Upcoming Events

Last Wednesday of the month -

Please Note the Club will now Be Starting at 8.15pm

and finishing at 10.45pm

July 30th - Kings of Jazz

JOHN HOWLETT - trombone, PETE TOWNDROW – trumpet, BRIAN WHITE – clarinet, TONY PITT – banjo, VIC PITT – bass, GRAHAM SMITH – drums.

For more information on this band click here

August 27th - JB Jazz and Blues Band

JB Jazz & Blues Band was formed a few years ago, bringing together five talented musicians from different backgrounds with a common approach to their music - to have fun. With numbers that range from ‘Just a Gigolo’ to ‘Nuages’ via ‘The Joint is Jumping’ to ‘Jump, Jive & Wail’, audiences are treated to jazz and blues of the very highest quality from musicians who so obviously enjoy the music. JB is John Beckingham, (pno) with Roger Manwaring (Sax), Andy Wood (gtr), Paul Holder (dms) and Tony Capaldi (bs) jbjazzandblues.com

September 24th - Europa

October 29th - Heart of England

The band comprises six experienced musicians, most of whom are vocalists as well as instrumentalists, playing traditional and dixieland jazz. Their entertaining and accomplished repertoire brings pleasure to varied audiences everywhere. Selwyn Newton (clt), Pete Ainge (tpt), Kevin Grenfell (tbn), Roger Heath (bs), Dave Smith (bjo), Nick Millward (dms) hofejazz.co.uk

November 26th - The Famous Five

December 10th - Reeds United with John Maddocks & George Huxley

previous gigs -                                                  reviews by Peter Farrall , Secretary Pershore Jazz

May - John Hallam Quartet

Just before 7pm the committee, band and a few of our regulars stood outside in pouring rain waiting for the club to open. Once inside the committee held an impromptu meeting to discuss the possibility of a later start to the session in future and, before introducing the band, chairman Graham asked for a show of hands to confirm that 8.15 would be acceptable.

We had a strong stage presence from Pershore Jazz committee with chairman Graham Smith on drums and treasurer, Tony Sharp on bass. The rhythm section was completed by Roger Heeley, making a welcome return to Pershore, on piano. John Hallam was applauded onto the stage to swing into ‘I would do anything for You’ on clarinet with a series of two bar breaks from Graham and a solo spot for Roger, all setting the scene for an evening of top quality entertainment. Next came ‘Robbins Nest’, always reminiscent of ‘An Apple for the Teacher’, with fine clarinet - piano rapport and over to tenor sax for John to up the tempo on ‘Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea’ with drum breaks and Tony’s first bass solo of the evening. With John still on tenor sax, Roger surprised us by switching his keyboard to ‘vibes’ mode for a charming effect during ‘Indian Summer’. After some hefty baritone sax work including ‘You’re Driving Me Crazy’ there was another surprise when John introduced from the midst of the audience a young lady who delighted us with her playing at last year’s festival and Amy Roberts took the stage with her alto sax to ‘swap fours’ with John’s tenor on ‘China Boy’ followed by some nifty harmonisation to ‘Ain’t Misbehavin’’. After Graham’s Caribbean- like lead in, they ended the first half with a roaring version of ‘Sweet Georgia Brown’ this time featuring alto and baritone saxes.

John resumed the entertainment with a clarinet tribute to Duke Ellington , ‘Mr Gentle and Mr Cool’ with some more drum breaks for Graham and then the bouncing rhythm of ‘Peewee’s Blues’ brought dancers onto the floor. Tenor sax was featured in a swinging ‘Stompin’ at the Savoy’ and a gentle, lyrical rendering of ‘A Nightingale sang in Berkeley Square’. Before playing ‘ Hackensack’ John related how a dimwit presenter once described the number as being written by The Loneliest Monk! -Tony’s bass featured strongly on this version. Amy rejoined the quartet for the last few numbers to provide a wonderfully mellow foil to John’s clarinet on ‘A Kiss to Build a Dream On’ (this could certainly lullaby you to sleep if you were in Seattle) and the dancers had their last boogie when the five musicians really let loose with ‘Take the A Train’.
It’s amazing to think that they are not a regularly rehearsed group, yet were so obviously inspired by each other’s playing and gelled perfectly to provide some of the best jazz that we’ve had at the club.
Don’t miss Amy, Roger, Graham and Tony in their respective venues at the Festival in August.

April - New Orleans Heat

The band set up in record time, the brass displaying an impressive assortment of mutes, wah-wahs and bowler hats, and swung into a driving beat with ‘My Little Girl’ followed by ‘When You and I were Young Maggie’ where the George Lewis style clarinet and plangent banjo created a wonderfully typical New Orleans sound. The front line of the band play seated and some of the audience were quite amused to see not just toes tapping, but feet bouncing up and down in synchronised rhythm. John swapped the clarinet for alto sax to give a warmer tone for ‘Canal Street Blues’ and back to clarinet on ‘Tin Roof Blues’ where a phrase from George Lewis’s Burgundy Street Blues was detected in his solo. Then we had Gwyn’s vocal on ‘Royal Telephone’ complete with tambourine backing from John and on to a medium beat ‘Swanee River’ to an almost boogie style piano backing. Acker Bilk made ‘Breeze’ one of his best known recordings and here the band gave us their version with Gwyn’s vocal and solos all round from the front line.

Little George, one of our regulars, grabbed a couple of ladies and danced to the bouncing Rhythm of ‘Bugle Boy March’ before Mike’s solo trombone spot on ‘Sweet Georgia Brown’. Mike explained that he often managed to wind up the rhythm section by wrong footing them on the count in but, this time, they got it right! Anyway, we were treated to a super version of the number with a nice conversation between trombone and bass and some gentle, almost washboard like drumming. The first half ended with ‘After The Ball Was Over’, two of our dancers proving that it is acceptable to waltz in a jazz club. The second half started with both band and audience clapping to the rhythm of ‘Tingaling’ which featured alto sax and piano solos then Gwyn, following in the footsteps of The Ink Spots and Pat Boone, provided a charming vocal on ‘When the Swallows come back to Capistrano’ to contrast with some good ensemble work on the next number, ‘Red`Wing’. Over to John for a turn on solo clarinet to play ‘A Walk in the Garden’, 3/4 time again, and a rocking clarinet/piano version of ‘Saint Phillip Street Breakdown’ before the band led the dancers from waltz into jive with ‘Over the Waves’. Gwyn ‘Begged Our Pardon’ on a vocal and the band went on to ‘Walking with the King’ which evoked memories of Ken Colyer and then a very danceable version of ‘Saint Louis Blues’ with Barry’s piano bass line standing out on this one. The Creole rhythm of ‘Big Mama’ aptly illustrated the French legacy in New Orleans with this song from the bayous and, lastly, ‘Kid Thomas Boogie’ complete with barrelhouse piano, band riffing and audience clapping to time - what a splendid way to end an evening of jazz ‘just like it used to be’.Thanks to New Orleans Heat for a tremendous session - see you at the Festival.

March - Fret & Fiddle

Selene Bijou (violin), Andy Bole (guitar), Mike Green (bass)

The three musicians, back in Pershore by demand after their stunning performance at last year’s festival, set up on stage in record time, considering that they had twenty strings between them to check for tuning.

A short introduction by chairman, Graham, and the band set the scene for the evening with an effervescent version of ‘Sweet Georgia Brown’ in true hot club style. ‘Dinah’ provided an opportunity for solos from guitar and bass whilst Selene slipped in a chorus from ‘Lady be Good’ halfway through. Things slowed down a little for ‘Make Me a Pallet on the Floor’ where Selene complemented her wistful violin with a pure voiced vocal and then onto some real gypsy stuff with ‘Tchavalo Swing’, some good ensemble work, with Andy’s solo demonstrating his admiration for the great Django Rheinhardt. ‘Crazy Rhythm’ was written as a show number from Here’s How (1928) but is known best as a jazz standard and here we heard it as a vehicle for some dazzling violin technique from Selene. No hot club performance would be complete without a rendering of ‘Nuages’, probably Django’s most recorded composition, and now our threesome played their fresh as ever version. Quel nostalgie. Andy swapped his guitar for a bouzouki and we were treated to a Russian tune called ‘Two Guitars’ with no guitars but played on an instrument from Greece! Ah well - whatever - it was a haunting melody with some pizzicato violin and a typical stop-start gypsy rhythm which is why we were advised not to try singing along with it. Andy explained that their repertoire was listed in an address book for easy reference and it was now open at ‘I’ so it was ‘Indifference’ another Rheinhardt composition in ¾ time then back to D for ‘Dark Eyes’, the unofficial gypsy anthem, again featuring Andy’s bouzouki and so to the interval whilst Peter explained to certain individuals that a bazooka was something entirely different.

The second half started with a gradually building tempo up to the familiar rhythm of ‘Caravan’ after which Salene took the mike to give us an inspired vocal rendering of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Dance Me to the End of Love’. Back to the gypsy theme for ‘Fleure de Lavende - nice solos from guitar and bass -and the slow ‘Django’s Castle’ then a swinging version of ‘Mack the Knife’ which had every toe in the house tapping. Another Django classic, ’Douce Ambience’ (thanks Andy but we realize that it doesn’t mean two ambulances) included some featured guitar and charming pizzicato violin. Jazz standard time again and Selene’s beautifully clear vocal style on ‘All of Me’ with sympathetic backing from the boys. The mandatory guitar solo in ‘Swing Gitan’ was carried out with panache by Andy - good to know the hand has fully recovered after that awful accident - and on to the slow, gypsy style start to the last number, ‘Czardas’ with nods of recognition when the familiar melody finally appeared. After long applause and cries for more with persuasion from Graham the band encored with ‘It Don’t Mean a Thing’ (if it ain’t got that swing). And swing they certainly had, with superb musicianship and impressive repertoire this talented and entertaining trio left us with a memorable evening by (as Andy put it) ‘a bunch of gypsies from Birmingham’. See them again at the Festival!

February - Richard Leach's 7 Stars of Jazz

Richard Leach (tbn), Chris Pearce (clt/saxs), Gordon Whitworth (tpt),Roger Davis (bs), Mike Graver (pno), Brian Mellor (bjo/gtr), Graham Smith (dms)

We managed to set up the stage, p.a. and club furniture in the afternoon which made for a less hectic time just before the session so that the 7 were able to relax and get a drink before starting.

As the band started to play, their admiration for the Alex Welsh bands was immediately obvious as the wonderfully tight, Dixieland ensemble sound took us right back to the heady days of the fifties and sixties. If I had a Talking Picture of You featured Brian’s vocal with contributions from Gordon’s trumpet and Chris, now on alto sax. Richard played a lyrical version of No Moon Tonight accompanied by bass, guitar and drums whilst the others went for a rest (at the bar) then Bix Beiderbeck’s strangely configured Davenport Blues, was a showpiece for Gordon and Mike.

By this time every seat in the club was taken leaving the dancing area a little restricted but the irresistible rhythm of I’ll Always be in Love with You prompted our dancers to find a space somewhere. Chris took up his soprano sax to give the front line a different tone for Savoy Blues with some inspired trombone work from Richard - Kid Ory would surely be proud of him - and over to Graham for the drum introduction to Hindustan, bringing us to the interval.

The second half started to a rousing version of Maple Leaf Rag and then on to You Made Me Love You with plenty of room for solos from piano, trombone, alto sax and guitar. Graham and Mike vacated the stage leaving a Hot Five type line up for Richard to do his stuff on Ory’s Creole Trombone whilst our dancing regulars enjoyed the beat in the far corner. I Surrender Dear, a superbly lyrical clarinet feature by Chris with sympathetic solos from bass, piano and guitar was performed to the distant cheers of the skittlers next door. The loudest cheer coincided with the applause at the end of the number - well timed chaps. A louder number seemed appropriate so the band swung into Midnight Choo Choo, the vocal being provided by Gordon with typical Chicago style backing from the band. Then came a touch of real musical sophistication when Mike gave us Benny Golsons’ Whisper Not with bass and drum backing - brilliant musicianship all round. The old Dixieland favourite, Come Back Sweet Papa again demonstrated the bands command of the genre after which Chris picked up his alto sax providing suitable colour to Saint James Infirmary with some nifty banjo picking from Brian and Richard’s real low down vocal plus gutsy trombone.Graham’s ‘fan club’ had been demanding a drum solo and so in Farewell Blues he was, as Richard described it, unleashed to deliver an impressive display of drum technique. Much applause for this one. And it was indeed farewell, for that was the last number from these seven musicians, each a star in their own right, and here blending perfectly to provide a memorable night of classic jazz

January - Millennium Eagle

Matt Palmer (clt, saxs), Peter Brown (tpt), Andy Holdorf (tbn), Chris Etherington (bjo), Brian Lawrence (bs), Jack Cotterill (dms)

Just after seven o’clock the band emerged from the maze of roadworks in High Street and began setting up. The audience were arriving later than usual, again due the single file system, and when the band struck up with ‘When You and I were Young Maggie’ - our Maggie was still greeting people on the reception desk. After the first scene- setting number we knew we were in for an evening of red hot, entertaining jazz. So on to ‘Travellin’ Blues’ which neither Graham nor Peter could remember the title of! - until their failing memories were rescued by Len (Thwaites) and Tony (Sharp). Anyway, whatever the title this was a super version with Pete playing valve trombone and featuring solos from bass and drums. Matt flexed his vocal chords with ‘I Double Dare You’ and then the band swung into Louis Armstrong’s ‘Gatemouth Blues’ with solos from Chris and Brian and some fine hot ensemble work. In a quieter mood, ‘Dallas Blues’ featured the traditional low register clarinet part, beautifully executed by Matt and then Andy gave us an almost vaudeville like version of ‘Old Green River’. The session continued with old favourites like ‘Si tu vois ma Mere’, soprano sax by Matt, ‘Moose March’ with a drum solo from Jack supported by trumpet work by Pete and the first half steamed to a close on ‘Midnight Choo Choo’ with Chris doing the vocal this time and four bar breaks all round. Secretary Peter having been hauled off by Wychavon licensing officers to discuss the intricacies of keeping jazz legal as well as live, returned to catch Matt’s rendition of the mandatory clarinet chorus on ‘High Society’ - a real hot one this. Our regular dance enthusiasts arrived just in time for Pete’s vocal and trumpet features on ‘Mack the Knife’, the bouncy rhythm seemed to particularly suit their style. Then came a real highlight of the session, ‘China Boy’, with Jack performing a stunning drum solo which brought cheers and applause from the appreciative audience. Still of school age, Jack is one of an increasing number of talented young people taking an interest in traditional and classic jazz, in Jack’s case inherited along with his talent from grandfather Pete and father Robert Cotterill, drummers who have played with all the big names in British trad. After that we were brought gently back to earth with ‘Teasin’ Rag’ and a trombone filled version of ‘Puttin’ on the Ritz’. Matt sang again for us with’ My Gal Sal’ and Andy was featured on ‘Saint James Infirmary’ The session culminated with - what else but ‘Climax Rag’ - and so ended an evening of real ‘red hot trad’, well presented by a happy bunch of musicians.

HOLLYWEBdesign