Eric Clapton Talks and Plays Jazz with Wynton Marsalis

Wynton Marsalis plays jazz with Eric Capton

So much great music is accessible to us nowadays via the Web and YouTube. But Eric Clapton playing and talking jazz? Along with Wynton Marsalis! With an arrangement of his very own song, Layla, which proves that Jazz still works today!

Yes jazz fans, it’s true! And surely it demonstrates that jazz isn’t a lost cause, a whimsy of the 20s and 30s and the era of the Great Depression. Because is never was a whimsy and what began in New Orleans early last century is still with us today and its here to stay. And when the media demigods come to accept that fact, with a little more help from stars like Eric Clapton, surely it will revive and thrive again.

As an introduction to the very special arrangement of Layla, Eric pays respect to Wynton and his band: “how much it means to me to play with this bunch of guys, musicians that I’ve respected and admired for as long as I can remember and to become friends and play alongside the wonderful Wynton Marsalis who is a genius and a giant. … He’s encouraged me all along to find my way into this thing because Jazz to me was always forbidden.

“Whenever I met the great blues people I used to admire … I would say ‘I’m just doing this until I can get a gig in a jazz band’. There was something about jazz and there always will be in my heart that puts it somewhere up there with the gods … it’s refined … sophisticated … and has a lot of humour and depth. It speaks to everybody on the planet.

“So for me to be able to come in here and try to make my little jingly stuff work … it took a lot of courage to sit on this stage and be accepted by these guys … the feeling up here is fantastic and I’m really grateful. This tune [Layla] was foisted on me by Carlos behind me here who thought it would be a good idea …I didn’t think it would work but it sounds great.”

After some talking to the audience by Clapton, which is very rare, the band play a fantastic New Orleans version of Clapton’s most famous song. Recorded April 2011, Jazz at Lincoln Center, New York City.

Wynton and Eric went on to play “Just a Closer Walk with Thee” but, sadly,  that YouTube is no longer available.

Burton Agnes Jazz & Blues Festival, July 5th, 6th & 7th 2013

In Kenny’s footsteps, Keith Ball will honour his father by leading The Jazzmen at the Festival. (Photo © Peter M Butler, Jazz&Jazz)

The UK’s ONLY independent, boutique 3-day green field festival has announced it’s full line up of artists performing in the beautiful grounds and great halls of the stately and family home Burton Agnes Hall in July, including a celebration of jazz legend Kenny Ball who was due to perform at the Festival, performed by his Jazzmen led by his son Keith Ball.

For further information please contact Denise McDonagh, Manilla PR.  

Email: Manilla PR – [email protected]
Tel: 01642 438858

Tickets for the Festival are on sale now and the prices are discounted until May 31st.

Order online from the Burton Agnes Hall Festival Website

Or call Burton Agnes Hall weekdays 9am to midday: 01262 490 324

Scenes from the 2012 Festival

 Burton Agnes Jazz & Blues Festival on Facebook

“LIVE JAZZ … USE IT OR LOSE IT!”

Tad Newton’s Jazz Friends with Trevor Whiting on sax (© Peter M Butler, Jazz&Jazz)

“LIVE JAZZ … USE IT OR LOSE IT!”

Those emphatic words are Tad Newton’s and nothing could be closer to the truth. So much so that Jazz&Jazz is pleased to support Tad in his endeavours for jazz by publicising his full programme for the coming months of 2013. Big bands, big names, established stars, emerging stars … the programme includes them all.

Just click on the Tad Newton Programme link below to view his “JAZZIN’ AROUND” events.

And please note: at the time of publishing this there are only 12 tickets left for the
“JAZZ & DINE EVENING”
starring Amy Roberts and Trevor Whiting, 7.30pm on Friday, 17th May.

Tad Newton Programme

You can visit Tad at: http://www.tadnewtonsjazzfriends.com

And email him at: [email protected]

Piggly Wiggly and Papa De-Da-Da Bring the Frog Islanders Rapturous Applause!

John Whitehead (cornet), Nick Singer (banjo), Rob Fullalove (tuba) and John Jeans (trombone)

Peartree Jazz Club fans gave a rapturous welcome back to The Frog Island Jazz Band for their Monday, 15th April Club Night in Welwyn Garden City.

With their repertoire of Classic New Orleans Jazz from the 1920’s and 30’s, the Frogs bring a refreshing change to the post war Traditional Jazz of the 1950’s and 60’s. Their’s is the music of Jelly Roll Morton, Johnny Dodds, Papa Celestin and King Oliver. I would go so far as to say that The Frog Island Band all but stand alone in taking us back to the wonderful music of that all but forgotten era. Founded in 1962 the band has just celebrated it’s 50th Anniversary and is performing as powerfully and sublimely as ever.

Two solo performances truly captured the essence of 1920’s jazz. Rob Fullalove cast aside his beloved tuba to deliver his very own rendition of Clarence Williams’ vocal “Papa De-Da-Da”.  And Jim Hurd, note perfect on clarinet, brought the house down with John Dodds’ “Piggly Wiggly”,  famously written in 1929 in “honour” of the first ever supermarket chain in the USA.

John Whitehead

John Jeans – full reach!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keith Durston

Rob Fullalove

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jim Hurd

Nick Singer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chris Marchant andante … 

…… and prestissimo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rob Fullalove in his very own rendition of Papa De-Da-Da

That’s Jazz!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos © Peter M Butler, Jazz&Jazz

Peartree Club Night

Monday, 20th May, 2013
New to the Peartree – Not to be missed!

Colin Kingwell’s Jazz Bandits

2013 British Jazz Awards Back Home in Birmingham

Big Bear Music proudly announce that the 2013 British Jazz Awards are “coming home to Birmingham 27 years after their inception in the City”.

The Awards were first launched in 1986 by Humphrey Lyttelton and Benny Green at The Grand Hotel. This year the ceremony will be held on Wednesday, 10th July, in association with
The Birmingham Jewellery Quarter at the stunning St Paul’s Church in the Quarter,
as part of The Birmingham International Jazz & Blues Festival.

2012 Awards: Derek Nash, Alan Barnes, Karen Sharp and Jamie Brownfield

Jamie Brownfield

The evening will kick off at 7.30pm with the presentations featuring the usual irreverent acceptance speeches delivered with all the panache and humour devotees have come to expect of the recipients. This will be followed by a jazz session of breathtaking quality from the country’s very best jazz musicians and a late night party at the nearby Drop Forge to which all are welcome.

Reservations for the Awards can be made by emailing [email protected] or telephoning 0121 454 7020

For The Award Nominations, the Nomination Panel and full details visit: http://www.bigbearmusic.com/jazzawards.html

Remember, Jazzers, The British Jazz Awards are decided by your votes, so get online and vote at: http://tiny.cc/britishjazzawards

 STOP PRESS FROM BIG BEAR MUSIC

Counting down to the 29th Birmingham International Jazz & Blues Festival [July 5th – 14th] and we’re preparing to welcome the return visit of Shreveport Rhythm. This hot little quintet from Hamburg, led by clarinet star Helge Sachs were such a hit at the 2012 Festival that a return booking was inevitable. Their speciality is hot jazz, jive and swing classics from the 1920s – and the dancers love them!

Challenging Times for Jazz Clubs: An Interview with “Smiffy” of Peartree Fame

Washboard trio: Smiffy guesting centre stage with Barry Palser’s Savoy Jazzmen.

Jeff Matthews, leader of the Chicago Swing Katz recently wrote to me “Something occurs to me about jazz club devotees these days. Sadly, most are 70 plus and some considerably older. This is mirrored around the clubs wherever you go. In the next five years a vast swathe of that loyal audience will disappear. Actually a more serious situation than the problem of ageing musicians. This has to be addressed.”

Having recently posted the item “Jazz Clubs & Ageing Fans”,  this is currently very much on my mind. So Jeff’s comments stirred me into an interview with Brian Smith which I had intended to complete some time ago. Known as “Smiffy” to his friends, and for me an unsung Jazz Hero, Brian founded and manages The Peartree Jazz Club in Welwyn Garden City.

Peter Butler: Smiffy, tell us a little about your background and what got you into jazz.

Smiffy: I was born in The Long Arm and Short Arm pub in Lemsford Village just outside Welwyn Garden City, long enough ago to have followed some of the great jazz bands on the 1950s and 60s. Those were the days when Hatfield, Potters Bar, Enfield and Welwyn Garden City were hot beds of jazz. Terry Lightfoot and Acker Bilk used to live in Potters Bar. Bernie Tyrrell led the Salisbury Stompers in Barnet (the pub is now a Sainsbury’s).

PB: So you first got into jazz back then?

Smiffy: Yes. At two venues in particular, The Red Lion in Hatfield and The Cherry Tree Club in Welwyn Garden City. Sadly the Cherry Tree was demolished some years ago to give way to what is now a Waitrose Supermarket and The Red Lion no longer does jazz.

PB: I understand you “dabbled” in promotion back then.

Smiffy: Yes, at The Cherry Tree. But not so much jazz promotion as popular entertainment.

Bob Thomas & The Thomcats with Clare Gray at The Long Arm and Short Arm

PB: You’ve told me your experience back then has a bearing on your thoughts now but I’ll  come back to that later. Let’s skip to the 1990s because I believe that then The Long and The Short Arm hosted jazz sessions.

Smiffy: Yes, jazz came back to Lemsford Village, just outside Welwyn Garden City. Your and my good friend Bob Thomas launched weekly gigs there for his own band, Bob Thomas & The Thomcats, and a number of guest bands. It proved highly successful for a good ten years or more. But then the brewery switched landlords twice and jazz was ousted from the pub.

PB: Jazz ousted from your local, the pub you were born in! So yet again the fans had nowhere to go. But you decided to do something about that?

Smiffy at The Peartree on washboard with Dave Rance’s Rockin’ Chair Band.

Smiffy: That’s right. I asked other pubs in the vicinity if they were willing to stage jazz and that’s how The Peartree Jazz Club got started about three years ago. The Peartree Public House is pretty central for Hertfordshire fans, located in Hollybush Lane, Welwyn Garden City, where we now hold jazz gigs on the third Monday of each month.

PB: Out of your own pocket? Does the entrance fee cover your costs?

Smiffy: It’s not easy but I love jazz and the fans missed it. Football once a week was expensive enough so I’ve given that up! I chose a Monday because most people don’t have anything else on that night. Entry is £7 a night but I’ve now set up a club membership at £5 a year whereby members will still pay £7 but non members will be charged £8 or more depending on the band. That should help to build up attendance and takings to cover costs and might even fit in with my plans to move to two sessions a month later this year.

Starring at The Peartree, Tad Newton’s Jazz Friends with Trevor Whiting on clarinet

PB: What do you think it would take to attract fans from a wider catchment area and get more bums on seats?

Smiffy: Quite frankly big name bands but they are few and far between now. Terry and Kenny are gone. A club like The Peartree couldn’t afford them anyway.

PB: But let me come back to your experiences in your earlier days in promotion. You mentioned to me once a magic formula which worked back then.

Smiffy: Yes. I wanted to boost popular entertainment attendances at the Cherry Tree in Welwyn Garden City. I wanted a big name comedian who the local press would headline because I thought that would bring out the fans. Through contacts and good fortune I was able to book Bernard Manning at a concessionary rate. So then I didn’t need to advertise the event. The local press did that for me and the Cherry Tree was packed full to bursting that night. I even made a small profit.

I’d love to do the same for jazz at The Peartree before it’s too late, but who have we got left? Chris Barber’s band, or perhaps Kenny Ball’s Jazzmen now led by Kenny’s son Keith. Or Bill Kerr’s Whoopee Jazz Band. Terry’s daughter Melinda is continuing the Lightfoot tradition along with his grandsons. We could double bill with a more local band. That would bring the fans out and hopefully help increase club membership.

PB: But we’re still talking about older fans, and as my pal Jeff Matthews put it, in the next five years a vast swathe of that loyal audience will disappear. How about younger bands?

Smiffy: Well, you and I have been working on that, but haven’t been able to follow up on our leads so far due to recent commitments the musician we’ve been talking to has taken on.

PB: That’s right. Unquestionably there are a number of younger bands out there with solid fan bases in their own age groups. But they are mainly in London, Liverpool and other hot locations. Getting them to play to older fans at jazz clubs like The Peartree wouldn’t be easy. Plus they would want and deserve good money.

Smiffy: As your pal Jeff put it, older audiences might like to see young musicians in older bands but they also prefer bands that are generally around their own ages.

PB: Not much hope there then for the future of New Orleans jazz?

Smiffy: I think it’s going to take more than a small club like The Peartree to ring the changes, but I would still be willing to play a part and give it a go. If we could beef up membership and enthusiasm we might yet be able to book younger bands who might even bring along some to their own fan base. With the right publicity we could even attract University of Hertfordshire students. That would liven up our old faithfuls! But would it put them off? Somehow I don’t think so.

Russ and Rich Bennett

Russ and Rich Bennett

PB: If Hemsby last year was anything to go by you’re right. The Rich Bennett Band, average age around 33, were booked to star at the Autumn Parade. But you could tell the organisers were wary of how they would be received from their announcements on the preceding day. They need not have worried. The “elderly” fans took this dynamic young band to heart and swarmed to the stage to meet them after their sessions. Their CDs sold like hot cakes.

Smiffy: I’ve heard that the idea of a Festival for younger bands has been broached on your Facebook Jazzers Group.

PB: Yes, it would be great if that could be followed up.

Ben Martyn, Adrian Cox and Sammy Rimington at The 100 Club

Smiffy: I hear you were at the 100 Club recently for a session with The Martyn Brothers Band.

PB: Yes, early in April. The Martyn Brothers, another younger band. Bob Thomas came along with me and Sammy Rimington guested with them. To see him playing alongside Adrian Cox on clarinet and sax was inspiring. Bob spoke to Adrian and compared him with Bruce Turner which he took as a compliment.

Smiffy: The trouble is these younger bands build up fan bases and promote themselves via Facebook etc very successfully. Their gigs are alive with LindyHop and Swing dancing. What you and I have been talking about is luring all this further afield – even into the provinces and, dare I say, beginning with centres like Welwyn Garden City.

Trefor Williams and Richard Leach guest with The Fenny Stompers at The Peartree Christmas gig, December 2012

PB: I mentioned the thought of a Festival for younger bands to Sammy Rimington but that some had suggested older band(s) should also be involved to guarantee punters. Sammy didn’t think much of the idea of including older bands but suggested prominent guest musicians could be invited to play with the younger bands.

Smiffy: You and I have been talking about all this for the last six months. I’d love to play a part and get The Peartree involved. After all, Welwyn Garden City is within easy striking distance of London. But the big hurdle would be finance. We are still building up the Peartree’s fan base but currently its still nip and tuck. I’m getting calls from a good many bands now wanting to play at the Club. I’m the first to admit they are well worth their asking price, but without a strong fan bass I can’t afford to pay the big names top whack.

But wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could break the “ageing cycle” and get the youngsters involved again! As your pal Jeff said, “this has to be addressed”!

Photos © Peter M Butler, Jazz&Jazz

Peartree Jazz Club, Welwyn Garden City, April, May and June Gigs

Monday, 15th April, 2013

 Jazz from the 1920 & 30s!

 The Frog Island Jazz Band


John Whitehead (cnt) Jim Hurd (clt) John Jeans (tmb) Keith Durston (piano) 

Nick Singer (bjo) Chris Marchant (dms) Rob Fullalove (tuba)

*****

Monday, 20th May, 2013

New to the Peartree – Not to be missed!

Colin Kingwell’s Jazz Bandits

Colin Kingwell (ldr;tmb) • Peter Brooks (bass0 • Ron Rumbal (clt;sax) • John Lawrence (tpt)
Dave Fawcett (bjo) • Malc Murphy (dms)

*****

Monday, 17th June, 2013

Welcome Back…

Christine’s Stackyard Stompers

Christine (ldr, tmb,voc) • Ron Finden (clt, alto sax) Dave Arnold (sousa)
John Pickett (tmp, cnt, voc, swanee slide whistle) Roy Hart (bjo) • Richard Howell (perc)

Announcing Iris Harmon, “S’Wonderful”

Twice I’ve heard Iris Harmony singing at The Peartree Jazz Club, Welwyn Garden City. And twice I’ve thought “this lady is good, she’s got rhythm, she’s got swing”. Then I learned she’d made a CD so I bought one and asked her to sign it for me: “Iris Harmony”!

Iris says on the CD cover: ‘Having spent most of my life performing live, the suggestion of recording was instantly quashed: “It’s not what I do,” I said … “Why?” I asked myself the very next morning and, you know, I couldn’t think of one good reason. So here is it!

‘I do hope you enjoy what “me and my buddies” have put together. Recorded with fun, laughter and much love.’

 In Tribute to John China

More poignantly Iris adds, ‘Since making this recording, sadly, John China has died. His contribution on this CD was enormous and helped me to feel special. We will all miss
his beautiful piano.’

Iris wows the fans with Bill Freeman’s New Orleans Jazz Band at The Peartree Jazz Club, Welwyn Garden City

 

Ramsgate Seaside Shuffle Presents The Jazz Advocates

Based in Kent and now in their sixth year, The Jazz Advocates have created their own unique sound with a subtle mix of jazz, blues and swing. Seaside Shuffle is pleased to welcome them back to Ramsgate on Saturday, 27th April.

Photo © Peter M Butler, Jazz&Jazz

And the Band Plays On ……

In his father’s footsteps, Keith honours the mantel.

Kenny Ball was due to play with His Jazzmen at the Wyllyotts Theatre in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, on 5th April this year and I had planned to be there. But it didn’t turn out that
way and I didn’t book. Then I learned from Syd Appleton, Kenny’s Stage Manager and
Sound Technician, that Ken’s wish was for his son, Keith, to keep the party going
and play on with his Jazzmen.

So, late in the day, Syd arranged tickets for my wife, Ginny, and myself, and I am able to vouch for Kenny’s confidence in Keith. It was a wonderful evening of full on jazz, Kenny style, played to a theatre audience full to overflowing.

Yes indeed “The Band Plays On” with Keith continuing on vocals but now also as leader. So, fans, be sure you don’t miss out on their concerts this year. Simply visit http://www.kennyball.co.uk where you will find the full list of concert venues and dates.

Thank you Keith and the Jazzmen for the privilege of meeting you backstage during the interval and, just for tasters, here is a selection of photos I took from way back in the Gods (my choice) on the night.

Be sure to read Syd’s tribute to Kenny.

Spotlight on the future.

Bill Coleman, Nick Millward, Ben Cummings.

Nick Millward in command of the stage for a phenomenal Jazzmen drum solo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hugh Ledigo, maestro of the keyboard ……

…… accompanied by John Bennett, Kenny’s trombonist since then 1950s.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Demon Horn Player” Ben Cummins takes a turn on vocals ……

…… and on trumpet solo.

Rhythm and Strings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

John Bennett, founder member of Kenny’s Jazzmen.                                      “John went professional with the Terry Lightfoot band in 1956, and there met Kenny Ball who was also to join that band eighteen months later.”                (www.kennyball.co.uk). 

Bill on Double Bass

Julian Stringle, passionate on clarinet

 

The band plays on in the glow of The Master.

Photos © Peter M Butler, Jazz&Jazz

 

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