Celebrating the Joy of Jazz
It was wonderful to receive news from New Orleans today in an email from The Dukes of Dixieland (Kevin, Ryan, Alan, Joe, David M, and David) announcing their Spring Programme, beginning with The French Quarter Festival.
So for those heading to New Orleans for the Festival, here it is.
(Reminiscences of 2010! One of these days perhaps ……!)
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Hi everybody,
I’m sure all will agree that we’ve had some great bands playing OJC this year…. the Frank Griffiths Quintet in January, Graham Hughes’ Sunshine Kings in February and last month the Richard Exall/Amy Roberts Quintet on the new stage, all playing to and entertaining capacity audiences. A big thank you to all who came and are helping to keep live performance jazz alive.
The next gig features the Richard Baker Quintet featuring Richard on trombone, Alan Wakeman on sax/clarinet, Ian Riley on piano, Dirk Griffin on bass and Alan Savage on drums.
8.00pm start. £10/£8 in advance from Carlton House Club, High St, Olney, 01234 711348
The Richard Baker Quintet
Originally a classically trained trombonist, Richard has worked in virtually every genre of music and appeared on numerous recordings during his 25 year career. As a jazz musician he has performed at venues all over the country as either a guest soloist or as a member of the many bands with which he regularly plays, including Richard Exall’s Shooting Stars, The Nick Ross Orchestra, Jucamaya and Interplay. The quintet was formed in 2013 is an unashamedly straight-ahead ensemble reminiscent of the quintets led by Frank Rosolino and Carl Fontana during the 1950s and 1960s. Their repertoire is an entertaining mix of material from great jazz composers such as Gerry Mulligan and Joe Henderson, combined with sophisticated arrangements of standards and Richard’s own compositions. Richard is joined on the frontline by renowned saxophonist Alan Wakeman and they are propelled along by the dependable rhythm section of Alan Savage (drums), Ian Riley (piano) and Dirk Griffin (bass).
Tuesday May 5th – “When Gospel Meets Jazz” featuring the Gary Wood Swing Band £10/£8
Tuesday June 2nd – “Celebrating Hoagy” with the Chris Ingham Quartet £10/£8
Tuesday July 7th – “Alan’s Summer Jazz Bash” featuring Roy Williams (trombone), Mike Wills (sax/clarinet), Tomas Pedersen (bass), Bobby Orr (drums) and yours truly on piano. £10/£8
Don’t forget to book if you would like to eat at any of these gigs: two main courses for £10.
Tel: Carlton House Club 01234 711348 and Phonebox Magazine, Stanley Court, Olney
More details about OJC events plus photos, etc can be found on our website at www.olneyjazzclub.com
Hoping to see you soon at OJC,
Alan
Olney Jazz Club
Web: www.olneyjazzclub.com
email: [email protected]
Alan’s very latest masterpiece is Kenny Ball, portrayed in Alkyd Oils for his son Keith.
Keith offered to let Alan have Kenny’s flugelhorn and Alan reciprocated with the portrait.
Alan tells me he will soon have two other portraits of dearly missed jazz greats on the easel which I have assured him I will feature on Jazz&Jazz – so watch this space. Such portraits are records of the end of an era.
Peter M Butler
Editor & Proprietor Jazz&Jazz
Jazz&Jazz Feature:
Syd Appleton Pays a Fond Farewell to Kenny Ball
John Amos, Secretary of The Plymouth Jazz Club, has alerted me to this fascinating website and in particular to their “Jazz Appreciation” Page.
Here is the link: Well worth a visit!
Thank you, John!
Jazz enthusiast Paul Goddard’s April Schedule of Jazz Events and Venues in
Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire.
Thank you Paul.
The Frog Island Jazz Band
Please address any queries to Paul at: [email protected]
Peter M Butler
Editor & Proprietor Jazz&Jazz
Editorial reproduced with kind permission of Just Jazz.
Jim wrote: “Frumpy … that is how Just Jazz was recently referred to. I saw this on the Internet, the magazine being mentioned in a discussion concerning ‘Social Media’ (Facebook and all that stuff) ……”
I’ve reproduced Jim’s Editorial here so you can read it for yourself. 
Jim often comments on features which appear on Jazz&Jazz and both he and Pete Lay are supportive of my efforts on behalf of jazz. In fact over the months they have run articles about Jazz&Jazz (links below) and in this year’s March Just Jazz my efforts received favourable mention.
I believe they both know that my preference is Traditional Jazz – or rather New Orleans Revivalist Jazz – but nowadays I’m stretching the boundaries on Jazz&Jazz to include Mainstream Jazz which, it has to be admitted, many musicians enjoy playing just as much as Trad. Plus many Jazz Clubs these days find that they thrive better if they include both Trad and Mainstream. I’ve included features on such issues on Jazz&Jazz.
Plus, I take every opportunity to feature on Jazz&Jazz our emerging younger generation of jazz bands – because we are definitely witnessing a jazz revival amongst young people. But we need to accept that whether they play Trad, NO Revivalist Jazz or Mainstream, or a mix of each with new compositions of their own included, although they enjoy playing in established clubs, their main aim is to attract and establish a following of younger fans in their own chosen venues.
Social Media
Jim went on to discuss ’Social Media’ which he himself uses. Jazz&Jazz itself is NOT a Social Media site. Far from it. But it does invite comments on each post and I am grateful to Jim for regularly using this feature.
But I too use ’Social Media’ – Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, along with my own Jazz&Jazz YouTubes to help promote Jazz&Jazz.
The Jazzers Group
My main Social Media tool is my Facebook Jazzers Group. This is a “Closed” Group which folks can join only with my approval. But I certainly don’t restrict membership to bands and musicians of my own choice or preference. I welcome a wide range of musicians, bands and fans – from around the world. (Mind you, I prefer to draw the line at out and out “Modern Jazz”).
So whilst not all Jazzers will necessarily agree with some of the Posts on my Facebook Jazzers Group – or on Jazz&Jazz for that matter – I trust all of you will all accept the genuine goals of, as Jim puts it in his Editorial, “striving for perfection, entertaining and making people happy!”
Jim’s Editorial concluded: “Max Collie took on a similar challenge nearly 50 years ago, just after the Trad Boom, amidst the Beatles furore etc. “No chance!” they cried! His young band then proceeded to take the UK and Europe by storm, The USA followed a few years later …”
Max Collie stars at the Granville Theatre, with Gentleman Jim on banjo, during the 2011 Ramsgate Seaside Shuffle Festival,
Jazz&Jazz YouTube featuring TJ Johnson’s recent 100 Club Tribute to Phil Mason:
Peter M Butler
Editor & Proprietor Jazz&Jazz
Photo & YouTube © Peter M Butler, Jazz&Jazz
Links:
“Keep Doing What You Are Doing”: Just Jazz Magazine Features Jazz&Jazz
“I want to play jazz like that!” Analysing the Jazz Scene – Past, Present and Future
