Chez Chesterman’s Band Of Brothers, 13/12/2013

CHEZ CHESTERMAN’S BAND OF BROTHERS at the Farnborough Jazz Club, Kent on Friday, 13th November 2013 were wonderful.  The dance floor was packed for most of the evening.  I said last week “ooh, what a fabulous line-up”.  They were leader and trumpeter CHEZ, with JOHN CROCKER on clarinet & sax, GEOFF COLE on trombone, ROY JAMES on banjo, ANDY LAWRENCE on double bass and BILL FINCH on drums.   There was tons of dancing and fun (and Keith, having said last week “and drinking – his is a pint” did have some of you oblige him, cheeky, isn’t he!)  The evening began with that great number called ‘Should I Reveal’ (recorded in 1931 by Mitja Nikisch Tanz Orchester), which brought on the dancers immediately.  Chez sung the next song ‘Down by the Riverside’, accompanied by many of us (my cousin-in-law, Bill and I were certainly harmonising together – he belongs to a ‘Barber-Shop’ choir), plus again there was plenty of dancing.  Chez reminisced about the next number called ‘Baby Doll’, which was from the first X-rated film he had seen (of the same name).  He was too young and so he remembers borrowing his mum’s eyebrow pencil, drew a line over his lip and managed to get in (I’m sure it didn’t fool anyone)!  He recalls something about nightwear???  I don’t know what he is talking about.  Our Len called out ‘Beautiful Dreamer’ ha!  Again, dance floor full.  By the way Chez, you can buy the film from Amazon, staring Carroll Baker, although probably quite tame now!  Another number they played was ‘My Blue Heaven’ sung so well by Geoff and you’ve guessed it, the dancers were out again. The next number ‘2:19 Blues’ (also known as ‘Mamie’s Blues) was recorded by Jelly Roll Morton in 1937.  Jelly had said it was among the very first blues number he had ever heard (1902).  Chez sang it for us, plus he played a muted trumpet, beautiful.  Now the next number was Kid Ory’s ‘Savoy Blues’ a great number he produced in 1937 and of course Geoff gave it great credit.  Next to mention was ‘Exactly Like You’.  This number got us all up to do our line-dance to.  It was probably too fast, but certainly a lot of fun (I hope all our audience appreciate our fun too)!!!!  Now the next number was a corker.  It was called ‘Fisherman’s Blues’ and certainly not a blues.  Lovely to dance to.  I think the last number I must mention, was I think their last number too.  ‘Shimmy Sha Wabble’.  Oh I can tell you, my feet were aching after that dance and I was (as is usual) definitely ‘done for’ the next day as well.  I have to say this band is brilliant and fun too.

Keep Smiling.

Diane & Keith

‘Baby Doll’ – Kenyon Hopkins (1956)
‘Down By the Riverside’ – Gospel song first published 1918
‘Exactly Like You’ – (m) Jimmy McHugh, (l) Dorothy Fields (1930)
‘Fisherman’s Blues’ – ‘Champion Jack’ Dupree (1945)
‘My Blue Heaven’ – (m) Walter Donaldson, (l) George A. Whiting (1924)
‘Savoy Blues’ – Edward ‘Kid’ Ory (1927)
‘Shimmy-Sha-Wabble’ – Spencer Williams (1917)
‘Should I (Reveal Exactly How I Feel)’ – (m) Nacio Herb Brown, (l) Arthur Freed (1931)
‘2:19 Blues’ (also known as ‘Mamie’s Blues) – (composer(s) & year unknown (pre 1902) (l) Jelly Roll Morton (1937)