Celebrating the Joy of Jazz
Bill Freeman’s New Orleans Happy Jazz Band will star again at The Peartree Monday Night Jazz Club, Welwyn Garden City, this coming Monday, 16th April. Always favourites with the fans, a good turn out is expected for the band’s exhilarating repertoire of traditional jazz. An evening not to be missed!
Trefor William's Select Six
Top rate jazz reverberated throughout Court Stairs Manor & Country Club on Friday, 30th March, when Trefor William’s Select Six came to town for Ramsgate Seaside Shuffle’s newly launched programme of monthly gigs.
Trefor Williams, bass and vocals
Fans showed huge appreciation for Trefor’s star musicians and for the incredible acoustics in the old Manor House, set on the cliff tops overlooking Pegwell Bay. Not many venues can match this glorious setting for traditional jazz at it’s very best.
So spread the word about Ramsgate Seaside Shuffle at Court Stairs. It’s got what it takes for superlative jazz and a host of appreciative fans.
Full details about the Ramsgate Seaside Shuffle Festival in July and forthcoming monthly gigs can be found under Ramsgate Seaside Shuffle 2012 Events: Latest News & Updates on the July Festival and Monthly Gigs.
PS Given his Select Six’s powerful rendition of their selection of New Orleans classics I’ll pass on commenting about Trefor’s cryptic one-liners!
Appreciative Seaside Shuffle Fans.
Pete Curtis and Peter Leonard
Chris Marchant
Andy Maynard on Banjo
Alex Gardner - Canned Music?
Peter Leonard
Court Stairs Manor and Country Club
(Photos © Peter M Butler, Jazz&Jazz)
Court Stairs Country Club Bar
Don’t miss “Bass is Beautiful”: An Interview with Trefor Williams.
View Peter’s Jazz&Jazz portrait of Trefor Williams (circa 2008!)
Full details about the Ramsgate Seaside Shuffle Festival in July and forthcoming monthly gigs can be found under Ramsgate Seaside Shuffle 2012 Events: Latest News & Updates on the July Festival and Monthly Gigs.
Kent based band The Southfield Stompers raised the roof at Old Wives Lees, Canterbury, on Thursday, 29th March, to the delight of Star Inn jazz fans. Launched recently by Jazz Promoter Gerry Birch, the weekly Thursday nights gigs are becoming a popular feature.
For details of The Star programme email Gerry at [email protected] or call The Star on 01227 732527.
The Southfield Stompers
(Photos © Peter M Butler, Jazz&Jazz)
Mick Stansell on Clarinet
John Butcher on Trumpet
John Manning on Drums
Jane Birch Guest Vocalist
Derek Russell on Banjo
Jan Bryce on Trombone
Bill Bates on Bass
The Peartree Monday Jazz Club, Welwyn Garden City, was highly privileged to welcome Geoff Cole’s Red Hot Five on Monday, 19th March.
Band leader Geoff Cole originally hails from Exeter and is as exhilarating a trombonist now as he was when he played with the Ken Colyer Jazzman Group between 1961 and 1971 along with his reeds man, Tony Pyke. He later became band leader of Georgia Jazz and toured with Brian White’s Magna Jazz Band before forming The Red Hot Five.
The band’s repertoire included a delightful variety of less frequently played favourites. Geoff’s and Tony’s skills of improvisation matched those of New Orleans jazz greats such as Kid Ory, Jelly Roll Morton and Fats Waller, and along with Colin Bray on piano, Johhny Baker on drums and Andy Lawrence on bass, they received repeated enthusiastic applause from the Peartree fans.
By popular demand doubtless Geoff Cole’s Red Hot Five will be welcomed back at The Peartree.
For information about The Peartree Monday Jazz Club please contact promoter Brian Smith:
Tel: 01707 880569 Email: [email protected]
Peartree Monday Jazz Club Monthly Programme: April, May, June, 2012
Geoff Cole's Red Hot Five
Geoff Cole - "Foremost Traditional Jazz Trombonist"
Tony Pyke: Brilliant Traditional Improvisor
Colin Bray on Piano
Piano, Trombone and Drums
(Photos © Peter M Butler, Jazz&Jazz)
Johnny Baker on Drums
Andy Lawrence on Bass
Geoff Cole
Brian Smith and Peartree Monday Jazz Club fans will give a warm welcome to Geoff Cole’s Red Hot Five for their first appearance at the Club in Welwyn Garden City on Monday, 19th March.
Formerly a stalwart of Ken Colyer’s Jazz Band, Geoff is widely recognised as one of traditional jazz’s foremost trombonists.
So be sure not to miss out on the band’s superb improvisation which reflects the skills of early New Orleans jazz musicians. Be there! You will receive just as warm a welcome as the Red Hot Five!
Ramsgate Seaside Shuffle launched its 2012 programme with a fantastic evening of top rate trad jazz courtesy of Pete Lay and his Gambit Jazzmen at Court Stairs Manor & Country Club on Friday, 25 February.
The historic manor house provided a magnificent setting and incredible acoustics for the fans who turned out in force to support the Shuffle, the Band and of course, the bar!
Pete Lay closed the evening by warmly congratulating the Seaside Shuffle Committee for their successful launch of their 2012 season. Full details about the Ramsgate Seaside Shuffle Festival in July and forthcoming monthly gigs can be found under Ramsgate Seaside Shuffle 2012 Events: Latest News & Updates on the July Festival and Monthly Gigs.
THE GAMBIT JAZZMEN AT SEASIDE SHUFFLE, COURT STAIRS
CHRIS MARNEY
DENNIS ARMSTRONG
TREFOR WILLIAMS
PETE LAY
IAN TURNER
BARRY WESTON
APPRECIATIVE SEASIDE SHUFFLE FANS
(Photos © Peter M Butler, Jazz&Jazz)
The Frog Island Jazz Band hit the heights yet again at the Peartree Monday Jazz Club, Welwyn Garden City, on 20th February.
Always favourites with Peartree fans, the Frog Islanders set the pace with their dynamic repertoire of 1920s and 30s jazz, from Jelly Roll Morton’s Red Hot Peppers to King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band. Formed back in 1962, the band hails from deepest Essex except for local lad, clarinetist Jim Hurd from Potters Bar.
Watch this space for a special Jazz&Jazz feature on the 50th Anniversary of The Frog Island Jazz Band coming soon.
Keith Durston (piano); Jim Hurd (clarinet); Dave Price (banjo); Rob Fullalove (tuba); John Whitehead (cornet); Chris Marchant (drums); John Jeans (trombone)
Dave Price and Keith Durstan
Rob Fullalove and Chris Marchant
Enthusiastic Peartree fans applaud the Frog Islanders
(Photos © Peter M Butler, Jazz&Jazz)
View the Jazz&Jazz portrait of Jim Hurd on Clarinet and John Whitehead on Cornet.
View the Jazz&Jazz portrait of Chris Marchant on Drums at The Music Factory in New Orleans.
The Stackyards go no holds barred for Dixieland style jazz with a repertoire including King Oliver, Jelly Roll Morton, Johnny Dodds, Clarence Williams, Fletcher Henderson, Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. MC John Pickett (trumpet) entertainingly introduced each number with a potted history and Bandleader Christine on trombone kept the band in order with discreet yet rhythmic authority. She’s great on vocals too.
JOHN PICKETT
RON FINDON
But the highlight of the evening was clarinetist Ron Findon’s sublime solo performance of George Gershwin’s magnificent aria “Summertime” from Porgy and Bess. Ron has played with Joe Loss for the Queen at Buckingham Palace and with Harry Gold. A Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music, he has also recorded Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto. No wonder the Peartree fans gave Ron a standing ovation. Just as well he loves jazz!
BAND LEADER CHRISTINE
Well done, Christine, for assembling such a fantastic and entertaining group of musicians. Also special thanks to Brian Smith (aka “Smiffy”) for booking such great jazz bands for the Peartree Monday Jazz Club. As Smiffy said at the end of the evening, we are privileged that bands like the Stackyards are prepared to turn out for jazz clubs such as The Peartree. May it go from strength to strength!
For The Peartree Monday Jazz Club monthly programme between now and June go to: https://www.jazzandjazz.com/2011/12/peartree-monday-jazz-club-gigs-january-to-june-2012/ To see Peter’s Jazz&Jazz portrait of Christine on Trombone go to: https://www.jazzandjazz.com/2012/01/acrylic-jazz-portrait-of-christine-on-trombone-2/
RICHARD HOWELL
DAVE ARNOLD
(Photos © Peter M Butler)
ROY HART
Christine and the band play authentic arrangements from jazz greats including King Oliver, Jelly Roll Morton, Johnny Dodds, Clarence Williams, Fletcher Henderson, Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington.
Not to be missed so phone “Smiffy” now on 01707 880569.
And don’t miss out on another great gig on 20th February with the incredible Frog Island Jazz Band. Let The Peartree Monday Jazz Club help you waft winter away !
