JANUARY 2022 CONCERTS
Jake Leg Jug Band: We were all so looking forward to seeing this very popular young band again and they didn’t disappoint. Duncan Wilcox – leader – was on double bass and vocals, Neil Hulse on guitar and vocals, Liam Ward on harmonica, jug and vocals (not forgetting the love child of a kakoo and a Trombone – a kazombone!), Bryony Rose Ward on washboard and vocals, Jack Tasker on banjo, mandolin and vocals and Alex Clarke on clarinet and saxophone. They opened with ‘Can’t Dance – Got Ants in My Pants’ and Duncan explained the meaning of hokum music (it means slightly more than a double entendre as I understand it). Other numbers included ‘Some of These Days’, ‘I Had to Give Up Gin’, ‘I Love Me’, ‘Making Whoopee’, ‘Can’t do Without my Kitchen Man’ and ‘I Hate a Man Like You’. They also included a number called ‘Goodbye to Booze’ which is the title track of their latest album. Looking forward to them coming back already.
Matt Palmer’s Aces of Rhythm: A big welcome back to Matt and his musicians. Matt is the leader and reeds player (also vocals), with Chris Mercer on trumpet and cornet, Dave Kimmins on banjo, guitar and vocals, Al Harris on double bass and Joe Nutman on ragtime keyboard. They mainly perform music from 1920s and 1930s, and this time the concert had two departures from whole band playing with Joe and Matt doing a duet (Shreveport Stompers) and a solo with Joe performing a Scott Joplin number (Elite Syncopations). Well done – I think everyone enjoyed these. Some of the numbers played were ‘Candy Lifts’, ‘Oriental Man’, ‘When Shadows Fall’ (I just love this one!), ‘Wolverine Blues’, Bouncing Around’ ‘Try a Little Tenderness’ and ‘Happy Feet’. Their whole show is a tribute to some of the great musicians of the 20s and 30s and your feet just tap whether you want them to or not.
New Orleans Heat: Before the band began to play the audience is told that sadly today this would be one of the few last concerts before breaking up. They had a few members of the band missing so had asked musicians to fill in. New Orleans Heat was Barry Grummet (leader) on the piano, Matt Palmer on reeds, Rob Smith on bass, Ray Bowden on drums, Dave Vickers on trombone and Phil Lucas on trombone. Their music, in true New Orleans style, included numbers such as ‘Bugle Boy March’, ‘Alexander’s Ragtime Band’, ‘I can’t give you anything but love Baby’, ‘The Sheik of Araby’, and ‘I Scream You Scream Everybody Likes Ice Cream’. The playing was superb and the packed room loved every minute of it. Barry said he would be prepared to put a band together to come to play again in Stafford one day in the future which we might just hold him to.
9 January 2022 – No Concert.
2 January 2022 – No Concert.