Pedigree Jazzband “Salute to Trad Jazz” – 28 May 2023: Well this is it people – the last concert of the 22-23 season. But what a way to exit! The Pedigree Jazzband gave it their all, as always, and there could not have been a happier bunch of people on 28 May anywhere. The Band – Chris Walker (leader) on clarinet, Tony Mann on trombone, Alan Bateman (on trumpet), John Noddings on banjo/guitar, Sy Gorelick on drums and Mike Bennett on double bass – gave us some lovely memories to go home with at the end of the day. Their opening number was ‘The Bourbon Street Parade’ and this was followed by ‘Livery Stable Blues’, ‘Georgia on My Mind’, ‘It’s Time Like That’, ‘Stars and Stripes Forever’, ‘Buona Sera’, ‘Autumn Leaves’, ‘All I Do is Dream of You the Whole Night Through’, ‘You Gotta See Your Baby Tonight (or You Won’t See Baby at all)’, ‘Green Leaves of Summer’, ‘Teddybears Picnic’, ‘Blueberry Hill’, ‘Sweet Georgia Brown’, ‘Shout em Aunt Tillie’ – a new one on me and one I liked very much, ‘You are My Sunshine’ and finally ‘Waiting for the Sunrise’. A cracking programme played with pizzazz and the music got every foot in the place tapping. We always look forward to seeing the Pedigree Band so, until September our season is over.
Thanks as always went to Julie & Martin behind the counter of the Sunset Café for all their goodies, the staff of the White Eagle Club and Nick Balmforth and the whole committee for their work throughout the season.
Jeff & Anne Barnhart’s (USA) Sweet & Hot – 14 May 2023: It is unbelievable that we have gone since 2018 since hearing this great quartet (4 years all lost due to covid). Playing alongside Jeff on keyboard and vocals was wife Anne on flute and vocals, with Thomas ‘Spats’ Langham on banjo, guitar and vocals and Graham Smith – the surprise of the concert – not just on drums but also the washboard – who knew! They opened with ‘Everybody Loves My Baby’, and went on with ‘What Can It Be If It Ain’t Love, ‘Baby, Baby You’re My Sweetheart’, ‘Mr Woo What Shall I do’ (played by Spats on an actual George Formby banjo owned by Jon Baddeley who kindly loaned it for this number, ‘Bernie’s Tune’, ‘C C Rider’, ‘The High Society Rag’, ‘100 Years from Today’, ‘New Orleans Shuffle’, ‘The Swinging Shepherd Blues’, ‘Running Wild’, ‘Poor Papa’, ‘Chattanooga Choo Choo’, ‘Some of These Days’ and finishing up with ‘Cake Walking Babies from Home’. Four supremely talented jazz musicians playing a wide range of musical styles with aplomb and great enthusiasm. Hope we see them again in 2023/4.
Jane Williams’ Jazz Quintet featuring Andy Leggett – 7 May 2023: This was a new band to SJS although we recognised some of the faces. Jane Williams (leader) on the ukulele and vocals, Pete Mathison on guitar and vocals, Dave Deakin on string bass and trombone, Greg Evans on drums and Andy Leggett on saxophone opened with ‘Blue Skies’. They went on to play, in no particular order, ‘After You’ve Gone’, ‘Black Coffee’ (which I just loved and had not heard before), ‘Bye Bye Blackbird’, ‘Autumn Leaves’, ‘The Man I Love’, ‘Is You Is or Is You Ain’t my Baby’, ‘Everything but the Blues’, ‘Straighten Up and Fly Right’, ‘It Don’t Mean A Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing’, ‘The Man I love’, ‘Am I Blue’ and along with a few numbers not elaborated on they finished with ‘My Baby Just Cares For Me’. What a lovely voice Jane has and you can see why she was a backing vocalist for the iconic recording star Van Morrison. Coming from the Land of Song it was good to know she will hopefully bring her band back to visit us in the coming year.