Back in time with The Frog Island Jazz Band

Band Leader John Whitehead

The Time: 8.00pm, Sunday, 14th July, 2013.

The Location: Ramsgate Small Boat Owners Club, Guildford Lawn, Ramsgate, Kent

The Occasion: The Grand Finale of the 2013 Ramsgate Seaside Shuffle Festival

On Stage: The Frog Island Jazz Band

The Theme: A glorious flashback to New Orleans Jazz in the 1920s and 30s.

Founded in 1962, last year The Frog Island Jazz band celebrated its 50th Anniversary. During those 50 years the band has remained faithful to the early classical era of 1920s and 30s New Orleans jazz.
Theirs is the music of Jelly Roll Morton, King Oliver, Johnny Dodds, Papa Celestin and a young Louis Armstrong.

John Jeans

Jim Hurd

Chris Marchant

The Frogs hail from deepest Essex except for clarinetist Jim Hurd who joins them from former jazz hot spot, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire. They star regularly at UK jazz clubs and have toured in Holland, Belgium and Germany.

Keith Durston

This was their first appearance at Ramsgate Seaside Shuffle and they hit the heights with their dynamic 20s and 30s repertoire – such a refreshing change to post war Traditional Jazz. Frog Island stand alone in taking us back to that wonderful all but forgotten era.

Brian Lawrence

Graham Reed

(Photos © Peter M Butler, Jazz&Jazz)

Jim Hurd & John Whitehead

Betty Renz. whose zeal inspired the launch of Ramsgate Seaside Shuffle, guests with The Frog Islanders.

Jim Hurd adds a 1920s touch to vocals.

Thank you, Frog Islanders, for a phenomenal finale.

Jazz&Jazz Portraits of
Frog Island Musicians

Jim Hurd and John Whitehead

Chris Marchant on Drums in New Orleans

Coming Soon:
Jazz&Jazz Summary of a successful Festival Weekend with behind the scenes glimpses.

L to R: Ivan Gandon, Mark Alexander, Kenny Sanderson, Dennis Jenkins, Sam Weller, Gerry Birch

Sunday, 14th July arrived and after a morning session in the sun with Bert Butler’s Jazz Pilgrims alongside Ramsgate’s picturesque harbour it was time to relax in The Small Boat Owners Club and enjoy Vocalion’s alluring tones.

Dennis Jenkins

Not two weeks earlier I had met up with trumpeter Dennis Jenkins in the 100 Club on Oxford Street.

Dennis lives in Faversham and we spoke about the days when Vocalion played at The George in Shalmer Street before, like so many other public houses, they shut their doors on jazz.

I told Dennis how much I looked forward to seeing him with Vocalion in Ramsgate where Seaside Shuffle are keeping jazz on the map.

Coming to Jazz&Jazz soon: Jazz at The Star, Old Wives Lees, East Kent with Gerry Birch.

Sam Weller and Gerry Birch

View Jazz&Jazz portraits of Seaside Shuffle musicians Mark Alexander, Sam Weller, Ivan Gandon and Gerry Birch.

Ivan Gandon & Kenny Sanderson

Dennis Jenkins & Mark Alexander

Festival Star Betty Renz keeps Vocalion on their toes.

Photos © Peter M Butler, Jazz&Jazz

Vocalion’s traditional finale

The Covent Garden Marching Band

Not so long ago Jazz Marching Bands were once all the rage but in recent years they’ve declined in popularity. Yet nowadays they are making something of a comeback, not just at jazz festivals but also at various other events.

On Thursday, 20th June, photographer Laurence Cumming took some wonderful shots for me of The Ken Colyer Legacy New Orleans Jazz Band at The 100 Club  and after their gig told me he was heading for Covent Garden to take photos of The Covent Garden Jazz Marching Band. I asked him if he could send a selection to me and he was as good as his word.

Digby Fairweather and Julian Mark Stringle

Then John Keen put me in touch with Tim Wacher, who organises and plays trombone with the band, to fill me in on the significance of the event.

So a bit late I admit (apologies Laurence and Tim but there’s been a lot going in the jazz world these past few weeks) I am now able to feature The Covent Garden Marching Band on Jazz&Jazz.

Digby with John Keen

Centre stage – Emile Martyn on Drums

In Tim’s own words: “The Covent Garden Jazz Marching Band has been taking part in the annual Covent Garden Rent Ceremony for 16 years. It is a somewhat unique one off group, starting as a six piece but now has grown to some fifteen. The event takes place every June – next year 19th June.

Covent Garden’s Town Cryer

“Our role is to musically accompany the Trustees of the Covent Garden Area Trust (a public interest group which has had a role in looking after Covent Garden since 1988) and Town Cryer in a march around The Piazza finishing up in the North Hall. After a break we follow this up with a shortish concert in the Southern Courtyard in the Market.

John Keen, second row, dynamic on trumpet.

“For more details about the Rent Ceremony you might like to look at the Trust’s website: www.coventgardentrust.org.uk. It looks ancient but isn’t really. The rents for the Trust’s leasehold interests (payable to the freeholders) are posies of flowers and two red apples instead of peppercorns: we just provide the music. It’s quite a big sound under the Covent Garden Market roof and a lot of fun.”

When you visit the Trust’s side click on The Rent Ceremony  to read more about this “weird and wonderful occasion”!

Thanks, Tim and Laurence, I must put Thursday, 19th June in my diary for next year.

 Peter M Butler
Editor and Owner of Jazz&Jazz

Group shot of The Marching Band Musicians. Trumpets/Cornets: Digby Fairweather, John Keen, Chris Hodgkins and John Wacher. Reeds: Julian Mark Stringle (tenor and clarinet), John Evans (clarinet) and Eric Gilchrist (alto). Trombones: Chris Gower, Phil Brown and Tim Wacher. Banjo: Alan Bradley. Sousaphone: John Beecham. Side Drum: Don Cook. Bass Drum: Emile Martyn. This year we were delighted to welcome back John Barnes for some vocals (John had previously played tenor). The Town Cryer is Alan Myatt. Copy courtesy of Tim Wacher. Photos courtesy of Laurence Cumming.

 

 

 

Trefor’s Select Six Open Seaside Shuffle with “A Night in New Orleans”

Glorious blue skies and mid summer sunshine greeted fans as they flocked to the Kent coast for Ramsgate Seaside Shuffle, the UK’s youngest Jazz Festival. And what better way to launch into the weekend’s celebrations than with “A Night in New Orleans” courtesy of ace bassist Trefor Williams and His Select Six on the evening of Friday 12th July.

Trefor on bass and vocals

On the edge of The English Channel, Ramsgate, with its picturesque harbour, conjured up dreams of New Orleans and The Mississippi! Not to mention the hospitality and camaraderie at the Ramsgate Small Boat Owners Club with its well stocked and reasonably priced bar PLUS evening snacks, prawns and sandwiches served up by the Seaside Shuffle Committee.

A wonderful start to a great weekend of real ale, good wine, genuine friendship and New Orleans Jazz.

Watch out for a series of Jazz&Jazz posts coming soon featuring the entire festival, its wonderful bands and musicians and the very special people without whom, in these difficult times, Ramsgate Seaside Shuffle might never have been launched in 2011, let alone have a promising future.

Peter Leonard and John Howlet

Andy Maynard

Chris Marchant

Ian Turner

Starring with The Select Six, Betty Renz, Thanet based jazz singer whose dream of a jazz festival in Kent inspired the launch of Ramsgate Seaside Shuffle in 2011.

YouTube featuring Betty singing “I’ve Got What It Takes” with Les Herbert’s JazzBand

Photos © Peter M Butler, Jazz&Jazz

Jazz Fans, time to give back to Max who has given so much to Jazz.

All you Jazzers out there who got fun and enjoyment listening to Max Collie over the years will be sad to hear that he has had a stroke, has lost his eye sight and is in hospital in a pretty bad way. His two daughters are raising funds towards the costs of getting him into 24 hour care and we are all freely volunteering to help by selling off the last of his CD and DVD stock for him.

There are two great CD’s

[1] The Battle of Trafalgar. Many regard this as Max’s best recording, having been recorded on the Rolling Stones Mobile live in the Trafalgar in the Kings Road Chelsea. We only have a few of these and once they are gone they are gone.  This is the last chance to get mint copies to replace your worn out L.P’s. The numbers are:-Shimmee Sha Wabble, All The Girls Go crazy, Beale St Blues, Red Wing, The Entertainer, Ballin’ The Jack, St Phillips Street Breakdown, Alexanders Ragtime Band, Weatherbird Rag, Some Of These Days, Yellow Dog Blues, Gettysburg March, Tiger Rag, There’ll Be Some Changes Made.

[2] The second CD is titled “1971-72” and is two different recordings put together from that year because they all feature John Healey the great Australian bass player. On the last 8 tracks Cy Laurie is also on clarinet and his is the best Trouble in Mind recording we ever heard.  Definitely worth having in your collection.  There are only a few hundred of these and again once they are gone, they are gone. The numbers are:- Flatfoot, Granpa’s Spells, Bourbon Street Parade, Perdido St Blues, Shine, Stevedore Stomp, Trouble in Mind, Ice Cream, Petulia, Willie The Weeper, Aunt Hagar’s Blues, Walking With The King, Black Bottom Stomp, Light From The Lighthouse, Steamboat Stomp, I Wonder Who’s Kissing Her Now, Bourbon Street Parade, Snake Rag.

[3] We have also found about 20 DVD’s of a German jazz club show divided into Vol 1 and Vol 2. They are for serious collectors as they were filmed live at the Mulheimer Jazzclub in Germany with only  2 camera’s. The numbers are :- You Always Hurt The One You Love, Travelling Blues, Curse Of An Aching Heart, Winin’ Boy Blues, I’ve Found A New Baby, Good Old New York, Chimes Blues, Pretty Baby, Shimmee-Sha-Wabble, Bad Penny Blues, Mahogany Hall Stomp, Gentleman Jim’s Mouth Organ Medley, Saratoga Shout, Original Dixieland One Step, Basin Street Blues, Lord Lord Lord, Savoy Blues , Tiger Rag. Total video time 124 minutes.

What is important about the CD recordings are that they demonstrate Max’s dedication to the music and show why he started a resurgence of Traditional Jazz in the Kings Road in the 70’s.   Max’s music is distinctive in origin, timeless in concept and superbly executed.

Martin Ross Max’s former Manager Worldwide and Sam Johnson Max’s USA Manager.

Please complete the form above and return to:

John  Petters, New House Farm, Hospital Drove, Long Sutton, PE12 9EN.
Email: [email protected] 

Cheques in favour of AMBER COLLIE Max’s eldest daughter.  John will dispatch your order by return to you.

British Jazz Awards Back Home in Birmingham

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