Bob Dwyer’s Celeb 6 – 25 February 2024: Playing together for the first time we do know most of the musicians. The band consisted of Bob Dwyer (leader) on trombone and vocals, Jon Penn on piano, Marc Easener on string bass, Matt Palmer on reeds, Pete Rudeforth on trumpet and vocals and Nick Ward on vintage percussion. They opened with ‘Riverboat Shuffle’ and went on with ‘I’m Coming Virginia’, ‘The Love Nest’, ‘Apex Blues’, ‘Struttin’ With Some Barbecue’, ‘Baby Won’t You Please Come Home’, ‘The Original Dixieland One Step’, ‘Nagasaki’, ‘Weary Blues’, ‘ There Will Never Be Another You’, ‘Perdido Street Blues’, ‘Davenport Blues’ (a trumpet solo), ‘Running Wild’, ‘Jazz Me Blues’, ‘Chevy Chase’ (a piano rag solo) and ending with ‘So Do I’. A good show and one enjoyed by all.
Sarah Spencer’s Sax ‘N’ Bone Band – 18 February 2024: What music, what joy. With Sarah Spencer (leader) on saxophone, Mike Owen on trombone, Jim “Lord” Swinnerton on bass, Graham Smith on drums, Rachel Hayward on banjo and Zoltan Sagi on reeds it was difficult to believe this band was making it’s debut today at the White Eagle Club. They opened with ‘My Memphis Baby’ and went on with, in no particular order, ‘I’ll Always Be In Love’, ‘Bogalusa’, ‘On Moonlight Bay’, ‘Whenever You’re Lonesome’, ‘Willie The Weeper’, ‘Walking with My Baby’, ‘Ice Cream’, ‘On A Coconut Island’, ‘When We Dance’, ‘Oh How I Miss You’ and ‘I Can’t Escape’. This was all good listening and was greeted with much enthusiasm by the audience.
Warren “Lonnie” James & His Skiffle Band – 11 February 2024: What a show!! Warren “Lonnie” James on guitar and banjo and vocals was accompanied on this occasion by Jim “Lord” Swinnerton on bass, drummer “Baby” Jools Aldridge, Mke Owen on trombone and special guest lead guitarist Howard Gregory. Songs were: ‘Hard Travellin’, ‘Keep on the Sunnyside’, ‘Cotton Fields Back Home’, ‘Wreck of Old 97’, ‘My Dixie Darling’, ‘Take My Hand Precious Lord’, ‘Jessie James’, ‘Railroad Bill’, ‘Goin’ Down Road Feeling Bad’, ‘Rambling Round Your Town’. ‘Steam Line Train’, ‘Can’t Ya Line Em’, ‘Midnight Special’, ‘New Buryin Ground’, ‘Worried Man’, ‘I Don’t Want No Other Baby’, ‘Light from the Lighthouse’, ‘Green Corn’, ‘Take This Hammer’, ‘This Train is Bound for Glory’, ‘Freight Train’ and finishing with ‘Last Train to San Fernando’ (and there were many there joining in with this one especially). Now like the professional he is Warren interspersed the music with information about how skiffle came about, the American Civil War, Slavery, Depression, Rent House Parties and explained how initially each county in the USA had its own style of music but when it travelled it grew into something wonderful to hear after radio stations began playing different styles of music – folk, country, skiffle and gospel. I could go on but I won’t. It was a real education and if you’ve not heard this show I urge you find out where it’s at and get yourself a ticket or two.
Jeremy Huggett’s Jazz & Boogie Band – 4 February 2024: This five piece classic jazz and boogie combo comprised Jeremy Huggett (leader) on piano and vocals, Alex Clarke on saxophones, Kevin Grenfell on trombone, trumpet, vocals (and jokes), Simon Smith on bass and Steve Palmer on drums. Their opening number was ‘It Don’t Mean a Thing if it Ain’t Got That Swing’, one of the favourites. This was followed by: ‘Josephine’, ‘Lady Be Good’, ‘Some Day You’ll Be Sorry’, ‘Take the A Train’, ‘St Louis Blues’, ‘I’m Walking’, ‘Margie’, ‘Bei Mir Bistu Shein’ (My Dear My Shane), ‘Oh Baby What You Gonna Do’, ‘I’m Confessing That I Love You’, ‘The Hucklebuck’, ‘Summer Time’ and finishing with a rip roaring version of ‘Steam Line Train’ which had feet bouncing. What a lovely concert. We look forward to seeing them again.