on trombone and vocals has put together a programme of authentic arrangements from the Jazz grates: King Oliver, Jelly Roll Morton, Johnny Dodds, Clarence Williams, Fletcher Henderson, with a little of Louis Armstrong, Jabbo Smith and a just touch of Duke Ellington.

Contacts: 01582 422 845

The 'Stompers' also enjoy bringing back to life some of the more obscure bands and numbers of the period. Under the maxim "Classic Jazz needn't be boring", the band appears at numerous Jazz venues and festivals throughout the UK and also makes parties, weddings and conferences go with a swing. Whatever suits your tastes, the enthusiastic style of the Stackyard Stompers will captivate. The Band's Lineup:

Christine Woodcock - trombone, vocals (leader)

John Pickett - trumpet, cornet, vocals and swannee whistle

Norman Field - Reeds

John Bayne - Bass Sax

Roy Hart - banjo

Richard Howell - percussion.

6th. March 2008

The New Orleans Hot Shots

Jazz Band

THE NEW ORLEANS HOTSHOTS JAZZ BAND play their own unique brand of traditional jazz. Although inspired by a wide variety of bands from the Classic 1920's period up to the 40's and 50's revival; they base many arrangements on the original sounds of Armstrong, Morton, Oliver and Piron. The Hotshots descended from Leicester's own Russ Merryfield Jazz Band, resident at the Town Arms for more than 20 years. Russ is no longer with the Hotshots, but their leader, trombonist Dave Harmer and pianist Chris Riley go right back to Russ's original 1972 band. Cornet player, Terry Fyffe, developed many of his jazz skills with the Zenith Hot Stompers. His musical arrangements, both rehearsed and impromptu give the band its unique and varied style, enhanced greatly by Terry's superb vocals. Clarinetist, Ron Goffer, the most recent addition to the band, has been a well respected and much appreciated musician on the Leicester scene for many years. Our bassist, Al Harris replaces our long standing friend, Alan Offiler who died in 2005. Drummer and vocalist Clive Holt, as the senior member of the band, keeps the whole jazz machine 'ticking over' apparently effortlessly; while his superbly lyrical vocals bring tears to the eyes (as do the vocals of trombonist Dave Harmer, but not for the same reason).

Contact:- Dave Harmer 01509 503745

The New Orleans Hotshots Jazz Band

Friday 17th. October 2008

Sammy Rimington and his International Jazz Band

SAMMY RIMINGTON is widely regarded as one of the world's leading exponents of classic style clarinet and saxophone. Over the past 35 years Sammy has made important contributions through his lively and inventive approach to jazz. The New York Times states, Sammy Rimington's playing demonstrates the clarinet's matchless range of funky virtuosity, which makes jazz's past as real as its future.  He is one of the most prolific recording artists in all of jazz, and can be heard on over 170 recordings. Sammy is legendary for creating fascinating and highly rhythmic solos full of great emotional depth. His broad repertoire is generally drawn from material popularized prior to the 1950's and consists of a hot mix of pop tunes, swing music, spirituals, blues, stomps and rags. Performances have been described as sounding reminiscent of everything from a turn of the century Crescent City dance hall to a 50's Greenwich Village jazz club & much of what came in between!

Band Personnel:

Sammy Rimington - Reeds & Flute

Freddie John - Trombone

Emile Van Pelt - Piano

Eric Webster - Banjo

Keith Minter - Drums

Annie Hawkins - String Bass

Thursday 5th. June 2008

The Tierra Buena

Jazz Band

Tierra Buena Jazz Band on their recent World Tour of Gibraltar

"When we were young and jazz was new (or so it seemed) everyone either possessed, or was saving for, a musical instrument. Professional tuition was rare - trial and error, listening hard to the few records available at the time, and hoping for a major breakthrough was the only route to sounding remotely like Louis, the Dodds brothers or Kid Ory. This was long before any music college offered a jazz course, and certainly before it became normal for modest-income families to send their children to college at all.

Not everyone overcame the obstacles but those infected seriously by the jazz bug formed bands of which "Tierra Buena" is an excellent example. Today they remain, what they have always been, a group of friends dedicated to conveying the true spirit of jazz to the many people who love to hear it despite, or perhaps because of, the fifty years which have elapsed in the meantime. There are several British bands which have clocked up half a century, so why is Tierra Buena unique? I think it is their sheer enthusiasm, undimmed and unrestrained, which transmits to audiences the undeniable message that something wonderful is going on each time they play.

You might expect the entire personnel to have changed during the band's lifetime and it is nothing short of staggering to realize that Brian Bates, Brian 'Watty' Wathen, and Dave Wagstaff were there at the first rehearsal.

On the technical level Dave 'Spud' Taylor is the only musician to have been formally trained and his technique is formidable, but the achievements of Tierra Buena can only partially be explained in technical terms. Although rarely discussed there is a quasi-spiritual element to the music. Listen to the band live and hear how all the individual efforts combine to produce music which expresses the entire range of human emotions - wonderful music which owes as much to Coventry as it does to New Orleans or Chicago. Like any art form it is strengthened by the support and interest which you, the audience, give it.

Bob Caldwell September 2004"

(taken from the 'Linger Awhile with Tierra Buena Jazz Band' CD Insert)

For a return session we are pleased to welcome

Thursday 28th. August 2008

Below the home page from the web site.

18th. September 2008

Thursday 4th. December 2008

20th. Noverber 2008

The Frog Island Jazz Band:-

Keith Durston (Piano)

Owen Diplock (Banjo)

Chris Marchant (Drums)

John Whitehead (Cornet)

Bob Fullalove (Sousaphone, Vocals)

Ray Joughin (Trombone)

Jim Hurd (Reeds)

The Frog Island Jazz Band formed in 1962 features Classic New Orleans Jazz of the twenties and early thirties. The band's repertoire covering the music of a wide range of bands of the period which include such names as: Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers, The New Orleans Wanderers, Johrny Dodd's Blackbottom Stompers, Papa Celestin's Tuxedo Jazz Orchestra and King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band. Despite the limitations of the line up only including one comet the band has built an international reputation for its feeling and enthusiasm when recreating the classic King Oliver recordings.

During its 30 years existence the band have appeared regularly at Jazz Clubs throughout the United Kingdom and have also played on numerous occasions in Holland, Belgium and Germany. In April of 1980 travelling to New Orleans as the only British Band to appear at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, returning in 1982 when the Mayor of New Orleans conferred the title of 'International Honorary Citizens' upon the band for its services to the music of the City. The band returned for the festival again in 1986 and 1988 receiving a warm and enthusiastic reception.

Quote: Nottingham Rhythm Club "Jazz notes" - September 1980

"They are Britain's leading exponents of the vintage styles of King Oliver & Jelly Roll Morton, considered by many die-hards to be the true definitive jazz style. Earlier this year they were well received at the annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. The popularity of the Frogs has re-awakened a great deal of interest in the original music of Oliver & Morton from the 1920's. Certain critics, who appear to be missing the point, have levelled accusations of 'note-for-note' copying, but we feel this to be unfounded. The truth is that the Frog Island band have achieved a very accurate similarity to the original tones and tempos (both of which are far from easy to copy), but careful listening will reveal that on many of the well known numbers they tastefully introduce additional breaks and choruses, not being confined by the limitations of 10" 78 rpm records! In any case, it is doubtful whether any band in the world would attempt a slavish copy of King Oliver and Louis Armstrong whilst using only one cornet player! So we would prefer to say that the FIJB are recreating, rather than copying, and if, as a result, some of us are induced to dust off our old records of the Creole Jazz Band and Red Hot Peppers and listen to them again - or even go out and buy them for the first time, this can only advance the cause of jazz music and add to the pleasure which it gives us.!"

Quote: Mr Phil Bennet - Honorary Archivist to the FIJB Oliver Frogge Recordings.. LP Record HM VR 001/77

"Frog Island - the name does not hint at the connotation that it has for the lovers of vintage jazz, however, the Frog Island Jazz Band have become the undeniable leaders in their field. A seven piece combination, they hail from the South East of England but their name excites hot jazz connoisseurs from Basildon to Birmingham. This success can only be regarded as phenomenal as their reputation has been spread almost entirely by word of mouth. Not for them the regular exposure of the mass media but only exposure to the exhaustion of late night drives home from far flung engagements. Perhaps this is what the music is all about? Certainly for the jazz luminaries of yesteryear life was all too often a struggle to gain acceptance for what we now know to be a rich musical heritage. The Frog Island Jazz Band have delved deep into this heritage and on this, their second LP they have brought about a superb, and in many ways, a definitive performance of jazz from the classic era."

Quote: The Times - Picayune, New Orleans, Sunday 4th May 1986 by Ronnie Virgets, staffwriter.

"They talked about their musical style. It's not like later jazz, where everyone plays together for a few bars and then people take off on long solos. It's tight ensemble playing and that means the band really has to know each other's playing. We try to look for the fine line between being serious about the music and having fun. After all it's fun music."

"At 11.30 Saturday morning, the Frog Islanders were onstage at the Jazz and Heritage Festival's Economy Hall tent. They were getting ready to do some recreating of their own."

"It sounded like Alistair Cooke talking when the cornetist announced the upcoming tune as the 'Alli-gay-tor Hop' but when the music started it could have been coming from the original Economy Hall jazz club, back in the Treme neighbourhood 60 years ago."

"In their red-and-white striped shirts, the band swung through 'Gatemouth', 'Mabel's Dream' and the 'Canal Street Blues'."

"Their tightness was buoyed by Owen Diplock's banjo, the woodpad drumming of Chris Marchant, and snips of sousaphone from Rob Fullalove. Scattered throughout were those classic stops and pauses, broken by some soul-scrubbing wails from Alex Revell's clarinet and some jaunty scale-crawlings from cornetist John Whitehead and trombonist Ray Joughin."

"In the middle of it all was Ray Smith, smiling to himself, banging at the big black Kimball grand, left hand pounding, right hand shimmering."

"When the band members disposed of the last chord of 'Froggie Moore Rag' and took their final bows, half the thousand listeners in Economy Hall stood and whistled their appreciation to seven strangers who have kept some New Orleans music history safe and alive 3,000 miles from Basin Street."