Month: October 2025

26 October 2025 – Savannah Jazz Band:   To celebrate the Society’s 45^th anniversary the Savannah Jazz Band come for their final visit.  Yes, this well-loved Yorkshire-based band is shutting shop this year.  The band, consisting of Richard Church (leader) on trumpet, Brian ‘Sam’ Ellis on trombone and keyboard, Roger Bird on reeds and vocals, Chris Pendlebury on drums, Tony Pollitt on bass and Chris Marney on banjo and vocals gave us a “reet” good show at the end of October.  They opened with ‘Smiles’ and continued with ‘Wabash Blues’, “I Can’t Escape From You’, ‘Rose Room’, ‘One Sweet Letter’, ‘See See Rider’, ‘Down in Honky Tonk Town’, ‘1919 March’ (with a brolly parade), ‘Let’s Go To New Orleans’, ‘Franklin Street Blues’, ‘Dr Jazz’, ‘The Old Rugged Cross’, ‘Washington and Lee’, and as always ended up with ‘Going Home’.  We shall miss them but we thank them for all the years they have come along and played for us.  Enjoy your retirement gentlemen of the band.

19 October 2025 – Matt Palmer’s Rhythmic Reeds:   Phil Shotton makes his SJS debut with a very impressive reputation preceding him as he joins the ever-popular Matt Palmer in a pairing that first played together successfully at the Nottingham Rhythm Club.  This five piece band consists of Matt Palmer (leader), reeds and vocals, Phil Shotton on reeds, Roger Browne on keyboard, Rae Owen on double bass and Nick Ward on vintage percussion.  They opened with ‘I’ve Found a New Baby’, and continued with ‘How Can You Face Me Now?’, ‘Blue Drag’, ‘The Jeep Is Jumpin’’, ‘Don’t Get Around Much Anymore’, ‘Deed I Do’, ‘Tea For Two’ and ‘Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives To Me’.  The second half opened with ‘Honeysuckle Rose’ and continued with ‘Blue And Broken Hearted’, ‘Everybody Loves My Baby’, ‘Creole Love Call’, ‘Stealin’ Apples’, ‘Button Up Your Overcoat’, ‘Black and Blue’ and ending with ‘China Boy’.  Such a concert deserved the standing ovation it received.  Looking forward to seeing you back soon.

12 October 2025 – Paula Jackman’s Jazz Masters:   With its roots in New Orleans Dixieland from its roots to the 1960s, this band is amazing.  With Paula Jackman (leader) on reeds (and with a broken arm!!), Hugh Crozier on piano and vocals, Mike ‘Magic’ Henry on cornet, John Watson on drums, ‘Lord’ Marc Easener on sousaphone and euphonium, Paul Taylor on trombone and Jimmy Monahan on reeds they opened with ‘Ole Miss Rag’ and continued with ‘I’m Crazy About My Baby’, ‘Apex Blues’, ‘Sanctuary of the Heart’, ‘Move The Body Over’, ‘Hard Hearted Hannah’ and ‘New Orleans Shuffle’ making up the first half and ‘Blueberry Hill’, ‘The Thin Red Line’, a feature on cornet by Mike ‘Magic’ Henry gave us ‘New Orleans’, ‘I’ve Got My Captain Working For Me Now’, ‘I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate’, ‘Midnight in Moscow’, ‘Struggin’ with Some Barbecue’, and ending with ‘’Leven Thirty Saturday Night’, there was rapturous applause from the room after each number.  This was followed at the conclusion by a standing ovation – well deserved.  Look forward to them coming to us again.

6 October 2025 – No concert

27 September 2025 – The Harlem Jazz Orchestra:  What a band – what a concert – smashing!  Bob Hunt (leader) was on trombone, Mike Henry on cornet, Wil Robinson and Charlie Manning on trumpet, Graham Woodhouse on valve trombone, Zoltan Sagi on clarinet and alto sax, Richard Exall on clarinet, alto sax and baritone sax, Art Toper on piano, John Irwin on guitar and banjo, Tomas Pederson on bass, John Watson on drums and Sarah Spencer was vocalist and compere. They opened with ‘King Kong’, and went on with ‘Harlem Romance’, ‘I Never Knew’, ‘Passing Time’, ‘Sweet and Lovely’, ‘’Leven-Thirty Saturday Night’, ‘Dinah’, ‘You’re Lucky To Me’, ‘Memories of Mish (short for Michelle)’, ‘Manchester Court’, ‘Have You Changed?’, ‘The Town Town Camp Meeting’, ‘Harlem Bound’, ‘Balti Nights in Birmingham’, ‘Mystery Song’, ‘Empty Chair’, ‘After You’ve Gone’, ‘When’, ‘Keep A Song In Your Soul’, ‘When a Black Man’s Blue’ and ‘Swanee Shuffle’.  This orchestra goes from strength to strength with authentic jazz classics from the 20s and 30s.  They rightly received a standing ovation.  We look forward to seeing them back with us again soon.

21 September 2025 – Chicago Teddybears Society Jazz Band:  How lovely to see this favourite band back at the White Eagle Club.  The line-up remains the same with leader, Rae Owens, on banjo/guitar/ukulele and vocals, Brian Singleton on drums, John Padfield on reeds, Jim Lucas on trumpet and baritone, Andy MacKenzie on trombone and vocals and Deano Revera on string bass.  This is New Orleans-based Dixieland jazz laced with a lot of good humour.  They opened with ‘Bourbon Street Parade’ and continued with ‘Hindustan’, ‘Savoy Blues’, ‘Gate-Mouth’, ‘Everybody Loves My Baby but My Baby Don’t Love Nobody But Me’, ‘Just a Little While To Stay’, ‘Bye Bye Blackbird’ (played on the string bass with good effect), ‘Milenburg Joys’, ‘When You And I Were young Maggie’, ‘Ain’t Misbehaving’, Strutting With Some BBQ’, ‘Blues My Naughty Sweetie’, ‘The Old Rugged Cross’, ‘Honeysuckle Rose’, ‘Sunday’, High Society’ and finishing with ‘Swing Low Sweet Chariot’.  Feet tapping, many singing along to their favourites and an ovation at the end – doesn’t get any better.

14 September 2025 – Lazy River Festival Jazz Band:  This is the first time this band has played for us at the White Eagle Club, other some of them have appeared with other bands from time to time.  Chris Perrin on clarinet and saxophone is leader, Veronica Perrin on cornet, vocals and an amazing wind instrument called the melodia, Phil Ruthergford on sousaphone, Brian Mellor on banjo and guitar, John Penn on piano, Richard Leach on trombone and Nick Ward on percussion make up this lively band.   Their opening number was ‘Why Don’t You Go To New Orleans’, followed by ’Canal Street Blues’, ‘Mama’s Gone – Goodbye’, ‘Let The Light in The Lighthouse Shine On Me’, ‘Savoy Blues’, ‘Corazon’ (and sung in Spanish with a beautiful accent), ‘I Never Knew’ and the first half ended with ‘It Ain’t No Sin To Take Off Your Skin and Dance About In Your Bones’.  Second half was equally good with ‘You Meet The Nicest People In Your Dreams’, ‘Some Day Sweetheart’, ‘Some Of These Days’, ‘Tiger Rag’, ‘My Dear Mr Shane’, ‘Out Of Nowhere’, ‘Ham and Eggs’ and ‘We’ll Meet Again’.  And maybe we just might.

7 September 2025 – Trudgeon’s Trad Jazz Troubadors:   What a lovely opening band.  With Joseph Trudgeon on guitar as their leader and James Guilford on trumpet, Mike Kennedy on bass, Hugh Roberts on reeds and Nick Ward on percussion they presented a programme to please everyone in the room.  Their opening number was ‘Apex Blues’ and this was followed in no particular order by ‘Dear Old Girl’, ‘Sweet Georgia Brown’, ‘Oh How I Miss You Tonight’, ‘Strutting With Some Barbecue’, ‘St Louis Blues’, ‘Dream Your Troubles Away’, ‘The Tattooed Lady’, ‘I’ve Found A New Baby’, ‘All I Do The Whole Day Through Is Dream Of You’, ‘When My Dreamboat Comes Home’, ‘The Royal Garden Blues’ and they ended with ‘Dr Jazz’.  This cross-generational combo brings old and new generations of jazz musicians together.  Their repertoire is from the 1920s to the 1940s.  The room was in full jazz mode and enjoyed every last minute of this concert.  We look forward to seeing them again at some point in 2026.