28 December – No Concert
21 December – Wabash Jazzmen featuring Nick Ward: What’s That I hear you say, same band, different outfit. Well you are half right and half wrong. Yes four of last week’s musicians are in the band but with two different members. Mark Challinor (leader) on banjo, guitar, ukulele and vocals was joined by Tony Pipkin on cornet, Richard Leach on trombone and Nick Ward on vintage percussion and these four were joined by Mike Hayler on clarinet and tenor sax and Richard Vernon on Bass. The show was a great blend of jazz and Christmas numbers jazzed up. They opened with ‘Georgia Camp Meeting’ and then came ‘East Coast Trot’, ‘When A Child Is Born’ and ‘Mary’s Boy Child’, followed by ;Savoy Blues’, ‘Down Home Rag’, ‘Silent Night’ and Wolverine Blues’. The second half started with ‘Ol’ Miss Rag’, followed by ‘Mele Kalikimaka’ (Merry Christmas in Hawaiin for those who do not know), ‘Weary Blues’, ‘Maryland’ – with a festive brolly parade, ‘Isle Of Capri’ and ending up with ‘Santa Claus Is Coming To Town’. Fab-u-lous!
14 December – Richard Leach’s Street Band: With Richard Leach (leader) on trombone, Tony Pipkin on cornet, trumpet and vocals, Zoltan Sagi on clarinet and alto sax, Dave Deakin on sousaphone, Mark Challinor on banjo, ukulele and vocals and Nick Ward on vintage percussion those present at this gig sat back safe in the knowledge that they would have a good couple of hours of music. And they weren’t wrong. The band opened with ‘Should I Reveal’ and went on to play ‘Linger A While’, ‘That’s A Plenty’, ‘Buddy Bolden’s Blues’, ‘Dark Eyes’, ‘Black Cat On The Fence’, ‘There’s A Rainbow Round My Shoulder’, ‘Sweethearts On Parade’, ‘Blame It On The Blues’, ‘New Orleans’, ‘Carry Me Back To Old Virginia’, ‘Midnight, The Stars And You’, ‘Give Me Your Telephone Number’, ‘September In The Rain’, ‘Just Because’, and finishing up with ‘Redwing’. Great band, great music – what more’s to be said.
7 December – Sarah Spencer’s Transatlantic Band featuring Jesper Capion Larsen (Denmark): This all-star band is led by Sarah Spencer, critically acclaimed “the hottest tenor saxophonist on the jazz scene today”. Also in the band are Rob Pearce on trombone, ‘Magic’ Mike Henry on cornet, ‘Lord’ Jim Swinnerton on string bass, Rachel Hayward on banjo and guitar, Graham Smith on drums and Jesper Capion Larsen on clarinet. In the second half of the concert Rob was joined by Mike Owen, also on trombone. Sadly I failed miserably to take much by way of notes of all the songs being played but I do recall a few that stuck in my mind – such as ‘S’il Vous Plait’, ‘Memories’, ‘The Old Ragged Cross’, ‘It’s The Loveliest Time of The Year’, ‘The Titanic Man Blues and ‘Poppa’s Got The Jim Jams’. So at least you have some idea of the kind of music being played. I will try to pay more attention next concert. As always the SJS audience were highly appreciative of the band and they received a well-deserved standing ovation. We shall be listening to Sarah again on 18 January when she brings her Sax ‘N’ Bone Band so if you want to listen to some good jazz put this in your calendar.