Category Archives: Yerba Buena Celebration Jazz Band

Yerba Buena Celebration Jazz Band, Friday 26th October 2018

Mike Barry, Band leader & trumpeter singing at Farnborough Jazz Club(Kent) in 2017. Photo by Mike Witt.

Yippee, it’s the ‘YERBA BUENA CELEBRATION JAZZ BAND’ back here at the FARNBOROUGH JAZZ CLUB (Kent) this Friday 26th October 2018.   They give out a wonderful replicated West Coast sound of the famous two trumpets of Lew Watters’  &  Bob Scobey, with the trombone of Turk Murphy .  These talented musicians who manage it are ALAN GRESTIE (1st trumpet &vocals), MIKE BARRY (band leader, 2nd trumpet &vocals), GOFF DUBBER (clarinet), COLIN GRAHAM (trombone), plus  TIM HUSKISSON (piano), PETE LAY (drums), JOHN ARTHY (tuba) and NICK SINGER (banjo).    You can certainly enjoy a dance or two  and the Shepherd Neame bar with club prices, so see you all on Friday for an 8:00pm start.   Some of us friendly witches & warlocks will be coming in our work clothes to listen to our jazz, so if you wish to join us and dress up, you will be most welcome.   

We have plenty of free parking – Our postcode is: BR6 7BA .

Dont forget your date with 4-In-A-Bar+1 at Ye Olde Whyte Lyon Pub is this Sunday, 28th October 2018 at 3:00pm till 6:00pm. Tim Huskisson plays piano at this gig.  See our advert in page above

Yerba Buena Celebration Jazz Band, 2nd June 2017

Yerba Buena Celebration Jazz Band at Farnborough Jazz Club (Kent) on 3rd June 2016. (LtoR) Mike Barry (2nd trumpet&vocals), Dave Rance (1st trumpet&vocals) & George ‘Kid’ Tidiman (trombone) & Pete Lay (drums).  Photo by Mike Witt.

It’s exactly a year ago since ‘YERBA BUENA CELEBRATION JAZZ BAND’ appeared here at FARNBOROUGH JAZZ CLUB (3rd June to be exact) and now they will return tonight, Friday 2nd June 2017.  This amazing 8-pce jazz band base their style on the great ‘Lu Watters’ Yerba Buena Jazz Band.  The guys in the band will be DAVE RANCE on 1st trumpet, plus he sings, MIKE BARRY is on 2nd trumpet, who also sings.  then there’s GOFF DUBBER   on clarinet, plus  GEORGE ‘KID’ TIDIMAN on trombone (‘Kid’ was in their original band), plus pianist HUGH CROZIER, including drummer PETE LAY, and JOHN ARTHY on tuba and certainly not least NICK SINGER playing banjo.  There you go, you just cannot miss this one.  Last year, you all came out of the woodwork to listen to them and we expect to see you all again this time too.  So get there early and I know you will enjoy yourselves, especially for dancing.

We don’t lie here – enjoy our ‘live’ jazz.

Your hosts, Diane and Keith

Yerba Buena Celebration Jazz Band, 3rd June 2016

Oh what a fabulous evening with the ‘YERBA BUENA CELEBRATION JAZZ BAND’ here at Farnborough Jazz Club on Friday, 3rd June 2016.  I mentioned they are an 8-pce jazz band, reflecting the great ‘Lu Watters’ Yerba Buena Jazz Band.  They were brilliant, sounding like a big band.  DAVE RANCE was on 1st trumpet (plus sang), MIKE BARRY was 2nd trumpet (who also sang), BRIAN WHITE on clarinet, GEORGE ‘KID’ TIDIMAN on trombone (‘Kid’ was in their original band), HUGH CROZIER on piano, PETE LAY on drums, JOHN ARTHY on tuba and NICK SINGER played banjo.

Yerba Buena Celebration Jazz Band at Farnborough Jazz Club (Kent) on 3rd June 2016. (LtoR) Brian White (clarinet), Hugh Crozier (piano), Mike Barry (2nd trumpet&vocals), Pete Lay (drums), Dave Rance (1st trumpet&vocals), George 'Kid' Tidiman (trombone), Nick Singer (banjo &vocals) & John Arthy (tuba). Photo by Mike Witt.

Yerba Buena Celebration Jazz Band at Farnborough Jazz Club (Kent) on 3rd June 2016. (LtoR) Brian White (clarinet), Hugh Crozier (piano), Mike Barry (2nd trumpet&vocals), Pete Lay (drums), Dave Rance (1st trumpet&vocals), George ‘Kid’ Tidiman (trombone), Nick Singer (banjo &vocals) & John Arthy (tuba). Photo by Mike Witt.

They are known produce great dancing tempos and so not really surprising that both our visiting dancing couples (Linda & John, plus Jane &Alan) turned up together.  As I suspected, they knew one-another from visiting many clubs.  I’m pretty sure they thoroughly enjoyed themselves, as well as entertaining us with their dancing too.  In fact the dance floor was packed with everyone enjoyed themselves, not forgetting the ‘listeners’.  Now to enlighten you of the tunes they chose to play.

Yerba Buena Celebration Jazz Band at Farnborough Jazz Club (Kent) on 3rd June 2016. (LtoR) Mike Barry (2nd trumpet&vocals), Dave Rance (1st trumpet&vocals) & George 'Kid' Tidiman (trombone) & Pete Lay (drums). Photo by Mike Witt.

Yerba Buena Celebration Jazz Band at Farnborough Jazz Club (Kent) on 3rd June 2016. (LtoR) Mike Barry (2nd trumpet&vocals), Dave Rance (1st trumpet&vocals) & George ‘Kid’ Tidiman (trombone) & Pete Lay (drums). Photo by Mike Witt.

Yerba Buena Celebration Jazz Band at Farnborough Jazz Club (Kent) on 3rd June 2016. (LtoR) Brian White (clarinet), Mike Barry (2nd trumpet &vocals), Pete Lay (drums), Nick Singer (banjo &vocals) and Dave Rance (1st trumpet &vocals). Photo by Mike Witt.

Yerba Buena Celebration Jazz Band at Farnborough Jazz Club (Kent) on 3rd June 2016. (LtoR) Brian White (clarinet), Mike Barry (2nd trumpet &vocals), Pete Lay (drums), Nick Singer (banjo &vocals) and Dave Rance (1st trumpet &vocals). Photo by Mike Witt.

Yerba Buena Celebration Jazz Band at Farnborough Jazz Club (Kent) on 3rd June 2016. (LtoR) Nick Singer (banjo &vocals), Pete Lay (drums), Dave Rance (1st trumpet&vocals), George 'Kid' Tidiman (trombone), and John Arthy (tuba). Photo by Mike Witt.

Yerba Buena Celebration Jazz Band at Farnborough Jazz Club (Kent) on 3rd June 2016. (LtoR) Nick Singer (banjo &vocals), Pete Lay (drums), Dave Rance (1st trumpet&vocals), George ‘Kid’ Tidiman (trombone), and John Arthy (tuba). Photo by Mike Witt.

Quite a selection and I wish I could list them all, but that wouldn’t be fair to the band.  I had put ticks next to so many numbers, so it’s terribly hard to choose, but my first number to quote is ‘Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives To Me’, sung by Dave (great voice).  They were all playing brilliantly and I knew we were in for a fantastic evening.

Pete Lay (drums), Dave Rance (1st trumpet) and George 'Kid' Tidiman (trombone) play for Yerba Buena Celebration Jazz Band at Farnborough Jazz Club (Kent) on 3rd June 2016. Photo by Mike Witt.

Pete Lay (drums), Dave Rance (1st trumpet) and George ‘Kid’ Tidiman (trombone) play for Yerba Buena Celebration Jazz Band at Farnborough Jazz Club (Kent) on 3rd June 2016. Photo by Mike Witt

It was followed by ‘Muscrat Ramble’, to which I had put four ‘ticks’ against (in my notes), because wowie!  They followed on with the wonderful ‘Chimes Blues’, always a favourite and then a superb number that I don’t believe has been played here before, ‘Big Bear Stomp’.  Again they were all marvellous, what a sound, I have to make mention to Pete on drums, it was one of those tunes.  We performed our ‘Charleston’ line-dance to their next number, ‘Irish Black Bottom’, the biggest line-up thus far – twelve in all, not many for the big clubs, but lots for us!  Nick took a turn to sing next – he also has a great voice and sang ‘Oh Daddy Blues’.  Then came a marvellous favourite of mine, Irvin Berlin’s ‘When The Midnight Choo Choo Leaves for Alabam’.  Such another great dancing number and we took advantage of that – dance floor full!

Yerba Buena Celebration Jazz Band at Farnborough Jazz Club (Kent) on 3rd June 2016. (LtoR) Brian White (clarinet), Hugh Crozier (piano), Mike Barry (2nd trumpet &vocals), Pete Lay (drums), Dave Rance (1st trumpet &vocals), George 'Kid' Tidiman (trombone), John Arthy (tuba) & Nick Singer (banjo &vocals). Photo by Mike Witt.

Yerba Buena Celebration Jazz Band at Farnborough Jazz Club (Kent) on 3rd June 2016. (LtoR) Brian White (clarinet), Hugh Crozier (piano), Mike Barry (2nd trumpet &vocals), Pete Lay (drums), Dave Rance (1st trumpet &vocals), George ‘Kid’ Tidiman (trombone), John Arthy (tuba) & Nick Singer (banjo &vocals). Photo by Mike Witt.

As his face is obscure from big photos, here's one on his own of John Arthy playing tuba for the 'Yerba Buena Celebration Jazz Band' at Farnborough Jazz Club (Kent), on 3rd June 2016. Photo by Mike Witt.

As his face is obscure from main photos, here’s one (on his own) of John Arthy playing tuba for the ‘Yerba Buena Celebration Jazz Band’ at Farnborough Jazz Club (Kent), on 3rd June 2016. Photo by Mike Witt.

Oh, what a tune next ‘Annie Street Rock’, wow, they were certainly rocking – all of them – talk about ‘swinging’!  What with Dave and Mike on trumpets, Brian and ‘Kid’, they were all magic.  But then to add the sparkle of John giving that beautiful deep earthy pom  pom sound, helping the whole ‘engine’, driving it all along – Hugh (between front line and the ‘engine’), Pete and Nick – they certainly all ‘had that thing’ (sorry gushing again).  They should have ended the evening there, but it probably would have left them up in the air, so they brought us all down to earth with ‘Down by the Riverside’.  We all joined in on the dance floor, singing our hearts out.  What a way to go, but it didn’t end there.  We finished with ‘Happy Birthday’.  It was Peter Abbott’s 50th birthday a couple of days prior, so the band played and we sang it to him.  [Peter was a Para-Olympic medallist some years ago – I shall interview him at some time and tell you his story.]

We keep music ‘Live’ here

Your hosts, Diane and Keith

‘Annie Street Rock’ – Lucius ‘Lu’ Watters (1944)
‘Big Bear Stomp’ – Lucius ‘Lu’ Waters (1944)
‘Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives to Me’ – Charles McCarron, Casey Morgan & Arthur Swanstrom (1919)
‘Chimes Blues’ – Joe ‘King’ Oliver (1923) (apparently one of the first jazz compositions issued in sheet music by Melrose Brothers Music Company in Chicago)
‘Down By the Riverside’ – Gospel song (first published 1918)
‘Happy Birthday To You’ –Mildred & Patty Hill (sisters) (1893) Modified from ‘Good Morning To All’
‘Irish Black Bottom’ – Louis Armstrong & Percy Venable (1926)
‘Muskrat Ramblers’ – (m) Edward ‘Kid’ Ory (1926), (l) Ray Gilbert (added 1950)
‘Oh! Daddy Blues’ – Ed Herbert and William Russell (1921)
‘When the Midnight Choo Choo Leaves for Alabam’ – Irvin Berlin (1912)

Yerba Buena Celebration Jazz Band, 26th June 2015

“Sweet, sweet jazz, all night long, that was what we heard from the amazing ‘YERBA BUENA CELEBRATION JAZZ BAND’. I don’t think there was a moment when the place wasn’t buzzing. Every number they played was fabulous and with dancers galore out on the floor, everyone enjoying the fabulous tempos. Probably my most memorable number was that great tune, ‘Ring Dem Bells’ (composed by Duke Ellington in 1930)”. These were my words describing the night they played for us on 20th May 2011 – my write-up for their next visit on 7th October 2011, has unfortunately been trapped in a ‘frozen’ computer.

I thought the above write-up would impress you enough, to encourage many of you to turn up for our Friday, 26th June 2015 evening and enjoy their talents again at Farnborough Jazz Club. The musicians were DAVE RANCE – band leader, vocals &1st trumpet, MIKE BARRY – vocals &2nd trumpet, GOFF DUBBER – clarinet, GRAHAM WISEMAN – trombone, HUGH CROZIER – piano, PETE LAY – drums, JOHN ARTHY – tuba and NICK SINGER – banjo.

At last, I have found my notes, so can give you a résumé of their evening to go with the photos published earlier.  I recall I had missed what was first played (with people arriving), but jotted down second number being ‘Fidgety Feet’, a lively number, no-one can deny.  They certainly gave it all they had got and then some, with those perfectly timed breaks, wonderful.  I’m sure their next tune allowed them to get a breather, with Mike singing ‘River Stay Away From My Door’, a lovely slower number.  Then came their spectacular party piece – ‘Chimes Blues’, fantastic!  I recall Hugh playing a lovely rendition of bells, all just brilliant.  I’ve chosen to include ‘Big Bear Stomp’ as it was such a jaunty number.  I thought it had an American Indian flavour (some think it sounds Russian), anyway, good fun.  ‘Johnson Rag’ seems to be quite a jazz favourite, so am including it here.  They certainly made it sound almost like a full orchestra – with eight of them.  Lovely to dance to, which we certainly did.  Then we had the pleasure of Graham’s lovely singing with ‘Dreaming The Hours Away’.   Then came along that fabulous ragtime number ‘Smokey Mokes’ You may have to look it up on You Tube, to remind yourself which one it is, but I promise you will know it well.  What an incredible eccentric the following song was composed in memory of.  I just have to tell you.  He was an Englishman, named Joshua Norton from the 19th century.  He received quite a decent inheritance from his parents, decided to immigrate to America and became a citizen of San Francisco. He made an even bigger fortune, lost it and then disappeared.  He returned to the scene and proclaimed himself Emperor of America.  He made some bequeaths in the mid-1850’s, one being for a bridge and a tunnel to be made across the bay!  This came to fruition and was built in 1930’s, namely the San Francisco & Oakland Bridge (incidentally the Yerba Bueno Island now has a tunnel between two of its spans!)  There is currently a campaign to have the bridge re-named the Emperor Norton Bridge.  The song was ‘Emperor Norton’s Hunch’, played as fantastic as this man must surely have been, even though he was an eccentric….  Continuing, we enjoyed a ‘line-dance’ bit of fun with ‘Copenhagen’, I could hear Louis, Mike, and so you certainly must have played it well.  I hope you musicians don’t get too embarrassed with our leaping about in front of you, but sorry, we just love it.  ‘San Francisco Bay Blues’ is my last choice to mention, it was a number played by Lu Watters, so they love to play it as well and I’m sure chosen because of the ‘Emperor Norton Hunch’ flavour. Lovely stuff. Sorry you waited for this write-up, hope you enjoyed my little bit of extra info.  We all certainly enjoyed the band.  Hope to have them back soon. (Photos are below.)

Diane & Keith

‘Big Bear Stomp’ – Lucius ‘Lu’ Waters (1944)
‘Chimes Blues’ – Joe ‘King’ Oliver (1923) (one of the first jazz compositions issued in sheet music by Melrose Brothers Music Company in Chicago)
‘Copenhagen’ – (m) Charlie Davis, (l) Walter Melrose (1924) (foxtrot)
‘Dreaming The Hours Away’ – Will E. Dulmage (1927)
‘Emperor Norton’s Hunch – Lu Watters (1944)
‘Fidgety Feet’ – Nick LaRocca & Larry Shields (1919)
‘Johnson Rag’ – (m) Guy Hall, (l) Henry Kleikauf (1917) & updated Jack Lawrence (1940)
‘River Stay Away From My Door’ – Mort Dixon & Harry Woods (1931)
San Francisco Bay Blues’ – Jesse Fuller (1954)
‘Smoky Mokes’ – Abe Holzmann (1899)

 

 

Yerba Buena Celebration Jazz Band seen here at Farnborough Jazz Club (Kent) on 26th June 2016. (LtoR) Hugh Crozier (piano), Goff Dubber (clarinet), Mike Barry (2nd trumpet &vocals), Dave Rance (1st trumpet &vocals), Pete Lay (drums), Graham Wiseman (trombone), John Arthy (tuba) and Nick Singer (banjo). Photo by Mike Witt.

Yerba Buena Celebration Jazz Band seen here at Farnborough Jazz Club (Kent) on 26th June 2016. (LtoR) Hugh Crozier (piano), Goff Dubber (clarinet), Mike Barry (2nd trumpet &vocals), Dave Rance (1st trumpet &vocals), Pete Lay (drums), Graham Wiseman (trombone), John Arthy (tuba) and Nick Singer (banjo). Photo by Mike Witt.

 

Yerba Beuna Celebration JBYerba Buena Celebration Jazz Band seen here at Farnborough Jazz Club (Kent) on 26th June 2016. (LtoR) Hugh Crozier (piano), Goff Dubber (clarinet), Pete Lay (drums), Mike Barry (2nd trumpet &vocals), Dave Rance (1st trumpet &vocals). Nick Singe (banjo), Graham Wiseman (trombone) and John Arthy (tuba). Photo by Mike Witt.

Yerba Beuna Celebration JBYerba Buena Celebration Jazz Band seen here at Farnborough Jazz Club (Kent) on 26th June 2016. (LtoR) Hugh Crozier (piano), Goff Dubber (clarinet), Pete Lay (drums), Mike Barry (2nd trumpet &vocals), Dave Rance (1st trumpet &vocals). Nick Singe (banjo), Graham Wiseman (trombone) and John Arthy (tuba). Photo by Mike Witt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Graham Wiseman (trombone) and John Arthy (tuba), just two of the eight musicians in the 'Yerba Buena Celebration Jazz Band' seen here at Farnborough Jazz Club (Kent) on 26th June 2016. Photo by Mike Witt.

Graham Wiseman (trombone) and John Arthy (tuba), just two of the eight musicians in the ‘Yerba Buena Celebration Jazz Band’ seen here at Farnborough Jazz Club (Kent) on 26th June 2016. Photo by Mike Witt.

Yerba Buena Celebration Jazz Band seen here at Farnborough Jazz Club (Kent) on 26th June 2016. (front row LtoR) Hugh Crozier (piano), Pete Lay (drums) and Nick Singer (banjo). (Back row, LtoR) Goff Dubber (clarinet),Mike Barry (2nd trumpet &vocals), Dave Rance (1st trumpet &vocals), Graham Wiseman (trombone) and John Arthy (tuba). Photo by Mike Witt.

Yerba Buena Celebration Jazz Band seen here at Farnborough Jazz Club (Kent) on 26th June 2016. (front row LtoR) Hugh Crozier (piano), Pete Lay (drums) and Nick Singer (banjo). (Back row, LtoR) Goff Dubber (clarinet),Mike Barry (2nd trumpet &vocals), Dave Rance (1st trumpet &vocals), Graham Wiseman (trombone) and John Arthy (tuba). Photo by Mike Witt.

 

Yerba Buena Celebration Jazz Band seen here at Farnborough Jazz Club (Kent) on 26th June 2016. (LtoR) Dave Rance (band leader, 1st trumpet &vocals), Graham Wiseman (trombone), John Arthy (tuba) (front) Pete Lay (drums) and Nick Singer (banjo). (also pictured - wives Barbara Barry, Heather Lay and Sue Wiseman). Photo by Mike Witt.

Yerba Buena Celebration Jazz Band seen here at Farnborough Jazz Club (Kent) on 26th June 2016. (LtoR) Dave Rance (band leader, 1st trumpet &vocals), Graham Wiseman (trombone), John Arthy (tuba) (front) Pete Lay (drums) and Nick Singer (banjo). (also pictured – wives Barbara Barry, Heather Lay and Sue Wiseman). Photo by Mike Witt.

Band leader Dave Rance (1st trumpet &vocals), plus Pete Lay (drums), Graham Wiseman (trombone),Graham Wiseman (trombone), John Arthy (hidden by his heavy tuba) and Nick Singer (banjo), 5 of the 8 musicians in the 'Yerba Buena Celebration Jazz Band' seen here at Farnborough Jazz Club (Kent) on 26th June 2016. Photo by Mike Witt.

Band leader Dave Rance (1st trumpet &vocals), plus Pete Lay (drums), Graham Wiseman (trombone),Graham Wiseman (trombone), John Arthy (hidden by his heavy tuba) and Nick Singer (banjo), 5 of the 8 musicians in the ‘Yerba Buena Celebration Jazz Band’ seen here at Farnborough Jazz Club (Kent) on 26th June 2016. Photo by Mike Witt.