Presenting Oxford’s Monthly Dixieland Jazz Band – the lively Eastside Rhythm Kings

June 9, 2024 By

The Eastside Rhythm Kings have for the last decade been playing at
The Gladiator Club in Oxford on the last Tuesday of every month.
Their next live gig is on Tuesday, 25th June 2024.

Jazz & Jazz highly recommends this lively, traditional jazz band
for a brilliant night out. Here’s a link to their website:
https://www.dixielandjazz.co.uk/

“The Eastside Rhythm Kings are a lively, traditional jazz band (New Orleans / Dixieland) of experienced musicians. Whether you’re a seasoned jazz fan or are just looking for a fun night out then try the Gladiator Jazz Club.”

“Entrance is free and there is a bar with drinks at club prices but cash only, no cards. The jazz is self funded so there is a raffle and bucket collection to cover the band’s travel and other costs. There is no pressure to buy raffle tickets or make bucket contributions, but without them the jazz club would not exist”, so please show your appreciation.

The show starts at 8:00pm – so best not be late!

Playing live are the unforgetable Henri Harrison on Drums, Dave Arnold on Bass, Rod Wall on Trumpet and Cornet, John Aust on Clarinet and Saxophone, Harry Crook on Trombone and Gordon Dawson on Banjo.

Filed Under: Features, Jazz Bands, Jazz Events

The Eastside Rhythm Kings

June 6, 2024 By
Eastside Rhythm Kings performing live at the Gladiator Club in Oxford

GLADIATOR JAZZ CLUB 263 IFFLEY ROAD OXFORD OX4 1SJ

Every so often Jazz&Jazz receives emails which quickly grab our attention.
This one for instance:

Hi Peter
Just helping my dad spread the word about his regular Dixieland Jazz Night in Oxford. His band is called the Eastside Rhythm Kings.

They play at the Gladiator Club on the last Tuesday of every month – and have done so for over a decade. I see that many members of the band have been referenced on Jazz&Jazz. I’d love to know how best to submit to you to build awareness of their band and/or to feature their regular nights.

Here’s a link to their website: https://www.dixieland jazz.co.uk/
Please let me know if there’s anything else I can pass on to make it easier for you (eg images).

Many thanks in advance, The Steve Tucker All Star Jazz

Filed Under: Jazz Art

Jazz ART Launches its Online Shop on Etsy!

March 26, 2024 By

PRECURSOR: At this stage Jazz ART is in its rudimentary stage to ensure that involvement with Etsy in no way detracts from, but enhances our overall aims of reinforcing the scope of and promotion of jazz.

Newly launched, open and ready for business, Jazz ART’s Etsy Online Shop provides a worldwide platform for artist, Peter Mark Butler’s Jazz ART.

Our link to Jazz ART on Etsy is http://jazzartbypeterbutler.etsy.com


We have recently opened our own Jazz ART Online Shop on Etsy’s worldwide shopping platform. Here you can view and purchase many of Peter’s Fine Art Giclée prints of portraits and caricatures of musicians and bands from around the world.

The shop includes signed and numbered Fine Art Giclée prints and will also include selections of conventional digital prints and specially selected mounted and framed prints. In due course we will also release for sale over 50 of Peter’s original paintings plus original works of art that are close to 100 years old, painted by Peter’s mentor, Frederick C. Dickinson.

Jazz ART’s prints are gettig top billing on Etsy’s shop as they come up under “Etsy’s Picks”.

Our shop is called “JazzARTbyPeterButler“. Simply click on the following link http://jazzartbypeterbutler.etsy.com and you will be there. We plan to add new items each week, so be sure to log in regularly.

However, if you don’t want to wait for your favourite painting to be launched on Etsy or if you would prefer to buy directly from us, simply click on Jazz ART in the navigation bar at the top of this page and select Jazz ART Gallery. Scroll down the page to “Index of Jazz ART” where you will find listed all the musicians and bands that Peter has portrayed over the years.

Click on your chosen portrait to reach the page which displays the painting and poem. Then email [email protected] to let him know which musician or band you are interested in and he’ll forward the relevant information and prices to you.

Any item you purchase from us directly will automatically come with a 10% Discount and you can pay for it using our Paypal Donate button in the column to the right of this article.

We found that taking the time to build our own e-commerce shop here on jazzandjazz.com was proving to be too time consuming and that our best option would be to take advantage of Etsy‘s specialised online marketing facility to launch Jazz ART.

We will keep you updated via this website and on Jazzers whenever a new item is put up for sale on Etsy. This way you will have an advantage of seeing the new releases first as they become available ahead of the general public. We will also make announcements on Facebook Stories.

We hope you enjoy seeing Peter’s works of art and reading about the inspiration behind each painting and poem. They will bring back to life the memories of many jazz events, bands and musicians from the past and the wonderful times they all gave us.

Why not take a tour down memory lane now by visiting our Jazz ART Gallery?

Filed Under: Features, Jazz Art

Pete Allen Jazz Band Launches 45th Anniversary Album

November 15, 2023 By

Pete Allen celebrates his 45 Years of band leading at Pizza Express Soho on Monday,
4th December 2023.
Doors open at 6:30pm, concert starts at 8pm.


Be sure to book early.

During his professional career in show business there is so much Pete has achieved that it’s impossible to list everything. His band has always featured a host of British talent and his present line-up is no exception:
Jim Newton (drums), Dave Hanratty (bass), Roger Marks (trombone),
James Clemas (piano) Pete Allen (clarinet and saxes),
Chris Hodgkins (trumpet) who has rejoined the band after 40 years.
 
The Band have just released a 45th Anniversary Album on Upbeat Jazz.

Pete joined the Rod Mason Jazz Band in 1976 and formed his own fully professional band on the 1st of October 1978.

Throughout the late seventies, eighties, and nineties, the Pete Allen Jazz Band was the most featured band of its style on a host of popular BBC Radio Two programmes, including regular slots on the Terry Wogan Breakfast Show and others presented by Jimmy Young, John Dunn, Ray Moore, Gloria Hunniford, Pete Clayton, Humphrey Lyttleton, Sheila Tracey, and Brian Matthew.
He also featured on “Music While You Work”, “Friday Night is Music Night” and a number of Bank Holiday Special broadcasts for Pete Murray
and Paul Daniels.

In addition to radio, the band made regular appearances on television for BBC Pebble Mill at One and Harry Secombe Highway, plus Jazz Specials for Border TV, TSW, TV South, HTV West, BBC South, and BBC West. He also made appearances on various European TV shows in Germany, Denmark, and Holland whilst on tour.

Over the years Pete has played alongside many  American jazz legends including Billy Butterfield, Benny Waters, Peanuts Hucko and Bob Wilber.

Throughout his career, Pete has released over 100 recordings. The band represented England at the Sacramento Dixieland Jazz Jubilee USA in 1983,  1984 and 1986,  attracting audiences of 85,000. Pete was also chosen to lead the Worldwide All Stars – a band that included Barrett Deems (drums) and Jack Lesberg (bass), both ex-members of Louis Armstrong’s All-Stars.
In 1992, whilst playing tour dates in St Louis and New Orleans USA, Pete was awarded Honorary Citizenship of New Orleans for his services to British music and tourism”

Filed Under: Features, Jazz Bands

Adrian Cox by Adrian Cox

July 11, 2023 By

Recently released, Adrian reflects on Adrian Cox and Jazz.

Filed Under: Features

A Tribute to Smiffy a very special Treasured Friend . . .

April 17, 2023 By

“Smiffy” our Washboard Rhythm King at Lemsford Jazz Club in October 2022
playing with Henri Harrison and Dave Rance’s Rockin’ Chair band.
Go Smiffy Go, take it away!

Brian Smith aka “Smiffy” sadly passed away last week. He was 80, like me, and we had been close friends for many years in Lemsford.

Smiffy was born in The Long Arm & 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.

One of our greatest adventures was when Smiffy, Bob Thomas and I went to Potters Bar on 31st May 2012 to meet and see Acker Bilk and his
Paramount Jazz Band.


Left to right: Bob Thomas, Peter Butler, Acker Bilk and Smiffy back stage at the
Wyllyotts Theatre, Potters Bar, 31st May 2012.

Smiffy was not only an Ambassador for Jazz, he was a showman and an entertainer. He was one of the kindest and most generous people my wife and I have ever met and yet so modest. We miss him dearly.

Smiffy, this Jazz&Jazz YouTube is forever for you!

Filed Under: Features, Jazz Events, YouTubes

FiddleBop Spring Newsletter

March 10, 2023 By
FiddleBop's logo

OK Jazzers… it’s time to spring into spring!

Yup, Spring! Jo suggested that I start this newsletter with something positive. Something to lift the spirits. Something with a spring-scented, lamb-skipping, buds-bursting, bird-singing, full-of-optimism vibe! Especially as the world and UK news can be just a trifle gloomy from time to time.

Hopefully then this up-and-at-’em, keep-’em-smiling beginning will distract you. Not just from miserable news, but also from my poor performance as FiddleBop’s official newsletter writer. Awful indeed. It has been ten months (gasp!) since the last FiddleBop news missive! That’s dodgy going even by my own low standards.

Skipping lambs at dusk
It’s definitely spring! Skipping lambs at dusk.
Yellow crocuses
Yes it is spring! Even in Wales… Yellow crocuses bursting into bloom!.

No excuses, of course. I could say that I’ve been busy. But I won’t. Really.

So – moving swiftly on – let’s look to the future. Because there are some looking good and feeling happier FiddleBop gigs in the coming months, for your delectation! Some in Wales and some in England, and more being arranged as I write.

FiddleBop! Photo: Ruth Redmond-Cooper
Those springtime FiddleBoppers! Left to right, it’s Dave, Paul (with added beard), Graeme, Jo. Photo: Ruth Redmond-Cooper. Click to enlarge (if you’ve a strong stomach)

Not to mention lots of new songs and tunes in the FiddleBop repertoire. And a new way of describing our music, “Gypsy jazz: re-imagined”. (More about that below.)

Yup, FiddleBop has been busy. Which I could use as an excuse for my bad newsletter-writing performance.

But I won’t.

Nope!

The Bank Vault, Aberystwyth
The Bank Vault, Aberystwyth. FiddleBop are here on Saturday 8 April.

First on our forthcoming gig list is a new venue for us: the Bank Vault at Aberystwyth, An intimate craft beer and live music bar!. And they don’t just serve beer, they also have a lovely range of artisan Welsh ciders, spirits, soft drinks, and wines. You could say its Xmas again!

Smiley

In case you were wondering, the Bank Vault really was a bank! A 200 year-old bank. (Let’s hope that they don’t have regular lock-ins there, ho ho!)

We can’t wait! FiddleBop will be giving the best possible account of ourselves (Geddit? Ho ho!) playing “Gypsy Jazz: Re-imagined” from 8 pm on Saturday to
8pm on Sunday, April 2023. And it’s free admission! So come and cheque us out! (Ho Ho again…)

The Bank Vault, 1 New Street, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion SY23 2AT. 01970 600220

The Rose and Crown, Oxford
Sunday 7 May: FiddleBop return to the picturesque Rose and Crown, Oxford. Click to enlarge

Next, FiddleBop head east.

Where we’re making a very welcome return to the Rose and Crown, Oxford, on Sunday 7 May 2023. This is an Oxford Jazz Kitchen gig (thanks, Trish!), and the Rose and Crown is one of our most favourite pubs, with great beer and wine, brilliant food, and a fascinating history. Plus Andrew is one of our most favourite landlords ever. So we’re definitely looking forward to this gig! FiddleBop will be playing from 7 pm.

Admission is £5, and booking is recommended. There is a coronation occurin’ during this Bank Holiday weekend, and things just might get busy…

The Rose and Crown, North Parade Avenue, Oxford OX2 6LX Tel 01865 510551

And now for some festival gigs!

HowTheLightGetsIn Festival, Hay-on-Wye
HowTheLightGetsIn Festival, Hay-on-Wye. FiddleBop are playing here on Saturday 27 May and Monday 29 May. Click to enlarge

FiddleBop will be playing twice at the HowTheLightGetsIn Festival in Hay-on-Wye. With a smashing location beside the River Wye, this is “the world’s largest music and philosophy festival which electrifies the idyllic town of Hay-on-Wye during a magical Bank Holiday weekend”. The festival runs from 26-29 May 2023, with a thrilling speaker lineup which includes Slavoj Žižek, Esther Freud, and Brian Greene; a sensational music lineup, and hilarious new acts in the comedy lineup.

HowTheLightGetsIn Festival, Hay-on-Wye
Another view of HowTheLightGetsIn Festival, Hay-on-Wye. Click to enlarge

FiddleBop played here last year, and we loved it! This year, we will be playing from 3 to 3.45 pm on Saturday 27 May in the Blue Moon Tent, and from 3.30 pm on Monday 29 May in The Stage venue.

If you are wondering about the title of the festival… well no-one seems to know exactly who said it first, but a much-quoted version is from Leonard Cohen’s 1992 song “Anthem” which includes these lines:”Forget your perfect offering.
There is a crack, a crack, in everything.
That’s how the light gets in.”

Tickets for HowTheLightGetsIn are available here. This will be a really great weekend. We’d love to see you there!

HowTheLightGetsIn Festival, Hay-on-Wye, Hereford HR3 5BZ

HowTheLightGetsIn Festival, Hay-on-Wye

Which brings us to Upton Jazz Festival!

This marvellous two-day event, in the highly photogenic town of Upton-upon-Severn beside the (you guessed it!) River Severn, takes place this year on 24-25 June 2023. No flash-in-the-pan, this. The festival was founded by a group of friends in 1985. Pubs, hotels, and clubs are transformed into jazz venues “hosting the very best in Dixieland to boogie woogie, hot club to European, trad to swing and gypsy jazz”.

Upton Jazz Festival, by the River Severn
Upton Jazz Festival, by the River Severn. Saturday 24 June for FiddleBop! Click to enlarge

This year there are some brilliant jazz musicians playing: Alex Clarke Quartet, Alligator Gumbo, Ben Holder’s Hot Club Quartet, Cate Cody Trio, Debbie Arthur Trio, Dorine De Wit’s Tremé, Hotsy Totsy, Jake Leg Jug Band, Jeremy Huggett’s Boogie Band, Moscow Drug Club, Pedigree Jazz Band, Richard Leach’s Street Band, Sarah Spencer’s Transatlantic Band, Swing from Paris, Tenement Jazz Band, ‘Spats’ Langham and Hot Fingers, The Vintage Jazz Collective, Washington Whirligig… and more!

So FiddleBop are very pleased to also be making our music (“Gypsy jazz: re-imagined”, to be precise) at Upton Jazz once again. Yaaaaay! We’re on from 4.30 pm on Saturday 24 June 2023 (venue TBA).

Tickets for Upton Jazz Festival are available here. And yes, it would be brilliant to see you at Upton Jazz!

Upton Jazz Festival, Upton-upon-Severn, Worcs WR8. 07759 342073

Money collected for Ukraine when FiddleBop played at the Muse, Brecon, on Valentine's Day 2023
Money collected for Ukraine when FiddleBop played at the Muse, Brecon, on Valentine’s Day 2023. Click to enlarge
A springtime stream
This springtime stream (at the bottom of Jo and Dave’s field) is always the same but is always changing (so “You can’t step in the same river twice”). Gypsy jazz is the same. Click to enlarge

OK, that’s enough about the future. What about the year so far?

On Valentine’s Day, FiddleBop played at The Muse, Brecon, to raise money for Ukraine. Not only did everyone (including us) have a great time (we won’t forget the delicious Ukrainian food), but ‐ in our trusty yellow buckets ‐ we collected 320 quid for Ukraine.Smiley

And finally, what’s all this about a new way of describing our music: “Gypsy jazz: re-imagined”? Well, if you want a long answer then take a look here. But the short answer is that we’ve thought for a while now that, while FiddleBop certainly plays Gypsy jazz — as was jointly created by Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli in 1930s Paris — we are moving more and more towards a version which has been updated for the 2020s.

So that’s what we now say that we play: Gypsy jazz re-imagined, updated, re-invented. Brought up to date, and very eclectic. But still with all the pizzazz and excitement, the “zing”, of the original. Which comes naturally, since we love what we play.

OK. How about seeing you at a FiddleBop gig soon, for some “Gypsy jazz: re-imagined”?

And finally finally… as usual I need to check that you wish to continue to receive FiddleBop newsletters. If no, then click here to unsubscribe. Or send an unsubscribe-request email to [email protected]. If you don’t do either of these things then I’ll assume that you are happy to receive future FiddleBop newsletters.

Thank you! Stay well.Smiley

Dave (and Jo and Paul and Graeme… the FiddleBoppers)

Gypsy jazz: re-imagined!

[email protected]Phone01982 560726 Mobile Phone07968 950870
FiddleBop@FiddleBopGet our email newsletter

Future FiddleBop gigs!

This list of gigs is correct at the time of writing, but the list on our website is always up to date.

The gig!When is FiddleBop playing?Venue, occasion, whatever…Where is it?
Bank Vault AberystwythFree admission!From 7 pm
Saturday 8 April 2023		Bank Vault,
Aberystwyth		Bank Vault
1 New Street
Aberystwyth
Ceredigion SY23 2AT, UK
Phone01970 600220
[email protected]
BankVaultAber
bankvaultaber
The Rose and Crown, Oxford£5 admission
Booking recommended		From 7 pm
Sunday 7 May 2023		Oxford Jazz Kitchengig at
The Rose and Crown, Oxford		The Rose and Crown
North Parade Avenue
Oxford
Oxon OX2 6LX, UK
Phone01865 510551
[email protected]
Roseandcrownph
@RoseandcrownPH
roseandcrown_oxford
UCE6IPRXk-cm03c5It_bwsxA
HowTheLightGetsIn Hay-on-Wye 2023 
HowTheLightGetsIn Festival tickets here		3 – 3.45 pm
Saturday 27 May 2023		Blue Moon Tent
HowTheLightGetsIn Festival, Hay
26-29 May 2023		HowTheLightGetsIn Festival
Hay-on-Wye
Hereford HR3 5BZ, UK
[email protected]
@HTLGIFestival
HowTheLightGetsIn
howthelightgetsinfestival
HowTheLightGetsIn Hay-on-Wye 2023 
HowTheLightGetsIn Festival tickets here		3.30 – 4 pm
Monday 29 May 2023		The Stage
HowTheLightGetsIn Festival, Hay
26-29 May 2023		HowTheLightGetsIn Festival
Hay-on-Wye
Hereford HR3 5BZ, UK
[email protected]
@HTLGIFestival
HowTheLightGetsIn
howthelightgetsinfestival
Upton Jazz Festival 2023 Upton Jazz Festival
tickets here		From 4.30 pm
Saturday 24 June 2023		Upton Jazz Festival
24-25 June 2023		Upton Jazz Festival
Upton-upon-Severn
Worcs WR8, UK
Phone07759 342073
[email protected]
@UptonJazz
uptonjazzfestival
…
Gypsy jazz: re-imagined!

[email protected]Phone01982 560726  Mobile Phone07968 950870 
FiddleBop@FiddleBopGet our email newsletter

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FiddleBop · The Barn, Cefn-Yr-Allt · Crickadarn · Builth Wells, Powys LD2 3AJ · United Kingdom 

Filed Under: Features

Jazz&Jazz Launches …

December 9, 2022 By

On Thursday 24th November, 2022, I celebrated my 80th birthday and Ginny, my wife, urged me to promote a project I have been mulling over for years – to launch my very own online studio featuring my Jazz ART. So here goes!

Old Timers that we are, we tend to present new projects rather more sedately than in our earlier years. But the advantage of this is that now you can watch each new project grow and encourage us along the way.
To date I have painted over 50 jazz musicians and bands, many of them featured on jazz&jazz.com. Now they need a category of their own. I don’t get about so easily these days, but I can still film and bring jazz to you and into your homes via my Jazz ART and Jazz YouTubes.

I began painting over 65 years ago and became known for my use of vivid colours, especially for my landscapes and seascapes. I wrote a verse for each painting and compiled my Art&Verse Collection. But like so many of life’s ventures, it had to be sidelined as our family grew.

In 2008 Roger Pout, my closest friend from schooldays, reintroduced me to jazz and we attended the Hemsby Autumn Jazz Festival. I was hooked! Jazz&Jazz was launched and along came my jazz portraits and caricatures. Now it’s time to share these with you.

Here’s how you can see and enjoy JAZZ ART on my website. You might already have noticed that we have been updating the website and have changed a few things around in the navigation bar.

“Jazz Bands” continues to feature Jazz Bands. So anyone who would like their bands featured should email me on: [email protected]

“Jazz Fans” has given way to the new heading “Jazz Events” where new and upcoming gigs and festivals are announced and promoted.

“Jazz Features” includes a variety of posts about jazz bands, jazz musicians and jazz in general.

In addition we have created a new category for YouTubes and videos. This will include previously produced YouTubes and newly launched Jazz&Jazz YouTubes. I will also breathe new life into older Jazz YouTubes that I feel are worth promoting again.

Next – Jazz ART!
Jazz ART is dedicated to featuring my jazz paintings. First a brief introduction, then each week a new painting will be featured. Prints of my paintings are available in two sizes – A4 and A3. They are printed on special materials including Giclée prints which are guaranteed for 75 years. In due course original paintings may also be for sale.

Under Jazz ART there will be a Jazz ART Gallery. This can also be used as an index enabling you to find any of my paintings on jazzandjazz.com.

Over the next few weeks and months we will take you on an online tour of my Jazz ART where you will be introduced to the musicians and bands I have painted from all over the world.

Each signed Jazz ART print captures my vivid use of colours and includes my verse reflecting the inspiration for the painting. I hope you enjoy my Jazz ART and that you will be tempted to purchase and cherish prints reflecting the joy that Jazz can bring.

Keep Jazzing!

Peter M Butler
Editor and Proprietor Jazz&Jazz.com

Filed Under: Features, Jazz Art

Final Countdown to Jazz Piano Favourites at The Walnut Tree

December 2, 2022 By

Join us for a selection of Jazz Piano Favourites at The Walnut Tree, Blisworth.
12.30 pm, Sunday 4th December.
Alan Barnes on sax, Tomas Pedersen on bass and Ronnie Fenn on drums.

Good food available!

Tickets £15 from Tad Newton: Tel ‭01604 858549‬ / ‭07748 176332‬
Email: [email protected].
Tel: Alan Barnes on 07882 606554.

Looking forward to you joining us!

Filed Under: Jazz Events

I simply had to share this!

October 31, 2022 By

King Charles is set to star in an episode of The Repair Shop as part of celebrations for the BBC’s centenary.

Repair Shop

The monarch will choose a piece of pottery made for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee and an 18th Century clock to be restored by the programme’s team of experts.

Visit: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-63224720

Filed Under: Features
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