Ken Doran Trumpet & Vocals
TonyDunleavy Trombone
John Hallam Reeds
Neville Goodwin Piano
Tony Ormesher Banjo/Guitar
Rae Owens Bass & Vocals
Brian Singleton Drums
The Teddybears’ Picnic played in Dixieland!
The club session started with the Teds’ signature tune and continued the Dixie theme with the
Original Dixieland One Step, always good for a starter (so called because it’s one step for each beat, but if the beat is too fast everyone looks as if they’re on an old silent film!). Perdidio Street Blues had some Dodds like clarinet from John then Keeping Out of Mischief introduced us to his warm toned tenor sax before the rhythm section stopped for a few bars to let the front line chatter amongst themselves on a swinging Milneburg Joys.
Tony disappeared behind an enormous bucket mute for a solo on Mood Indigo, played in the spirit of Ellington but definitely the Teddybears’ own version. More polished trad with In Your Sweet Little Alice Blue Gown and some impressive banjo soloing on Shine before Rae’s vocal took us into My Blue Heaven with John’s tenor swimming along in the mainstream.A hot version of Hindustan aptly demonstrated the controlled exuberance of the band and Ken treated us to the refrain of Tishomingo Blues, in its jazz version not the pseudo cowboy lyrics sometimes heard.
It’s hard to find a band that hasn’t recorded Washington and Lee Swing, jazz or otherwise, and here was a happy foot tapping, head nodding arrangement with Ken supplying the words. The tongue twisting verses of Blues My Naughty Sweety Gave to Me presented no problem to Rae and demanded equally intricate fingering for Tony’s guitar spot.
Proof of musical versatility came with a change to a bouncy jump jive flavoured Watermelon Man complete with raunchy tenor sax and bluesy guitar. Back to good old trad on Dapper Dan before John’s
expressive sax soloing in Paper Moon seemed uncannily to be speaking to us individually.
Tenor sax and guitar joined to create a wonderfully sympathetic rendering of Django’s Swing 42, the two perfectly complementing each other in two bar phrases.
Rae dropped his water bottle, openly confessed to being a hydroholic, and proceeded to round off the evening with a hilarious send up of Johnny Cash singing Leaning on a Lamp Post and this accomplished and justifiably popular bunch of amiable musicians waved us goodbye with Goin Home.
Peter Farrall
