Bob Dwyer’s Bix & Pieces – 26 November 2023: This well known band is always welcome by SJS. Leader, Bob Dwyer, plays trombone and sings, Paula Jackman is on reeds, Mike “Magic” Henry is on trumpet, Hugh Crozier on piano and vocals, Marc Easener on sousaphone and Dennis Smith on drums makes up a very enjoyable six-piece band who play a mix of the traditional styles of jazz influenced, as the name suggests, by the legendary Bix Beiderbecke. They opened with ‘I want a Big Butter & Egg Man’ and went on to play ‘Ain’t She Pretty’, a lovely clarinet solo ‘Into Freedom’, ‘That Da Da Strain’, ‘Davenport Blues’, ‘100 Years from Today’, ‘Good Morning Blues’, ‘At the Jazz Band Ball’, ‘Savoy Blues’, a piano solo with ‘Jellyroll Blues’, ‘Body and Soul’, ‘You were Meant For Me’, ‘Caldonia’ and finishing with ‘So Do I’. What a lovely way to spend a Sunday lunchtime. We are looking forward to seeing this group again in the coming year.
Richard Hughes’ Fugue and Groove Trio with Jeremy Huggett – 19 November 2023: Well this was something completely new. This exciting new combo and Jeremy combining both jazz and classical elements which meant there was something for everyone. Leader, Richard Hughes was on keyboard, Steve Street on drums, Simon Smith on bass and Jeremy Huggett on various saxophones, flute and clarinet, opened with ‘Softly as in a Morning Sunrise’. This was followed by a Gershwin medley – The Man I Love, Fascinating Rhythm and I Got Rhythm, and, in no particular order the following: ‘Salut d’Amor’ (English equivalent of love letter), ‘Caravan’, ‘Down by The Riverside’, ‘Meditation’, ‘Jesu Joy’, ‘Honeysuckle Rose’, ‘The Falling Leaves’ and ‘Sweet Georgia Brown’. The programme also included a Turkish march, ‘Air on a G String’, music by Beethoven and Elgar, you name it all was included. The music was a hypnotic mix and I would encourage you all to go see this new kid on the block. You will not be disappointed.
Golden Eagle Jazz Band – 12 November 2023: This was a new band for me although I knew some faces. With Kevin Scott as leader on tenor banjo and guitar, Alan Cresswell on clarinet, Roy Bowden on drums, Richard Church on trumpet, Brian Butler on trombone and Chris ‘Thumper’ Thompson on double bass this group went down very well. They opened with ‘It Ain’t No Use to Cry’ and went on with ‘Roses of Piccardy’, ‘Moose March’, ‘Give Me That Old Time Religion’, ‘The Streets of the City’ (probably better known as Red River Valley), ‘My Memphis Baby’, ‘After You’ve Gone’, ‘Highways are Happy Ways’, ‘In The Good Ol’ Summer Time’, ‘Tie Me To Your Apron Strings Again’, ‘Bogalusa Strut’, ‘In The Shade of the Old Apple Tree’ and ‘My Gal Sal’ and ‘Laissez le Bon Temps Rouler’ (in English Let the Good Times Roll) to name some of the numbers we enjoyed. The drummers kit came from New Orleans where it was originally owned by a lady called Abbie Williams. This band’s mission is to play New Orleans jazz in the way it was meant to be played, with a powerful melodic front line and a hard driving rhythm section. Job done! Smashing.
5 November 2023 – No Concert