Kevin Grenfell & Richard Leach trombones
Mike Kemp piano, John Fellows bass and Graham Smith drums
This was an evening of wonderful music with a repertoire different from other bands all mixed with humour and jokes. Very entertaining and I highly recommend the band to any other jazz club promoter for bookings.
The very first number was the rousing Toot, Toot, Tootsie Goodbye and then they went straight into Mean To Me with a great bass solo. Spanish Eyes with beautiful trombone harmonies 
and solos from Richard and Mike was followed by the sentimental tune of How Wonderful You Are with a vocal from Kevin in his dulcet tones. Next was an up-tempo number Way Back Home in Indiana announced by Richard as a warhorse number. This contained solos from everyone and received rapturous applause. A piano feature called Atlanta Blue, which was a WC Handy tune from the end of the 1800’s was backed by bass and drums. Mike’s nimble fingers for this up beat number were fantastic and again this was well received by the audience. There is a downloadable audio called Feeling Good Thanks which is available from Mike’s website. C’est Manifique had audience participation and vocals from both Kevin and Richard with Graham’s intervention of “shut that door” instead of Je t’adore. This tune has a beautiful ending to it. A number made famous by Dean Martin called Sway was next and they made this their own version with an introduction and ending by Kevin on trombone and Graham with shakers as percussion. A lovely tune well played. A jazz classic Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans was a great number with two-trombone ending. Splanky, a Count Basie tune featured the two trombones again but with sensitive backing by the rhythm section increasing into a rousing ending. The signature tune of Side By Side brought the first set to a close.
China Town, My China Town got the second set off to a good start with vocals from Kevin and had a lovely bass solo backed by drums. Tea For Two followed with a slow intro of the trombones before going into the tune. A well rehearsed number. Making Whoopee and Breakfast at Tiffany’s followed with a piano feature next by Mike Kemp of Speak Low a tune from the 1948 show A Touch of Venus. To complete the trio bass and drums backed Mike. I Cant Give You Anything But Love Baby contained a vocal from Richard with Kevin playing various tunes in the middle of this. The beautiful tune of Moon Glow from the film The Picnic was next followed by Cute and Graham’s great brushwork on drums as an introduction. The addition of bass and then piano and a drum solo still using brushes before joined again by bass and piano and the twp trombones from the back of the stage giving an excellent finish to the number. This is a beautifully arranged number. Water Melon Man a great rocky number finished off the perfect evening from these talented musicians.
Any further details can be found on the following websites.
kevingrenfell.eu
mikekempmusic.co.uk
Maggie Smith
