Monthly Archives: March 2014

Laurie Chescoe’s Reunion Jazz Band, Friday, 21st March 2014

The famous ‘LAURIE CHESCOE’S REUNION BAND’ entertained us big time last Friday, 21st March 2014 here at the Farnborough Jazz Club.  Drummer Laurie (as usual grinning from ear to ear – just like Gene Krupa) had his reunion musicians, ALLAN (‘Lord Arsenal’) BRADLEY on trumpet, piano & vocals, JOHN LEE on reeds, DAVE HEWITT on trombone &baritone horn, COLIN BRAY on piano & vibes JIM DOUGLAS on banjo, guitar (&drums!) and PETER SKIVINGTON on bass guitar.  They are always very entertaining, being such a talented bunch.  I mentioned last week, I would be in a celebratory mood, as it was my wedding anniversary and would have been 50th, had Len lived.  I said I was so lucky to have an equally super partner with Keith.  I knew he didn’t mind me mentioning this, but my daughter and son-in-law worried he wouldn’t like it.  However, he said he could celebrate too, with an extra six large gins! Ha.  The evening was certainly full of fabulous numbers.  Once again, I had an extremely hard job choosing what tunes to mention, as they were all brilliant!  So first of all, I chose numbers that featured someone, then where I put an asterisks against others.  Their first number of the evening was ‘Let a Smile Be Your Umbrella’ (a Bing Crosby hit), which was a good one to start with.  Next to mention was a Boswell Sisters’ hit called ‘Moonglow’, such a melodic number (with Dave on baritone horn).  Dave featured in the next number, playing both trombone and baritone horn to ‘I Cover the Waterfront’, made famous by Louis Armstrong.  Everyone played fabulously.  Then I noted ‘Oh! Marie’ (a Louis Prima hit) and was sung by Allan.  Not only does Allan have a great voice, but he is great on the mike, introducing the numbers and entertaining us with jokes too.  He also sang the next number I chose, ‘Nobody Loves You When you’re Down and Out’.  Obviously Allan made jokes about the name, plus we all joined in with the singing (agreeing with his sentiments too, ha).  The next number was called ‘Taps Miller’, which was written as a tribute to ‘Taps’ Miller, that fantastic tap dancer of the 40’s (he could play trumpet and dance at the same time!)  It was written for the Count Basie Band and was certainly a good one for dancing to (although there was plenty of dancing going on all evening!)  Next came a feature of that extremely talented musician, Colin.  He swapped places with Allan (on piano) and took to playing vibes with ‘I’m Confessing That I Love You’, (another Louis hit- also Billie Holiday).  What brilliance, they are all so talented (Jim took to the drums too).  Colin received a huge response, with screams of “More”!  I was enjoying it so much, I failed to write the numbers down, but I can remember the sight of Colin playing this fast number, with his legs akimbo (again) whilst playing!  What a star.  ‘I Thank You, Mr Moon’ another lovely Boswell Sisters hit song, came next, with Allan singing.  John followed on with a feature and he played ‘Swing 42’ on tenor sax.  Oh! I just love him playing sax, he has such a feel for it.  Then came Jim’s feature with ‘Manoir De Mes Reves (popularly known as ‘Django’s Castle)’.  This tune was written by both Django Reinhardt and his brother Joseph.  [Jim has written a book called ‘Tunes, Tours and Travel-it is’.  It’s about eighteen years of facts, faces and fun with the Alex Welsh Band, available through Amazon for $13.50, or email us for Jim’s contact details, if you live in England].  It wasn’t their last number of the evening, but I had better not mention any more of Laurie’s repertoire, or he won’t know what else to play on his next date here, although I certainly wouldn’t mind them all being played again!  They are next with us on 11 July, 2014.

Cheers.

Diane and Keith

‘I Cover the Waterfront’ – (m) Johnny Green, (l) Eddie Heyman (1933)
‘I’m Confessin’ (That I Love You’) – (m) Ellis Reynolds & Doc Daugherty, (l) Al J. Neiburg (1930)
‘I Thank You, Mr Moon’ – Abel Baer, Dolly Morse & Dave Oppenheim (1931)
‘Let A Smile Be Your Umbrella’ – Sammy Fain, (l) Irving Kahal & Francis Wheeler (1927)
‘Manoir De Mes Reves (Django’s Castle)’ – Joseph & Django Reinhardt (1939)
‘Moonglow’ – (m) Will Hudson & Irving Mills, (l) Eddie DeLange (1933)
‘Nobody Knows You When you’re Down and Out’ – Jimmy Cox (1923)
‘Oh! Marie’- (m) Eduardo Di Capua, (l) Vincenzo Russo (circa 1890) (l) Louis Prima version (1958)
‘Swing 42’ – Django Reinhardt (1941 –for 1942)
‘Taps Miller’ – Buck Clayton (1944)

Jubilee Jazz Band, Friday, 14th March 2014

We had the JUBILEE JAZZ BAND on Friday,14th March 2014 here at our Farnborough Jazz Club.   The guys in the band were KEN REESE (trumpet), BARRY PALSER (trombone), JOHN LEE (reeds), HUGH CROZIER (piano), GERRY INGRAMS (double bass), LYNN SAUNDERS (banjo) and DOUG HIGGINS (drums).   Hooray, the sun has come out and the rain has stopped, thank goodness.  Lovely to see the spring flowers out.  Wow, just think, it won’t be long before we have the hose pipe ban!  We enjoyed some great fun last Friday, particularly with Barry, who has a great sense of humour (even though he’s a Northerner – well, north of the Thames and he can’t help that, can he).  The tunes I picked to tell you about are not necessarily the best ones played, just those I managed to jot down.  Their repertoire began with ‘It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie’ and of course Barry sang it.  The next one John played clarinet, which sounded wonderful when they played ‘Mama’s Gone – Goodbye’, a great number.  ‘Blue, Turning Grey Over You’ was another lovely tune, to which John changed to playing tenor sax.  Then came an Earl Hines jazz favourite called ‘Rosetta’.  Hugh sang this one, with John still on tenor and both Ken and Barry playing with mutes.  They followed on with that beautiful Gershwin brothers number, called ‘S’Wonderful’.  The whole band were brilliant, especially some fabulous trumpet sounds from Ken.  ‘Is it True What They Say About’ brought on the line-dancing with 9 or 10 of us, all having a laugh.  I loved the next Cole Porter number called ‘Miss Otis Regrets’, Hugh sang it with John using again tenor.   There were a couple of requests to follow on.  One from Mike, called ‘Avalon’, again sung by Hugh, with plenty of dancing.  But the next number (requested by Gordon) brought practically everyone onto the dance floor and most singing along with Hugh.  This number was ‘Love Letters in the Sand’ (Pat Boone’s 5wk hit at No. 1 in 1957!)  Their closing signature tune was ‘I’ll See You in My Dreams’ sang by Barry ending the evening, once again a happy one.  So why not promise yourselves a treat, turn up and have a good time next Friday, with Laurie Chescoe’s Reunion Jazz Band.

Please support us and keep jazz ‘live’.

Diane and Keith

‘Avalon’ – (m&l) Al Jolson, Vincent Rose & Buddy DeSylva (1920)
‘Blue, Turning Grey Over You’ – (m) Fats Waller, (l) Andy Razaf (1929)
‘I’ll See You In My Dreams’ – (m) Isham Jones, (l) Gus Kahn (1924)
‘Is it True What They Say About Dixie’ – (m) Sammy Lerner, (l) Irving Caesar (1936)
‘It’s A Sin to Tell a Lie’ – Billy Mayhew (1936)
‘Love Letters in the Sand’ – (m) J Fred Coots, (l) Nick & Charles Kenny (1931)
‘Mama’s Gone, Goodbye’ – A J Piron & Peter Bocage (1924)
‘Miss Otis Regrets’ – Cole Porter (1934)
‘Rosetta’ – (m) Earl Hines, (l) Henri Woode (1933)
‘S Wonderful’ – (m) George Gershwin, (l) Ira Gershwin (1927)

Martyn Brothers Jazz Band, 7th March 2014

‘MARTYN BROTHERS JAZZ BAND’ produced some brilliant entertainment for us on Friday, 7th March 2014, here at our Farnborough Jazz Club, with some hot jazz. There were so many smiles everywhere for this highly talented young band.  Most of you know these two brothers are sons of that wonderfully flamboyant drummer and band leader, Barry Martyn, who has lived in New Orleans for many years.  Emile and Ben were brought up there.  It was great to have had Barry play here at Farnborough before he decided to stop touring back here in England (well hopefully for the time being anyway).  His last performance here was on 18th February 2011 (a copy of that week’s newsletter is posted on their CV page, at least until I can bring back all past newsletters).  Co-leaders Ben Martyn (on double bass/vocals) and Emile Martyn (on drums) had booked Allen Beechey (cornet), Adrian Cox (reeds) (Hi Adrian!), George Simmons (trombone) and John Ruscoe (guitar).  A wonderful line-up and I advised definitely one not to be missed.  Disappointingly, some of you were missing, (although some of you couldn’t help it, due to illness).  For the rest of you though, it was at your loss, because these guys gave it their all.  By the way, where were the letters from your mums, excusing yourselves?  To continue, here are a few examples of what they played for us.  What brilliant solo’s from everyone, especially Emile on drums, with Duke Ellington’s ‘It Don’t Mean a Thing (If it Ain’t Got That Swing)’. George sang it, with Ben harmonising too.  The boys had two funerals to attend this week, so as a result, I think they played the following song with such feeling, you just couldn’t help loving them play ‘Just a Closer Walk with Thee’.  I personally thought ‘Oh no, not a funeral march, but was I wrong, it was so beautiful and probably the best I have ever heard it played.   The next number I want to mention is one of Keith’s favourites ‘At the Mardi Gras’, which Adrian sang.  It has such a lovely dancing tempo.  The dancers had been slow starting in full, leaving it one or two couples only, but once confidence grew, you all had fun.  Ben has written a few songs and plays them once in a while.  About ten years ago, he decided to   write his own version of lyrics to ‘I’ll Be Seeing You’, with the sentiment of leaving someone behind, but seeing the same moon in the sky.  He called it ‘I’ll Watch the Moon’ and they played this one.   ‘Running Wild’ was another fabulous song which they performed amazingly.  It comes from that brilliant Marilyn Monroe film ‘Some Like It Hot’.  I actually wrote ‘wow, wow, wow‘, plus ‘what trombone playing’ and I’m certain I saw the roof lift up!  The next number I jotted down was ‘Summertime’.  Do any of you remember two lovely jazz fans both in their eighties at the time (at least 20years ago), called Trish and Doris?  We first met them in the audience at the Lord Napier. Trish used to step up and sing this song, although in her eighties, she would sing in a high key I’m sure she could have sung in her younger days, but by then was too high for her.  However, the last time she sang it for us, she sang in a lower key and she was fabulous.  I just wanted to give them a mention, nice to remember old friends.  Well tonight, Ben sang it (superbly) and they played it as a samba – marvellous.  We did our usual line-dance to ‘Lord, Lord, Lord, You Sure Been Good to Me’, what a great laugh with about 7 or 8 of us.  Then Ben sang that lovely song ‘Help Me Make it Through the Night’, a Kris Kristofferson number and wonderful to dance to.  The next number was ‘I’ll Be Glad When You’re Dead You Rascal You’.  George (who is only 23yrs old) sang it brilliantly (he even interjected a couple of lines from ‘When the Saints Go Marching In’).  Don’t worry George, although I won a night out with you in our raffle, I will let you off, I don’t want to kill you, we need you back!  They rounded off the evening’s entertainment with ‘I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream’, certainly a great old traditional jazz favourite, in which there was plenty of dancing and audience singing participation.  Their old friend, Norman Grodentz, also joined them on clarinet.  Another evening we won’t forget.  By the way, they are back with us on 6th June 2014, so if you did missed it this time, don’t miss it again.

Diane and Keith

P.S.  Ben asked if any of us knew what was at No.1 in the hit parade on the day of our birth.  Keith’s is ‘Dancing Cheek to Cheek’ by Irving Berlin, sung by Fred Astaire (also sung by Frank Sinatra).  Mine was ‘There Are Such Things’ by Tommy Dorsey, sung by my favourite male singer, Frank Sinatra! (The song has a line including the word ‘Rainbow’.  Coincidently, I named my team The Rainbows, when I became a manager for Tupperware, a hundred years ago!  (However, another website said it was ‘White Christmas’ also by Irving Berlin, sung by Bing Crosby).  Thanks Ben for asking that question, such a fun thought.

‘Help Me Make it Through the Night’ – Kris Kristofferson (1969)
‘I’ll Be Glad When You’re Dead You Rascal You’ – Lovin’ Sam Thaird (1929)
‘I’ll Watch the Moon’ – Ben Martyn (2004)
‘I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream For Ice Cream’ – Howard Johnson, Billy Moll & Robert A. K. King (1927)
‘It Don’t Mean a Thing (If it Ain’t Got That Swing)’ – (m) Duke Ellington, (l) Irving Mills (1931)
‘Just a Closer Walk With Thee’ – Traditional Gospel (pre-1860’s – possibly Afro-American)
‘Lord, Lord, Lord, You Sure Been Good To Me’ – Traditional Gospel song
‘Mardi Gras (While We Danced)’ – (m) Alfred M. Opler, (l) Johnny Mercer (1931)
‘Running Wild’ – (m) A. Harrington Gibbs, (l) Joe Grey & Leo Woods (1922)
‘Summertime’ – (m) George Gershwin, (l) DuBose Heyward (1933/34)

‘Mahogany Hall Stompers’, 28th February 2014

‘MAHOGANY HALL STOMPERS’ appeared at our Farnborough Jazz Club on Friday, 28th February 2014.  Band leader & trumpeter Brian Giles was joined by Tim Huskisson on clarinet/sax (yes he was with us last Friday on piano, that’s how talented he is).  Also Rex Odell on trombone, ‘Southend Bob’ Albutt on banjo, Eddie Johnson on double bass and last, but not least, was Barry Tyler on drums (haven’t seen you in years Barry).  Last week, I asked all you audience makers, to please make sure you didn’t miss it, so you could dance away an odd pound or two in weight BEFORE the Easter egg(s) cometh! Some of you heeded, so thanks for helping to produce a lovely happy atmosphere.  Anyhow, these were some of the numbers the band played just to give you a little in-site of the enjoyable evening we had.  They began the evening with ‘How Do You Do Me Like You Do, Do, Do’, which was sung by Bob.  What a great voice he has.  This was followed with such a beautiful song called ‘Tangerine’, one amongst some of my many best loved favourites), beautifully sung by Rex.  The next song has been featured on TV recently, advertising Volkswagen cars (with the tall beautiful girl wanting a tall guy – one gets out of a small car).  The song ‘It’s Just Like Looking for a Needle in a Haystack’ sung by Bob, comes from the Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers film called ‘The Gay Divorcee’.  He followed up with some scat vocalising to ‘Cushion Feet Stomp’ (I jotted down ‘some lovely trombone sounds’).  Bob’s famous party-piece is that number called ‘I Wanna Be A Dog’.  It is an extremely funny song written by children’s author, Barry Louis Polisar.  Bob has re-vamped it, and his voice really does it justice too.  The next number I noted was ‘When You’re Smiling’, with Brian’s lovely trumpet and Rex giving a brilliant imitation of Louis Armstrong, (including the hanky).  Of course we all joined in with him (well not like Louis).  I remember him giving out a laugh and said “Oh, I think I sounded more like Tommy Cooper there, ha”.  Now the next number to mention was ‘You Meet the Nicest People in Your Dreams’, which was also sung by Rex.  It is a much loved song here in our club, which was often played by one of our favorite bands, namely Phil Mason’s New Orleans All Stars (we miss you Phil).  Of course again we joined in with Rex too.  (I quite like the fact that this song was co-written by A Goodhart – I know, I’m sloppy).    Bob sang the next number ‘I’ve Got a Feeling I’m Falling’, which showed off his very rich baritone sound.  The band rounded off the evening with that gorgeous Louis Armstrong number called ‘What a Wonderful World’.  Of course, Rex did the business again (it must be quite rough on the vocal cords though – well done Rex).  Thanks to the boys in the band, for a lovely evening.

Cheers from Diane and Keith

‘Cushion Feet Stomp’ – Clarence Williams & Louis Katzman (1927)
‘How Do You Do Me Like You Do, Do, Do’ – Gene Austin, Roy Bergere (1924)
‘It’s Just Like Looking for a Needle in a Haystack’ – (m) Con Conrad, (l) Herbert Magidson (1934)
‘I’ve Got a Feeling I’m Falling’ – Fats Waller (1929)
‘I Wanna Be A Dog’ – Barry Louis Polisar (1979) & re-vamped by ‘Southend Bob’ Allbut
Tangerine’ – (m) Victor Schertzinger, (l) Johnny Mercer (1941)
‘What a Wonderful World’ – Bob Thiele & George D Weiss (1968)
‘When you’re Smiling’ – Larry Shay, Mark Fisher & Joe Goodwin (1929)
‘You Meet the Nicest People in Your Dreams’ – (m) Al Hoffman & Al Goodhart, (l) Manny Kurtz (1939)