18 March 2018 –
Wabash Jazzmen: A traditional
jazz combo and today they appeared in matching shirts which gave them a very
professional look. Mark Challinor
(leader) plays banjo, guitar and ukelele, Bill Smith on cornet and harmonica,
Mike Hayler on reeds, Richard Vernon on string bass and Mike Pembroke on
trombone. Their concert included In the
Sweet By and Be, Lonely, Let me Call You Sweetheart, Stormy Monday and the 1919
March amongst others and Mike Hayler played a lovely rendition of Stranger on
the Shore. The weather may have been
classed as wintery and miserable but for two hours SJS had a smashing concert
with foot tapping music throughout.
11 March 2018 –
Willys Weepers with Eric “Busker” Newton: Welcome back Willys Weepers and Eric.
As always the band were in good form and
playing with enthusiasm and humour.
There was Eric “Busker” Newton leading and playing the
clarinet, Terry Brunt on his trombone and, I think, euphonium, Pete Brown on
trumpet, Peter Robinson on guitar and banjo, Chris Pendlebury on drums and John
Musket on double bass. Numbers
included: April Showers, Whistling
Rufus, Happy Days and Lonely Nights, St James Infirmary (sung with pathos by
Terry), and Creole Love Song, to name but a few.
4 March 2018 –
Jake Leg Peg Band: And now for
something different. A delightful six
piece with instruments like dobra + banjo (Toby Wilson), double bass (Duncan
Wilcox – leader), guitar (Neil Hulse), harmonica + jug (Liam Ward), washboard
(Sarah Miller) and trombone (Mike Pembroke).
The name comes from prohibition days when a form of alcohol was made
from Jamaican ginger extract and the peculiar gait of someone would be a
give-away to having imbibed this and therefore said to be “Jake
leg”. There was mostly music from
the 1920s but all manner of songs were included as this group sings well
together: Kitchen Man, Hot Feet, Your
Feet’re too Big, A Handful of Jam, There’s a Black Train a’coming and Sugar in
my Bowl. Many of the songs had a touch
of double entendre. A marvellous cross
of jazz, blues and folk. I hope it won’t
be too long before we see them back with us again.