Celebrating the Joy of Jazz
Next week, 8.00pm Wednesday 19th November
The Jazzfriends are: Trevor Whiting (International sax/clarinet star), Ronnie Fenn (drums),
Tomas Pedersen (bass), Alan Haughton (piano), Tad Newton (Leader, trombone),
Gary Wood (trumpet).
Zelda’s Room @ The Comrades Club
Newbury St., Wantage OX12 8DJ
£10 on door
Fish and Chip Supper
Enquiries 01993 811678
In my pursuit of our new generation of UK jazz bands, I agreed with Norman Gibson that I should feature Rob Heron & The Tea Pad Orchestra. And who needs to embellish a name like that! We had both enjoyed their dynamism at Trevor Stent’s July, 2014, Fest Jazz at Châteauneuf-du-Faou – for me a festival setting a pattern for the future of jazz.
So why not introduce Rob Heron & The Tea Pad Orchestra with my YouTube of “Drinking Coffee Rag”, which tells the sorry tale of one man’s descent into coffee addiction, from their Album “Talk About The Weather”.
(YouTube © Peter M Butler, Jazz&Jazz)
The Tea Pads are based in Newcastle Upon Tyne, have a fast growing fan base in the UK, Europe and beyond and play their own brand of Blues, Gypsy Jazz, Country and Western Swing – or “North Eastern Swing” as they’ve coined it.
The Band? A hot six-piece, featuring Rob Heron (guitar & vocals), Ben Fitzgerald (guitar), Tom Cronin (mandolin), Colin Nicholson (accordion), Rob Blazey (double bass) and Paul Archibald (drums).
But let’s allow their superb web site speak for them: http://www.teapadorchestra.co.uk. And for those of you on Facebook : http://goo.gl/bBxcjM. Take time to read their reviews. Like all our young bands today, Rob Heron & The Tea Pad Orchestra favour the Social Media for reaching out to their fans and promoting their gigs.
Their publicity is excellent and their YouTube “High Speed Train” is as entertaining as it is superbly produced…
Peter M Butler
Editor & Proprietor, Jazz&Jazz
Featuring Hungary’s 24th International Bohém Ragtime & Jazz Festival hosted by
The Bohém Ragtime Jazz Band
March 27-29, 2015
The Bohém Ragtime Jazz Band
“At The 24th Bohém Festival there will be everything that can be figured out from the number 24: we’ll have bands from 2 members, 4 members, 2+4 members and 2×4 members. Probably the most fascinating concert of the weekend will be on Saturday afternoon when musicians will be put together by random to play in duos. Maybe two drummers… Of course, the closing session on Sunday will be not less interesting as all festival performers will be on stage. And don’t forget that the festival’s hosts, The Bohéms have their 30th anniversary concert at the festival!!!”
Echoes of Swing (D)
Korb Attila & his European All Stars (EU)
Paolo Alderighi (I)
Stephanie Trick (USA)
Bohém Ragtime Jazz Band (H)
According to the organisers’ latest update, bookings are coming in thick and fast so best get your skates on if you want to be there in March.
Go to: Bohém Festival 2015 packages: details, ordering form and PayPal payment.
Thank you Bohém for giving Jazz&Jazz the opportunity to feature your festival.
Robert Duis tells the wonderful story on the YouTube below about Fletcher Henderson’s
“Hot Mustard” performed by The Netherland’s Limehouse Jazz Band gigging at
“The Spice of Life”, Soho, London, during their Autumn, 2014 UK Tour.
Pieter Vos, Tuba (Leader since 27th October, 2014}; Robert Duis, First Cornet; Guido Cornet, Second Cornet & Tutor; Ruud Petri, Trombone; Louis Houët, Piano; Wil van Schaik, Banjo; Rob Bakker, Washboard/Vocals; Willem Hellbreker, First AltoSax/Clarinet; Marten de Nes, Second AltoSax/Clarinet; Henri Giebels, TenorSax/Clarinet/Vocals.
Thank you, Robert Duis, for requesting this post and YouTube.
Photos & YouTubes © Peter M Butler, Jazz&Jazz
Dom & The Ikos at The Alleycat in 2012 (Photo © Peter M Butler, Jazz&Jazz}
I first featured Dom Pipkin & The Ikos back in 2012. Now I’ve featured them as one of the New Generation of Jazz Bands in my preceding post “Lets Avoid The Jazz Generation Gap”. Dom is an inspirational pianist whom I’ve witnessed striking up a classical concerto and morphing via rock and pop into New Orleans Jazz to win over their young fans to The Ikos favourite jazz genres. Until recently he took time out to star as Paloma Faith’s pianist and musical director and toured the world with her. I well remember him accompanying her on piano when she starred on “Strictly Come Dancing” and on “Later With Jools Holland”.
But Dom’s heart is really in jazz and I remember him telling me “I’ll be back”!
So now he is back and with his beloved Ikos is set to launch their brand new album.
So why not get down to The Phoenix Artist Club, 1 Phoenix Street, London WC2H 8BU, on Saturday, 22nd November to join The Album Launch Party. It’s going to be huge.
To find out more visit: https://www.facebook.com/domandtheikos
TICKETS: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/295165
By the way, I already have my very own advance download of the album but that’s not stopping me getting along to the Launch Party!
Peter M Butler
Editor & Proprietor, Jazz&Jazz
New Orleans cornetist Oscar “Papa” Celestin (1884-1954) was a jazz giant in New Orleans and especially on Bourbon Street with his Original Tuxedo Jazz Band from 1910 right up until his death in 1954. Stars in his band included Louis Armstrong, Peter Bocage, Bebe Ridgley, Lorenzo Tio, Jr. and Isidore Barbarin. One of their greatest numbers was “Original Tuxedo Rag”
I have a special reason for presenting this YouTube of “Original Tuxedo Rag” played by Baby Jools & The Jazzaholics in September at the 2014 Autumn Jazz Parade in Hemsbsy, Norfolk. As well as Baby Jools (drums) the band includes young bloods Karl Hird (clarinet) and Jim Swinnerton (bass) playing alongside “old timers” Denny Ilett (trumpet), Brian Mellor (banjo) and Mike Owen (trombone). Jools played alongside Denny with Max Collie’s Rhythm Aces and Mike has recently returned from a longish stint in Denmark.
It’s great to see younger and older musos mixing it together. Come to that, it’s also good to catch glimpses of “older” fans dancing.
The Future of Jazz
In recent Jazz&Jazz posts I’ve featured fans’ and musicians’ views on the future of jazz and received a staggering response. Two comments that especially struck me were:
“I must admit that as a “young person” I wouldn’t go to jazz clubs…. it would have to be presented in places where only young people are, e.g. student union bars. Otherwise it would be like having a night out with the grandparents. Start with having good, exciting young bands performing at 6th form colleges and music conservatoires and see what happens. Encouraging oldies to bring young people to normal jazz clubs is just going to kill the music even more…”
“There seems to be two diverging scenes. 1) Keeping the old jazz clubs going for the declining numbers of ageing members and musicians; 2) A revival of the jazz of the early to mid 1900s played by young, trained musicians in their own style and for their contemporaries. It would be nice if they could overlap but it appears the old and the young don’t necessarily mix well.”
Dynamic Baby Jools
Closing the Jazz Generation Gap
Despite these comments I have a plea! Let’s not give up on younger and older fans sharing venues and gigs. If Baby Jools and his band are happy to play at Festivals like the Hemsby Autumn Jazz Parade, why shouldn’t we aim to get their younger fans involved.
I also have this message for the “oldies”. The younger, new generation of jazz bands are going places. They are recapturing the jazz of the 1920s and 30s as well as later eras. We began featuring these bands on Jazz&Jazz some months ago. So if they are playing at venues near you, why not recapture some of your youth and get along and join in the fun! Because they are the future of jazz.
Shortly, I’ll post a feature discussing the role Jazz Festivals could play in a fully fledged UK Jazz Revival.
See also: “Jazz Has A Great Future”
The list is already long and growing yet longer:
New York’s Hot Sardines “Celebrating Hot Jazz in High Style”
Left to right: Jason Prover, Evan “Bibs” Palazzo, Joe McDonough, Miz Elizabeth, Nick Myers, Alex Raderman, Evan “Sugar” Crane, “Fast Eddy” Francisco
Old Hat Jazz Band
Graham Hughes’ Sunshine Kings Jazz Band [This post will soon be updated] – Revitalising the Jazz Scene
TJ Johnson’s Band Ignites The Crypt
“TJ” in The Crypt!
A Combustible Combination! The Martyn Brothers & Sammy Rimington at The 100 Club
The Fallen Heroes
Rich Bennett’s Band Brings the House Down at The Autumn Parade
They Came, They Saw, They Conquered … All in the Nick of Time!
Dom, Sophie Smiles and Tony Rico
Dom Pipkin & The Ikos – Introducing “New Orleans in London” – Seeds for a UK Jazz Revival?
Ikos at The Alleycat
Olney Jazz Club Features Ben Holder, Master of the Jazz Fiddle!
Speakeasy Bootleg Band to Star at Liverpool’s Riverboat Shuffle Music Festival
Introducing The Jake Leg Jug Band
The Jake Leg Jug Band
Setting the Pace for Jazz: The Irresistible Magnetism of the Sant Andreu Jazz Band
Outstanding London Debut For Young Catalonian Jazz Star Andrea Motis
Introducing Tuba Skinny! Flying the Flag for a New Era of New Orleans Jazz Bands
“Oriental Strut” – Tuba Skinny at Fest Jazz
Tuba Skinny Echo Bunk Johnson with Big Chief Battle Axe
Tuba Skinny
Introducing Canada’s Incredible “Eighth Street Orchestra”!
Introducing “The Bardi Manchot”
Toulouse based “Le Bardi Manchot”
Magnificent Seven Jazz Band – Sheer Dynamite!
Getting the Younger Generation Involved in Jazz
Rising Jazz Stars
Next @ The Ent Shed, Bedford
Jazz @ The Ent Shed, Bedford
Peter Mark Butler
Editor & Proprietor, Jazz&Jazz
Photos & YouTube © Peter M Butler, Jazz&Jazz
Julyan Aldridge (drums); Karl Hird (clarinet); Jim Swinnerton (bass); Mike Owen (trombone, vocals); Denny Ilett (trumpet); Brian Mellor (banjo).
“Acker Bilk was music, his famous velvety vibrato, low slightly breathy style of clarinet playing was unique and will remain so.” With those words, Pamela Sutton, Acker Bilk’s Personal Manager, bid farewell to a legend of jazz.
The passing of Acker has given added impetus to the current Jazz&Jazz debate: “Keeping Jazz Live and Alive”.
Ian Brameld (The Pump House Jazz Club, Watford) aptly summed up the issues: “There seems to be two diverging scenes: 1) Keeping the old jazz clubs going for the declining numbers of ageing members and musicians; 2) A revival of the jazz of the early to mid 1900s played by young, trained musicians in their own style and for their contemporaries.”
The Audience Isn’t Dying
This we can be sure of, the audience isn’t dying and much is being done about it! The number of youngsters enjoying jazz is growing – in their own venues with their own exciting “new age” jazz bands. Jazz&Jazz has begun featuring these bands. But as one young jazz musician put it: “The old and the young don’t necessarily mix well,” which highlights the emerging divide between older and younger fans.
Baby Jools at one of Max Collie’s Rhythm Aces final concerts during the 2011 Ramsgate Seaside Shuffle Festival.
Yet there are younger bands and musicians who play at our traditional clubs and festivals. Fans will recall Baby Jools as Max Collie’s drummer with his Rhythm Aces. Max recognised him as having “lots of drive and swing” and rather than hiding his talent behind the brass section gave him his own raised dais
Baby Jools and the JazzAholics
To the fans delight “Baby Jools and the JazzAholics” starred at Pete Lay’s Autumn Jazz Parade, Hemsby Norfolk, this year. True, besides Jools on drums, Karl Hird on clarinet and Jim Swinnerton on bass, the band included Mike Owen on trombone, Denny Ilett on trumpet and Brian Mellor on banjo, but this added enjoyment for the older fans and demonstrates Jools’ willing and inclusive appeal.
Graham Hughes recently commented: “Jazz is definitely not dying. In London alone there are dozens of really fabulous musicians and bands that have appeared in the last few years. The thing that is dying is the Traditional Jazz Club.” Yet he added: “There are a few thriving clubs which welcome a broad spectrum of people who love to be entertained. They book bands that are really class acts and tend to be a little bit different to provide variety.”
So although we have lost the greats like Acker Bilk, Kenny Ball, Terry Lightfoot, Phil Mason, Ron Mckay and Pat Halcox, if fans would willingly put aside personal prejudices they need not despair.
Sit back and enjoy the YouTube. Jazz has a great future!
Photos & YouTubes © Peter M Butler, Jazz&Jazz
Acker receives his award from Moira Stewart
It isn’t for me to pay tribute to Acker Bilk. That is best left to his surviving fellow giants of jazz. But as he was one of my earliest jazz heroes, perhaps the very first, I do want to honour him by linking back to two earlier Jazz&Jazz posts.
Acker Bilk Presented with Special APPJAG Award at the Houses of Parliament
No Stranger to Potters Bar, Acker Bilk Packs Willyotts Theatre
Peter M Butler
Proprietor & Editor, Jazz&Jazz
Treasure this!:
