Kevin Grenfell’s Jazz & Boogie Band – 24 November 2024: Taking over the band following the loss of Jeremy Huggett, Kevin’s band proved a great success with us at Stafford. The band consisted of Kevin Grenfell (leader) on trombone, trumpet, vocals and jokes, Simon Smith on double bass, Matt Palmer on reeds, Richard Hughes on keyboard, Steve Street on drums and Alan Bradbury on guitar they were thoroughly entertaining throughout the session. They opened with ‘Jump Jive and Wail’, and continued with ‘It Don’t Mean A Thing If It Aint Got That Swing’, ‘The Preacher’, ‘Blue Moon’, ‘Hindustan’, ‘Walk Don’t Run’, ‘Stafford Jazz Club Boogie Woogie’, ‘Childhood Boy’, ‘China Town’, Gonna Take A Sentimental Journey’, ‘On A Slow Boat To China’, ‘The Night Has A Thousand Eyes’, ‘Stranger On The Shore’, ‘Caravan’, ‘When Your Smiling’, ‘Apple Blossom Time’, ‘There Aint Nobody Here But Us Chickens’ and finished with ‘Bye Bye Blackbird’. What a great programme.
Matt Palmer’s Eagle Jazz Band – 17 November 2024: It was good to see this band again, comprising Matt Palmer (leader) on reeds and vocals, Pete Brown on trumpet, Terry McGrath on trombone, sax and tin whistle, Brian Mellor on banjo and guitar, Rae Owens on double bass and vocals, Tony Pipkin on cornet and Nick Ward on percussion. They opened with ‘Bourbon Street Parade’ and went on with ‘Porter’s Love Song to a Chambermaid’, ‘The Creole Love Call’, ‘The Coffee Grinder’, ‘The Blues You Can Get’, ‘Sweet Sue, Just You’, ‘Red Sails in the Sunset’ and ‘Gate Mouth’. The second half just as good as the first was ‘Harlem Hound’, ‘Old Fashioned Love’, ‘My Little Bimbo Down on the Bamboo Isle’. ‘Go Up The River’, ‘Swing That Music’, ‘Goodnight Sweet Prince’, ‘That’s A Plenty’ and ending, as always with ‘Bring Me Sunshine’. What a smashing concert.
Wabash Jazzmen – 10 November 2024: This band consists of Mark Challinor (leader) on banjo, guitar, ukulele and vocals, Mike Hayler on reeds, Richard Leach on trombone, Tony Pipkin on cornet, Richard Vernon on string bass and Nick Ward on percussion. This band plays traditional foot-tapping New Orleans jazz rooted in early Chris Barber. There is always a warm welcome for this band here in Stafford. They opened with ‘Black Cat On The Fence’ and went on with ‘Papa Dip’, ‘Far Away Blues’, ‘Get On Board Little Children (The Gospel Train)’, the Samoan folk song ‘Mauga de Atudo’, ‘Buddy Habits’, ‘Sarie Marais (march of the Royal Marine Commandos)’ ‘Weary Blues’, ‘Muskrat Ramble’, ‘Let The Light From The Lighthouse Shine On Me’, ‘Harlem Bound’, ‘Russian Lullaby’, Blame it on the Blues’, ‘New Orleans’, ‘Ay Mama Ines (Cuban rumba)’ and finishing with ‘Wolverine Blues’. A veritable smorgasbord of music. Looking forward already to the next time we see them.
Kevin Grenfell’s Jazz Giants – 3 November 2024: This quality band has played at SJS on many occasions in the past and is always well received. The band consists of Kevin Grenfell (Leader) on trombone, trumpet and vocals, John Hallam on reeds, Richard Hughes on piano, Simon Smith on double bass and Jools Aldridge on drums. They opened with ‘Running Wild’, and followed up the first half with ‘Give Me A Kiss To Build A Dream On’, ‘I Can’t Give You Anything But Love’, ‘Girl of My Dreams’, ‘Honky Tonk Train Blues’, ‘Going to New Orleans’, ‘The Gypsy’ and ‘It’s A Sin To Tell A Lie’. In the second half we had ‘Dolly’, ‘Careless Love’, ‘Stealing Apples’, ‘Jump Jive an’ Wail’, ‘Bad Penny Blues’, ‘The Lady Is A Tramp’, ‘There Ain’t Nobody Here But Us Chickens’ (which always makes me smile) and strangely enough ended with ‘When You’re Smiling’. I feel sure they will be back before too long.