Category Archives: Hot Lips Oldtime Jazz from Germany

Hot Lips Oldtime Jazz, Germany 6th March 2015

At the beginning of March this year, we announced we would take great pleasure in presenting ‘HOT LIPS OLD-TIME JAZZ’ (from Munich, Germany) to play for the first time at our FARNBOROUGH JAZZ CLUB on Friday, 6th March 2015 (from 8:00pm). The band’s line-up was to be leader MICHAEL “HOT LIPS” ETZEL on trumpet & vocals, with BOB STRAUB on clarinet, alto sax & bass sax, HANNES EICKHORST on trombone, HEINI “THE TINY” BUCKENMAIER on drums, OTMAR “GEORGE” DICKER on d.bass and WOLFGANG E. OTT on banjo.

'Hot Lips' from Germany seen here at Farnborough Jazz Club on 6th March 2015. Photo by Mike Witt.

‘Hot Lips’ from Germany seen here at Farnborough Jazz Club (Kent UK) on 6th March 2015. Photo by Mike Witt.

Last year, Wolfgang came to our club to listen to another band (Tony Pitt’s All Stars). We chatted (especially Keith, who can conjure up a wonderful ‘pigeon’ Anglo/German language. Wolgang gave us their CD and hence their date here on Friday. We often play the CD on a Friday evening, before everyone arrives. They began with their theme song ‘Hot Lips’, a number I don’t think has been played for us before and is certainly a lively happy number, that I just loved.

BOB STRAUB clarinet, alto bass, of 'Hot Lips Jazz Band, Munich Germany, seen here at Farnborough Jazz Club Kent, on their 2015 UK Tour. Photo by Mike Witt.

BOB STRAUB (clarinet, alto bass sax), of ‘Hot Lips Jazz Band, Munich Germany, seen here at Farnborough Jazz Club Kent, on their 2015 UK Tour. Photo by Mike Witt.

Then Bob began the next one with a lovely ’Gershwin’ sounding intro, which led into ‘At the Jazz Band Ball’, fabulous! Moving onto their next number, which I found delightful (if that can best describe it?), because it was ‘White Cliffs of Dover’. Wolfgang sang it for us, but he sang it in a different German dialect, to his own. Obviously, like us, Germany has many differing dialects, so he enjoyed it, just as much as we did. He followed on to announce their next number as ‘Midnight in Farnborough’ (obviously ‘Moscow’) and were met with a huge cheer – ha. We got up and performed our line-dance to it, being a great tempo. After a small break, the band performed ‘Shine’, sung by Michael, with some harmonising from Bob and Hannes too, brilliant. By the time they played ‘I Can’t Give You Anything But Love Baby’, the dance floor was full.

WOLFGANG E. OTT (banjo) and HEINI “THE TINY” BUCKENMAIER (drums) play for 'Hot Lips' of Munich, Germany on 2015 UK  Tour.  Seen at Farnborough Jazz Club, Kent 6th March. Photo by  Mike Witt.

WOLFGANG E. OTT (banjo) and HEINI “THE TINY” BUCKENMAIER (drums) play for ‘Hot Lips’ of Munich, Germany on 2015 UK Tour. Seen at Farnborough Jazz Club, Kent 6th March. Photo by Mike Witt.

I have chosen to mention ‘Avalon’ next, because Wolfgang performed a wonderful solo. He said his banjo was called ‘dandelion’, which I think he said comes from the Odenwald Forest in Heidleberg. It had a beautiful sound to it and obviously a very special banjo. We were treated to some wonderful scat vocalising from Otmar when they played ‘That’s a Plenty’ and I must mention Bob’s brilliant clarinet playing. We were able to do another line dance to ‘Everybody Loves My Baby’.

Tiny, drummer of 'Hot Lips' from Munnich, Germany on their 2015 UK Tour, seen here at Farnborough Jazz Club, Kent on 6th March 2015.  Photo by Mike Witt.

Heini ‘The Tiny’ Buckenmaier, drummer of ‘Hot Lips’ from Munich, Germany on their 2015 UK Tour, seen here at Farnborough Jazz Club, Kent on 6th March 2015. Photo by Mike Witt.

‘The Tiny’ performed a fabulous drum solo – actually they all played fabulous solos. The next number was marvellous, namely ‘The Pearls’, to which I put an asterisk next to the word ‘fab-u-lous’! They rounded off the evening with ‘Jailhouse Rock’. As you can guess, we packed the dance floor. What a fun evening. It was the last gig of their tour and so always a wonderfully relaxed evening for any band. There were smiles all round and everyone left feeling really happy and warm.

Another great evening of jazz – well done boys.

Diane and Keith

[Ho ho Jim McIntosh, Wolfgang mentioned he has had a conflab with you lasting several years (well since 1972) aboutBlowing in the Wind’, written by Bob Dylon, as to if it was jazz, or spiritual/folk? Do you want to re-iterate about this Jim?  The guys played it with a traditional twist.]

'Hot Lips' Jazz Band of Munich, Germany seen here at Farnborough Jazz Club, Kent on their 2015 UK Tour .6March.  Leader MICHAEL “HOT LIPS” ETZEL (trump&vocs), BOB STRAUB (clarnt, alto & b.sax), HANNES EICKHORST (tromb), HEINI “THE TINY” BUCKENMAIER (drums), OTMAR “GEORGE” DICKER (d.bass) & WOLFGANG E. OTT (banjo). Photo by Mike Witt

‘Hot Lips’ Jazz Band of Munich, Germany seen here at Farnborough Jazz Club, Kent on their 2015 UK Tour .6March. Leader MICHAEL “HOT LIPS” ETZEL (trump&vocs), BOB STRAUB (clarnt, alto & b.sax), HANNES EICKHORST (tromb), HEINI “THE TINY” BUCKENMAIER (drums), OTMAR “GEORGE” DICKER (d.bass) & WOLFGANG E. OTT (banjo). Photo by Mike Witt

Leader MICHAEL “HOT LIPS” ETZEL (trump), HANNES EICKHORST (tromb) and HEINI “THE TINY” BUCKENMAIER (drums) from 'Hot Lips Jazz Band' of Munich, Germany seen here at Farnborough Jazz Club, Kent, UK 6th March 2015.  Photo by Mike Witt.

Leader MICHAEL “HOT LIPS” ETZEL (trump), HANNES EICKHORST (tromb) and HEINI “THE TINY” BUCKENMAIER (drums) from ‘Hot Lips Jazz Band’ of Munich, Germany seen here at Farnborough Jazz Club, Kent, UK 6th March 2015. Photo by Mike Witt.

'Hot Lips' Jazz Band of Munich, Germany UK 2015 Tour at Farnborough Jazz Club, Kent. Photo by Mike Witt.

‘Hot Lips’ Jazz Band of Munich, Germany UK 2015 Tour at Farnborough Jazz Club, Kent. Photo by Mike Witt.

leader & trumpeter MICHAEL “HOT LIPS” ETZEL, seen here exchanging tips with fellow trumpeter, Colin Dobson (& wife Jo) of  Billy cotton Band Show Fame. Photo by Mike Witt.

leader & trumpeter MICHAEL “HOT LIPS” ETZEL, seen here exchanging tips with fellow trumpeter, Colin Dobson (& wife Jo) of Billy cotton Band Show Fame. Photo by Mike Witt.

‘At The Jazz Band Ball’ – (m) Nick LaRocca, Larry Shields (1917) (l’s added 1950 by Johnny Mercer)
‘Avalon’ – (m&l) Al Jolson, Vincent Rose & Buddy DeSylva (1920)
Blowing in the Wind’ – Bob Dylon (1962)
‘Everybody Loves My Baby’ – (m) Spencer Williams, (l) Jack Palmer (1924)
‘Hot Lips’ – Henry Busse, Henry Lange & Lou Davis (1922) (no: 1 hit for Paul Whiteman’s Band)
‘I Can’t Give You Anything But Love Baby’ – Jimmy McHugh, (l) Dorothy Fields (1928)
                                                                 (Although it’s believed by ‘Fats’ Waller, who sold it on when broke)
‘Jailhouse Rock’ – (m) Mike Stoller, (l) Jerry Leiber (1957)
‘Midnight in Farnborough’ aka
‘Midnight In Moscow’ – Василий Соловьев-Седой, Михаил(m) Vasily Solovyov-Sedoi,
                                                                        (l) Mikhail Matusovsky (1955) ‘Minnie the Moocher’ – Cab Calloway&Irving Mills (1931)
‘The Pearls’ – Jelly Roll Morton (1923)
‘Shine’ – (m) Ford Dabney, (l) Cecil Mack & Lew Brown (1910)
‘That’s A Plenty’ – (m) Lew Pollack (1914)
‘White Cliffs of Dover’ – (m) Walter Kent, (l) Nat Burton (1941)