We had a pleasant evening with PHOENIX DIXIELAND JAZZ BAND at the Farnborough Jazz Club on Friday, 5th December 2014. Leader and clarinettist ROBIN COOMBS’ line-up was PAUL HIGGS on trumpet, BILL TODD on trombone, DAVE BARNES on piano, ROGER CURPHEY on double bass, ERNIE CRANENBURGH on guitar and TONY BLACKBURN on drums.
PHOENIX DIXIELAND JAZZ BAND at Farnborough Jazz Club. Friday, 5th December 2014. ROBIN COOMBS (leader&cl, )PAUL HIGGS (trp), BILL TODD (trb), DAVE BARNES (p), ROGER CURPHEY (dbass), ERNIE CRANENBURGH (g) and TONY BLACKBURN (dms). Photo By Mike Witt.
The audience was a little smaller, most likely due to Christmas festivities looming (i.e. office parties, shopping etc.), but it didn’t detract those who were there, from enjoying themselves. Here are some of the numbers played. My first choice to mention was sung by Bill and very nice too, being ‘I Can’t Give You Anything But Love’. Next came Jimmy Noone’s hit tune ‘Apex Blues’. Robin then announced he wanted to play ‘Strangers On the Shore’ in honour of Acker Bilk, who passed away 2nd November this year. Robin featured the song really well and we are glad he gave Acker a mention, another absolutely brilliant talent, who has joined that huge jazz band in the skies.
Phoenix Jazz Band at Farnborough Jazz Club, 5th December 2014. (LtoR) Roger Curphey (d.bass), Paul Higgs (trp) and Robin Coombs (Leader& cl). Photo by Mike Witt
‘South’ is a lovely jaunty tune to please us dancers and then Bill sang ‘All of Me’. Paul played a magnificent trumpet solo, what a talent.
Phoenix Dixieland Jazz Band, 5December2014. (LtoR) Tony Blackburn (drms), Roger Curphey (d.bass) and Paul Higgs (trm). Photo by Mike Witt.
Phoenix Dixieland Jazz Band at Farnborough Jazz Band, Kent, UK on 5th December 2014. (LtoR) Tony Blackburn (drms), Bill Todd (trb) and Paul Hudd (trm). Photo by Mike Witt.
Phoenix Dixieland Jazz Band at Farnborough Jazz Club on 5th December 2014. Dave Barnes on piano. Photo by Mike Witt.
The next one was sung by Dave this time, namely ‘Rosetta’, which also lured the dancers out. Robin mentioned having a holiday in Cuba and why wouldn’t you mention it! Whilst there, he wrote a song and named it ‘Cocoanut Ice’, which I loved and made an attempt to dance the mambo with Steve, thanks Steve for humouring me (I do try – or am I trying!). Another favourite of many of our audiences has been ‘Big Butter and Egg Man’, which they performed marvellously – I notice a smidgen of Bud Flanagan’s ‘Who Do You Think You’re Kidding Mr Hitler’ too. They finished the evening with ‘I’ve Found a New Baby’, sung wonderfully by Bill, with a lovely solo by Ernie.
Phoenix Dixieland Jazz Band at Farnborough Jazz Club, 5th December 2015. Ernie Cranenburgh (guitar). No, he hasn’t got black lips – he has a plectrum in his mouth! Photo by Mike Witt.
Another evening of happiness which warmed us up, to face the freezing weather outside (brilliant frost patterns on our cars). So come back next Friday, (12th November 2014) for some more warming up music, you can turn your heating off at home for a few hours! We have the Golden Eagle Jazz Band. By the way, I thought I’d remind you the meaning of ‘Happiness’: W.C. Fields quoted Charles Dickins’ Micawber Principle: “Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen pounds nineteen and six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds nought and six, result misery.”
Di & Keith’s principle on happiness is Keep jazzin’.