Kevin Grenfell’s Jazz Giants: 18 December 2022: The band consists of leader, Kevin Grenfell, on trombone, trumpet, vocals and jokes, Jeremy Huggett on reeds, Richard Hughes on piano, Simon Smith on double bass and ‘Baby’ Jools Aldridge on drums and percussion. They opened with ‘Running Wild’. In no particular order some of the following numbers were played: ‘Girl of My Dreams’, ‘Moon Glow’, ‘Nobody Here But Us Chickens’, ‘The Shadow of Your Smile’, ‘Singing the Blues’, ‘Sunshine’, ‘Spanish Eyes’ and ‘It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie’. With just a week to go before Christmas it was very appropriate that they ended up with ‘I’d Dreaming of a White Christmas’. The room was packed and everyone enjoyed the concert, the free mince pies and coffee and that lovely feeling of belonging to something rather special. Altogether it was a lovely pre-Christmas concert.
Jake Leg Jug Band: 4 December 2022: Duncan Wilcox leads on double bass and vocals, Bryony Rose on washboard and vocals, Neil Hulse on guitar, Liam Ward on harmonia, jub, miniature French horn and the saw along with vocals, Warren James on banjo and Alex Clarke on clarinet and saxophone. This amazing group just gets better and better. Their opening number ‘I Can’t Dance I’ve Got Ants In My Pants’ (don’t you just love that title!) and to give you a flavour of the gig numbers included ‘I Love Me’, ‘Some of These Days’, ‘Midnight Special’, ‘Some Day You’ll be Sorry’, ‘Making Whooppee’ ‘Your Feets Too Big’,
‘Can’t Do Without My Kitchen Man’, ‘I Hate a Man Like You’, ‘Nuts, Nuts, Get ‘Em From the Peanut man’, ‘Pick a Bale of Cotton’, ‘Alabama Blues’, ‘Jesus is Dying There Naked’ and ‘I Need a Little Love’. Now for the sad news. Bryony Rose is now going to retire … now I understand why Alex Clarke had a bit of a go in one number. Bryony Rose had it all, washboard rhythm and a lovely voice – we will surely miss her but wish her well for her plans for the future.