Frog Island Jazz Band Brings Lake Pontchartrain to Ramsgate

 

 

Frog-Island1

 True to their New Orleans style, The Frog Islanders got Ramsgate Seaside Shuffle’s 2014 Festival off to a rip roaring start on the evening of Friday, 11th July. The hall was packed making filming the full band difficult. So in the YouTube below I focused on the brass conclave: Graham Reed (tuba), John Whitehead (trumpet), John Jeans (trombone) plus
Jimmy Hurd on clarinet.

Pure, rhythmic New Orleans music that got the festival off to a flying start.

Photos & YouTubes © Peter M Butler, Jazz&Jazz

Hit this link to listen to KASPAAR Sound Recording Specialist’s excellent recording of
Frog Island’s session at Seaside Shuffle Festival.
http://kaspaar.info/seaside-shuffle.htm
kaspaar.info

Dancing Cheek to Cheek

 

Rita-Payes

Irvin Berlin’s 1935 hit “Cheek to Cheek” sung by Rita Payés with Joan Chamorro’s wonderfully talented youngsters in his Barcelona based Sant Androu Jazz Band. Set in the charming centre of Châteauneuf-du-Faou during the tenth year of the town’s incredibly successful Fest Jazz organised by Trevor Stent, the music resonated around the square.

Please excuse my rather extravagant “manoeuvres” in filming the band due to additional seating needed to cater for the growing audience – funnily enough depicted below as the first frame by YouTube but not in the movie! My thanks to Patti and Ginny for re-arranging the seating!

By the way, one of the Tuba Skinny musicians described the Sant Androu youngsters as “Scary good!” Eat your heart out Ella!

Photos & YouTubes © Peter M Butler, Jazz&Jazz

Tuba Skinny Echo Bunk Johnson with Big Chief Battle Axe

 

TubaSkinnyPleinAir

More great sounds from Fest Jazz’s Tenth Anniversary Festival at Châteauneuf-du-Faou, Brittany, July, 2014. The weather was glorious and en plein air suited Tuba Skinny’s New Orleans Street style. No wonder they stole the show! “Big Chief Battle Axe” was composed by Thomas S. Allen in 1907.

British fans are pressing hard for them to tour the UK. Join the campaign by posting your comment below.

NB This video is not centring on this  page. A YouTube glitch, so please view via the
YouTube button bottom right.

Photos & YouTubes © Peter M Butler, Jazz&Jazz

Fest Jazz Features Joan Chamorro’s Star Studded Sant Andreu Jazz Band

I have followed Joan Chamorro’s incredible youth band for some months on Jazz&Jazz so it was a huge privilege to meet him at Fest Jazz and even to become Facebook Friends.
His work with his 
young stars is inspirational – hardly matched any where else in the world
let alone in the UK.

SantAndreuFestJazzF

Here they are performing “All Too Soon” en plein air in Châteauneuf-du-Faou’s town square.
None too soon for me, that’s for sure.

Back in January, 2013, I featured Joan and Andrea Motis, one of his young proteges, in my post entitled “Encouraging Signs for Jazz in Europe, So Why Not in the UK?”.  Be sure to read Pete Lay’s comments which follow the article.

So why not in the UK? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to welcome this amazing youth band to our shores? If Trevor Stent and Fest Jazz in Brittany can do it, surely we can! You can have your say in the “Comments” section below.

More Fest Jazz YouTubes will follow, including the equally inspiring and refreshing Tuba Skinny stars and the Saint Andreau Band performing to packed audiences in the Grand Marquee.

Photos & YouTubes © Peter M Butler, Jazz&Jazz

Tuba Skinny Bring New Orleans Street Music to Fest Jazz, Chateauneuf-du-Faou

 

TubaJ&JPic

I promised more Tuba Skinny at Fest Jazz, Chateauneuf-du-Faou and here is my first YouTube instalment. I won’t waste words other than to say the festival was brilliant and Tuba Skinny were something very special. As also were Joan Chamorro’s Sant Andreu Youth Jazz Band.

More YouTubes of both bands to follow. And of the other great bands who kept fans on their toes.

Thank you, Trevor Stent and Anneke Laurens for such a phenomenal Tenth Anniversary show.

 So here it is: Tuba Skinny and  “Sweet Lovin Old Soul”

If you want to see Tuba Skinny touring the UK, say so in the Comment Box below.
The more “Yeses” the  sooner the possibilities of arranging it.

Photos & YouTubes © Peter M Butler, Jazz&Jazz

Tuba Skinny Wow Fans at Jazz Fest 2014

 

Festival Organiser Trevor Stent has long wanted me to cover Fest Jazz at Châteauneuf-du-Faou in person. Proud to say this year I was there! And, Trevor, this year, marking the festival’s 10th Anniversary, was the right year for me to come along with Ginny, my wife
and, on this occasion, organiser!

Jazz in the Town Square with Tuba Skinny.

Jazz in the Town Square with Tuba Skinny.

It was the right year not only because Tuba Skinny starred but also because of all the other great bands and performances including Joan Chamorro’s outstandingly incredible
Saint Androu Youth Jazz Band.

But this is just a preliminary offering about the Festival. I will post a fuller, grander report later, once I have processed as YouTubes a selection of the wonderful videos I was able to capture.

Photo © Peter M Butler, Jazz&Jazz

God Bless Lionel Ferbos!

Lionel Ferbos with Dukes of Dixieland leader Kevin Clarke

Lionel Ferbos with Dukes of Dixieland leader Kevin Clarke

I’ve just received very sad news from a close friend and jazz fan in LA: “Another famous jazz musician has died in New Orleans – Lionel Ferbos, age 103. He played in every jazz festival until last year.”

This hurts! I met Lionel Ferbos when in New Orleans for the French Quarter Festival in 2010 and immediately became a fan and an admirer. I painted his portrait and composed a poem to go along with it. I understand my signed Giclée Print of him on trumpet at The Palm Court Jazz Cafe was presented to him on his 99th birthday.

Jazz&Jazz fine art print of Portrait of Lionel

Jazz&Jazz fine art print of Portrait of Lionel

Lionel was a spectacular inspiration to jazz musicians around the world. He lived a long and a good life. I featured him on Jazz&Jazz in April, 2012. But I’ll say no more here. Best leave it to New Orleans and The Palm Court Jazz Cafe to pay their tributes to their very own leading citizen and giant of jazz.

Jazz in St Idloes Church, Mid Wales

 

stidloes_interiorAfter a maniacal couple of days I felt I needed a moment of reflection, of respite to recapture my “real self”. Perhaps this resulted from a comment made about one of my landscape paintings which I recently posted on Facebook: “Both your painting and poem are much to be admired. I appreciate both. Thanks. And, you’re into Jazz too!” 

Llanidloes is at the heart of the ancient medieval kingdom of Arwystli in Mid Wales, the first town on the River Severn. Not so long ago my longstanding and good friend Jeff Matthews sent me an email with links to YouTubes of his band playing jazz in St Idloes Church, Llanidloes.

Jeff wrote:

Jeff Matthews

Jeff Matthew

The year was 2009 and this was a band put together by our drummer at the time, Len Davies. He was given the gig and he was determined to fill it wall to wall with music and musicians. When asked, “do we really need a keyboard, guitar and a banjo?” He answered with  a resounding “Yes!” So the assembled band called The Southern Sounds Jazzmen turned up in a beautiful riverside setting in the pretty Mid Wales town of Llanidloes. We set up. Then, just before ‘kick off’, the  heavens opened. Torrential rain started to flood the open air stage. 

Len Davies

Len Davies

“A vicar appeared and beckoned us into his ancient church building which was close by. We quickly re-grouped and soggily started the concert. We thought that A Closer Walk With Thee was one of the more appropriate tunes we could play. This was our impromptu effort to cheer ourselves up and our small audience. Tuning not withstanding, we felt better for doing it.”

So I want to share Just a Closer Walk With Thee, and my reflective mood with you all now, courtesy of Jeff. It’s magical!

Good to get together with you at our recent Reunion, Jeff and Maria.

Saxophonist Greg Abate Starring at The Walnut 14th July. Book Early!

Greg Abate

Greg Abate

 

Greg-Abate-July-14

 

 

 

 

Hot off the Press: Ramsgate Seaside Shuffle Festival 11th, 12th & 13th July


Not booked for Ramsgate Seaside Shuffle Festival yet?


Time’s short. Get onto it NOW!

 

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CELEBRATING RAMSGATE SEASIDE SHUFFLE

Just a Week to go for Festival Fun in The Sun. Don’t miss out on this humungous jazz weekend with SEVEN GREAT BANDS!

Just £40.00 for the entire festival or £10 per session.
Visit http://www.visitthanet.co.uk for accommodation.

Harbour Side Jazz and Brolly Parade

 

With Burt Butler's Jazz Pilgrims - Bring you brollies!

With Burt Butler’s Jazz Pilgrims – Bring you brollies!

Sunday, 13th July, 11.00am – 1.30pm
Opposite The Belgian Bar

PLUS

 

The Frog Island Jazz Band

The Frog Island Jazz Band

Bill Barnacle All Stars

Bill Barnacle All Stars

Dave Rance's Rockin' Chair Band

Dave Rance’s Rockin’ Chair Band (From a band portrait by Peter M Butler)

Colin Kingwell's Jazz Bandits

Colin Kingwell’s Jazz Bandits

The Gambit Jazzmen

The Gambit Jazzmen

The Golden Eagle Jazz Band

The Golden Eagle Jazz Band

 Ramsgate Seaside Shuffle in Action

The Golden Eagle Jazz Band bring the house down with “Canal Street Blues”

Photos & YouTube © Peter M Butler, Jazz&Jazz
Portrait of Dave Rance’s Rockin’ Chair Band by Peter M Butler commissioned by Dave Rance

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