Band Hall of Fame

KEN RATTENBURY MEMORIAL TROPHY

In 1999 The Stafford Jazz Society created an annual award for its elected “Band of the Year”. The Award honours the memory and the service to our Society of jazz musician, bandleader, author, composer, broadcaster and scholar Ken Rattenbury M.A. who from 1990 to 2001 was our President.

Winners of this Award are:

1999-2000                 Chicago Teddybears Society Jazzband
2001-2002                 Crazy Rhythm
2002-2003                 Antique Six
2002-2003                 Heart of England Jazz Band
2003-2004                 Old Fashioned Love Band
2004-2005                 Antique Six
2005-2006                 Heart of England Jazz Band
2006-2007                 Fret and Fiddle
2007-2008                 JB Jazz & Blues Band
2008-2009                 Swingin’ Jim’s Dance Band
2009-2010                 JB Jazz & Blues Band
2010-2011                 Tame Valley Stompers – Terry’s Dead Good Boys
2011-2012                 Slide By Slide
2012-2013                 Phoenix Jazzmen
2013-2014                 Swingin’ Jim’s Dance Band
2014-2015                 Chicago Teddybears Society Jazzband
2015-2016                 Stafford Grammar School Big Band
2016-2017                 JB Jazz & Blues Band
2017-2018                 Chicago Teddybears Society Jazzband

The Trophy is an oak plaque created by a final year student at Staffordshire University’s School of Art & Design. The timber was taken from an 18th Century banqueting table bought from a demolished country house in North Staffordshire. It incorporates The Stafford Jazz Society’s logo created by Frank Nichols and the opening notes of Georgia on my Mind the signature tune of the legendary jazz musician Nat Gonella who became a Life Member of The Stafford Jazz Society.