Category Archives: Brian Carrick’s Algiers Stompers

Brian Carrick’s Algiers Stompers, 13th November 2015

That extremely popular band from the North, BRIAN CARRICK’S ALGIERS STOMPERS, will be returning to Farnborough Jazz Club tonight, Friday 13th November 2015.  They were last here in April 2013, although Brian was also here October, last year, guesting with Red Wing Jazz Band from Sweden.  BRIAN is a reed man and joining him will be PETER WRIGHT on trumpet, CHAS HUDSON on trombone, CHRIS PERRIN on piano, BILL COLE on string bass, plus BOB MACDONALD on banjo and RAY BOWDEN on drums.  Let’s roll up the carpet for them, because they certainly know how to ‘play them ivories’!

Cheers from us jazzers, Diane and Keith

Red Wing Band (from Sweden) with guest Brian Carrick, 31st October 2014

RED WING BAND (from Sweden) with guest BRIAN CARRICK appeared for the first time here at FARNBOROUGH JAZZ CLUB on Friday, 31st October 2014.  We were so proud another exciting band included us as part of their UK 2014 Tour.

Red Wing Band from Sweden on 2014 tour at Farnborough Jazz Club 31st October with Hans Zakrissonv (Ldr&trb), Sverker Nystron (clt&altosax), Lief Meldahl (bass), Hans Jorgensen (bj), Ingamar Wagerman (pno), Ronald Anderson (drm) &spec guest Brian Carrick (rds). Photo: Mike Witt
Red Wing Band from Sweden on 2014 Tour at Farnborough Jazz Club on 31st October with Hans Zakrissonv (Ldr&trb), Sverker Nystron (clt&altosax), Lief Meldahl (bass), Hans Jorgensen (banjo), Ingamar Wagerman (piano), Ronald Anderson (drums&guitar) &spec guest Brian Carrick (reeds). Photo: Mike Witt

 

 

The band members included their leader and trombonist, HANS ZAKRISSONV, with SVERKER NYSTRON on clarinet and alto sax, LIEF MELDAHL on bass, HANS JORGENSEN on banjo, INGAMAR WAGERMAN on piano and RONALD ANDERSON (from Denmark) on drums.

They had a special guest with them, who was our very own BRIAN CARRICK on reeds. They were all exceptional together. What a band!

Brian Carrick - guesting with Red Wind Band (from Sweden)

Brian Carrick – guesting with Red Wind Band (from Sweden)

Brian is best known to most of you as leader of his own highly popular ‘Brian Carrick’s Algiers Stompers’ band and has already appeared here at Farnborough (I have found write-up for 26th October 2012, so have published it for that date!).  Of course, you may recall, Brian plays the old metal clarinet belonging to George Lewis, (given to him by George’s daughter).  Right from their first number, you knew we were in for a super evening. It began with their signature tune, ‘Red Wing’, which brought on the dancers immediately. We did not have our Gordon to start the dancing off, he being in hospital (now recovering from quadruple by-pass). However, we were delighted to have been joined by a new couple, Jane and Alan (regulars with 1066 Club at Hastings) who came especially to see the band. Keith thought they were the cabaret act with the band. [We do hope to see you both again, you were thoroughly entertaining too, although Gordon said to tell you to lay off his patch – only joking.]  The next number to mention is George Lewis’ own ‘Burgundy Street Blues’.  Brian sang it and played George’s clarinet (quite a lovely thought). Another tune I think George was associated with, was ‘Postman’s Lament’, which was great.  I think Brian sang the next one, ‘Moonlight and Roses’, but did not make any notes, as I was too busy enjoying a dance with Steve.

Ronald Andersen takes to electric guitar & Brian Carrick sings 'Muddy Road' both brilliantly - Red Wing Band from Holland on 2014 tour at Farnborough Jazz Club, Kent UK on 31st October. Photo: Mike Witt

Ronald Anderson takes to electric guitar & Brian Carrick sings ‘Muddy Road’ both brilliantly – Red Wing Band from Sweden on 2014 Tour at Farnborough Jazz Club, Kent UK on 31st October. Photo: Mike Witt

Now I know Brian sang the next number, because he was fantastic – like a ‘rock’ star. Ronald Anderson had come out from behind the drums to play electric guitar and the two of them were brilliant – we were all mesmerised. The number? ‘Muddy Road’.  At the end of the evening, I told Ronald I was sure I knew him. Of course I knew him, he had played for us many times with Phil Mason’s All Stars’ and including Warwick Leadlay’s Starborough Castle jazz weekends too.

SVERKER NYSTRON on clarinet and LIEF MELDAHL on bass, with leader & trombonist, HANS ZAKRISSONV. Red Wing Band from Sweden on 2014 Tour at Farnborough Jazz Club, Kent, UK on 31st October. Photo: Mike Witt

SVERKER NYSTRON on clarinet and LIEF MELDAHL on bass, with leader & trombonist, HANS ZAKRISSONV. Red Wing Band from Sweden on 2014 Tour at Farnborough Jazz Club, Kent, UK on 31st October. Photo: Mike Witt

A lovely number ‘June Night’ (a Tommy Dorsey ‘hit’) came next and was followed by a great Latin American number called ’Laughing Samba’.  This is a dance I just love and once again, enjoyed seeing Jane and Alan (I don’t think they missed a dance). Another favourite of a quite a few people at the club was ‘St. Philip Street Breakdown’.  After all, it has been recorded by all the greats.  So we come to the last number, aptly named ‘Till We Meet Again’. We hope we do get to see them again. What a wonderful evening.

Ingamar Wagerman on piano with Red Wing Band from Sweden, on UK 2014 Tour at Farnborough Jazz Club on 31st October. Photo: Mike Witt

Ingamar Wagerman on piano with Red Wing Band from Sweden, on UK 2014 Tour at Farnborough Jazz Club on 31st October. Photo: Mike Witt

Ser fram emot att jazzing med dig Red Wing Band igen – and happy jazzin’ to our audience too.

Didn’t I tell you last week, you can get ready for a fabulous time on Friday?  Wasn’t I right?

 

Keep supporting us.

Diane and Keith

‘Burgundy Street Blues’ – George Lewis (1944)
‘June Night’ – (m) Abel Baer, (l) Cliff Friend (1924)
‘Laughing Samba’ – (m) Benny Meroff & Anne Spear (m) Vincent Rizzo & George Johnson (1948)
‘Moonlight and Roses’ – (m) Edwin Henry Lemare (1888) (l) Ben Black & Neil Moret (Chas N. Daniels) (1921)
‘Muddy Road’ – Jimmy Walker (1945)
‘Postman’s Lament’ – traditional
‘Red Wing’ – (m) Kerry Mills, (l) Thurland Chattaway (1907)
‘St. Philip Street Breakdown’ – George Lewis (1943)
‘Till We Meet Again’ – (m) Richard A. Whiting, (l) Raymond B. Egan (1918)

Brian Carrick’s Algiers Stompers, 26th October 2012

Brian Carrick’s Algiers Stompers, who come from the Newcastle area, had their first visit last Friday, 26th October 2012 here at Farnborough Jazz Club in Kent.   Brian plays clarinet, tenor sax and vocals, with Peter Wright on trumpet. Chas Hudson was to have been on trombone, but unfortunately went to Farnborough in Hampshire, even though I did warn we are in Kent – still Chas, you are not the first and probably not the last to do so. Plus Chas, you probably enjoyed the drive through Hampshire’s pretty scenery and the pub you no doubt visited aye? Roy Mascal played trombone in your place and who had only to travel from Welling. Gabriele Gad was on piano, with Stu Morrison on banjo, Andrew Hall on drums and Bill Cole on double bass. (See our separate band ‘Page’ for their CV’s). You know, we all experience bad problems at one time or another, but what about this band! First of all, band leader Brian had a very serious accident when returning home from a gig back in 1998. He was very seriously injured and spent years in/out hospital. He is now a bionic man! But what about his face! Oh it is such a smiley one. I am sure he moans in private moments, but it doesn’t show, the lines on his face are smiley ones. Brian plays both clarinet and tenor sax spectacularly. Then I come to Andrew! I did mention in the separate band ‘Page’ how he had been living in New Orleans and had lost everything in Hurricane ‘Katrina’, so has returned to live back here. Likewise to Brian, you would not have seen any hint of all this in his face either – plenty of smiles. Playing jazz (or any music) ‘live’ has to be the most wonderfully therapeutic medicine there is. I also gain the same pleasure from listening and dancing too. So if you are feeling ‘down’, get yourself to any jazz club – preferably ours and you will feel a million dollars in no time, if only to set yourself up for another difficult week. Last Friday, everyone enjoyed themselves so much, both band and audience. The band’s excellent choice of repertoire was quite refreshing, with such numbers as ‘Hanauma Bay’, a song Gabby wrote, composed and sang herself and what a gorgeously deep and beautiful voice she has too. Well done Gabby. Other numbers I jotted down were ‘Can I Say Exactly How I Feel’, Louisian-I-A’, plus Hank Williams’ number ‘Take These Chains From My Heart’. Stu (ex Chris Barber’s Band) played a brilliant banjo piece in ‘Oreo Biscuit Cookie Blues’. Then Frank Sinatra’s number followed called ‘Black Cat On The Fence’. Another fantastically played number was ‘Bring It On Home To Grandma’. Gabby then sang ‘Heebie Jeebies’. Also Brian gave a brilliant clarinet performance to ‘Burgundie Street Blues’. He proudly explained his clarinet had belonged to George Lewis, which was presented to him by George’s daughter Shirley. I’m sure that had something to do with how he played it (lovingly) – great vocals too.

As with all clubs, we can always do with some more support.   So why don’t you come and find out for yourselves and join us – dancing is good for the soul, plus losing weight too. Whilst I’m on the subject of weight, have you enjoyed watching ‘Strictly Come Dancing’? I have to say we do enjoy the programme – Keith certainly enjoyed little Ola Jordan’s hot pants last weekend! However, I wished someone at the BBC could ask the band and/or the programme presenters, what is wrong with using the correct music for the VARIOUS dances? It is so soul-destroying to see the ‘Star’ dancers struggling to dance to ‘pop’. Don’t they see the standing ovations mainly happen when the music is RIGHT! The American smooth, the Tango, the Charleston and the Paso Doble are prime examples, they all have differing beats. Another point for the BBC to ask is if their audience could be informed before coming ‘on air’, how to clap to the ‘off beat’. Don’t get me wrong, as a dancer (amateur I may be), years ago, I always clapped ‘on the beat’ until I was shown by a band leader (Jeff of Manhattan Jazz Band) how I was wrong and I soon cottoned on. I now know it is very irritating to musicians. Some of our own audience get it wrong, but we are not ‘on air’!

Here’s the best of ‘jazz’ to you all.

Diane and Keith

‘Hanauma Bay’ – Gabriele Gad
‘Lou-Easy-an-i-a’ – Joe Darensbourg
‘TakeThese Chains From My Heart And Set Me Free’ – Hy Heath and Fred Rose (1953)
‘Oreo Biscuit Cookie Blues’ – Lonnie Mack (1990)
‘Black Cat On The Fence’ – (l) Frank Sinatra, (m) Charlie Love
‘Bring It On Home To Grandma’ – Richard M. Jones (1935)
‘Heebie Jeebies’ – Boyd Atkins (1926)
‘Burgundy Street Blues’ – George Lewis (1944)