Celebrating the Joy of Jazz
Peartree Fans are set to welcome Hertfordshire based band Jazz Revisited back to Welwyn Garden City this coming Monday, 19th August. An evening of pure, unequivocal New Orleans Jazz is assured. So be sure to get along to The Peartree.
Brian Smith (“Smiffy”) Jazz Promotions
Tel: 01707 880569
Email: [email protected]
www.facebook.com/peartreejazz.club
Any Thing Goes (l to r): Ivan Thompson, Dave Stone, Mike Marsh, Gerry Birch (Malcolm Walton on keyboard not in view)
Gerry Birch emailed me recently, “I look forward to seeing you at The Star whenever you have time. It is a gig I am particularly proud of because, as I have written before, when it first started, I had severe doubts about its sustainability. Yet here we are, well into the second year and as far as I can tell, things are looking good for a third year.”
Dave Stone & Gerry Birch
These days when the trend is for pubs to close their doors on jazz, Barry, the publican at The Star in Old Wives Lees, welcomes jazz fans weekly for Thursday night gigs organised by Gerry.
Ivan Thompson & Malcolm Walton
Just last month I was at The Star when Gerry’s band “Anything Goes” lived up to their name with a mix of the blues and mainstream jazz and vocals, highly suited to a rather sultry July evening.
Mike Marsh
So I make a point of timing my visits to old friends in East Kent so that we can take in jazz at The Star. After all, Old Wives Lees is just a few miles from Canterbury which was something of a hot bed of jazz in my erstwhile youth.
Fans enjoying an oasis of jazz at The Star
Malcolm Walton on keyboard
Jane Birch
(Photos © Peter M Butler, Jazz&Jazz)
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
Chris Marchant on Drums in New Orleans
Coming Soon:
Jazz&Jazz Summary of a successful Festival Weekend with behind the scenes glimpses.
Konrad Kliko Klinglefuss
The words of Big Bill Bissonnette upon learning of the death of one of Switzerland’s finest jazz musicians.
I too was stunned and saddened to learn this evening via Bill about the death off Konrad. I only recently read “KliKo’s” tribute to Sammy Rimington in Sammy’s Life in Pictures autobiography. Konrad was a member of and regular contributor to and supporter of my Facebook Jazzers Group and I wondered why he has recently been missing from the group. I will miss his contributions and repartee in the several email exchanges I had with him.
His passing is yet another great loss to the jazz world this year. I’m including Big Bill’s “Closer Walk with Thee” tribute to Konrad.
Peter Mark Butler
Editor and Proprietor of Jazz&Jazz
Wednesday, 7th August, 2013
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
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
Barry Weston, Chris Marney, Dennis Armstrong, Pete Lay, Johnny Rodgers, Roger Link
Pete Lay’s Gambit Jazzmen have been star attractions at Ramsgate Seaside Shuffle since its launch in July, 2011. This year their return on Saturday, 13th July, was greeted not only by enthusiastic festival fans but also by the glorious evening sunshine.
Johnny Rodgers
Fans were especially pleased to see Johnny Rodgers back with the band after his successful battle with Hodgkins Lymphoma. He is playing as well as ever much to the joy of his wife Cathy who risked a daring sky-dive to raise £5,000 for the Lymphoma Association.
Before the band’s arrival at The Small Boat Owners Club festival venue in Ramsgate rumours had been rife about a happy change in Pete Lay’s circumstances. But, as professionally laid back yet dynamic on drums as ever, Pete didn’t give any hint of what that might be. So we are delighted that Pete has given Jazz&Jazz permission to include a very special announcement from him in this post.
Barry Weston, the fastest bone in trad!
Dennis Armstrong
Chris Marney
Pete
Roger Link
Peter and Heather (Photo by Doris Bilokreli)
Courtesy of Pete Lay, Editor of Just Jazz
Photos © Peter M Butler, Jazz&Jazz
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.
Adrian Cox Quintet at Botany Bay Jazz Club.
Sky Murphy, Adrian, Sebastion de Krom, George Trebar (gtr), Nils Solberg
There is a stark dichotomy in jazz today. I’m not referring to the differences between traditional jazz and the extremes of modern jazz – in itself anathema to many – but rather to the ageing old school of bands and fans and a newly emerging generation of
younger bands and fans.
I sense in a minority of older fans and even musicians a begrudging reluctance to accept that the new generation bands are every bit as vivacious and talented as their predecessors. What’s more, they are having to reclaim lost ground and attract a whole new, younger generation of jazz fans. This may require some diversification in the music they play, but in the main they stick not just to the jazz of the 1950s and 60s but also to the origins of New Orleans Revivalist Jazz. They deserve to succeed and they are succeeding.
One such band is the Adrian Cox Quartet
I first met Adrian in 2009 at The Ken Colyer Trust Autumn Jazz Parade in Hemsby, Norfolk, when he was a mere 25 year old stripling. By then he had already been playing clarinet for the best part of a decade with a strong leaning to New Orleans Jazz.
I’ve since met up with him at Hemsby twice more and have taken in his gigs with TJ Johnson at The Crypt, Trafalgar Square. Earlier this year I was privileged to see him playing with The Martyn Brothers Band at The 100 Club where he duetted brilliantly with the great Sammy Rimington on sax and clarinet.
“A Masterful Sax Maestro”
“London’s most charismatic sax player”
A Masterful Clarinet and Sax Maestro
Since launching his Quartet, Adrian has been acclaimed as “a masterful New Orleans style clarinet and sax maestro” and billed as “London’s most charismatic clarinet/sax player.” Watch out too for his “easy jazz vocals”!
Over the years I’ve taken a good many photos of Adrian in action and some of them have found their way onto Google Images via Jazz&Jazz. Last Tuesday, 23rd July, along with my wife Ginny and close friend Brian Smith, aka “Smiffy”, of the Welwyn Garden City Peartree Jazz Club, I was treated to a another brilliant Adrian session at The Botany Bay Jazz Club, Enfield. This was my first opportunity to photograph Adrian with his Quartet, or as it was on the night, Quintet.
Burgundy Street Blues
After the break Adrian played a George Lewis number. Then I wondered if he would dare to tackle that epitome of New Orleans Jazz, George Lewis’s “Burgundy Street Blues”. He did! It was his very next number, performed to hushed silence and followed by rapturous applause.
Thank you, Botany Bay Jazz Club, for allowing us to join you for a wonderful evening of jazz and swing.
You can keep up with Adrian’s Tour Dates at Ents 24.
(Photos © Peter M Butler, Jazz&Jazz)
Sebastian de Krom
Sky Murphy goes solo!
Sky, Adrian, Sebastion and George.
Sky and Adrian
George Trebar
Nils Solberg
“A high class, high energy mix of Jazz and Swing.”
Play that thing!
The band (L to R) Roger Graham (tuba and double bass), Jimmy Tagford (drums), Peter Leonard (Leader, trumpet), Alan Creswell (clarinet), Steve Harding (banjo/guitar)
Spectacular red hot sunshine and deep blue skies greeted Ramsgate Seaside Shuffle fans on Saturday, 13th July, so what better band could there be to fulfil their musical whims that gorgeous afternoon? None other than newly formed Red Hot & Blue led by ace trumpeter, Peter Leonard.
And what better way to launch a debut gig than with a glorious festival street parade.
And what better way to set about winning a strong fan base than an enthralling session of jazz to launch festival sky high spirits into the stratosphere!
Red Hot & Blue accomplished all that and more, so here is the story in pictures.
Note the facia and value our fantastic jazz musicians!
Red Hot & Blue Leader Peter Leonard
Roger Graham
Jimmy Tagford
Steve Harding
Jazzing it up!
Festival Queen Betty Renz Putting on the Style
Almost but not quite Lindyhop!
Decor fitting with a seaside jazz festival.
Photos © Peter M Butler, Jazz&Jazz
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
