‘BOB DWYER’S BIX & PIECES’ produced some lovely entertainment for us on FRIDAY, 28th MARCH 2014 here at the FARNBOROUGH JAZZ CLUB. They are such a popular band, with leader BOB on trombone & vocals, MAX EMMONS on trumpet, harmonica & vocals, BERNIE HOLDEN on clarinet & sax, HUGH CROZIER on piano & vocals, JOHN BAYNE on double bass/bass sax, NICK SINGER on banjo & vocals and (band leader from last week) LAURIE CHESCOE, on drums, whistle & grins of course. I said last week, they always create a great atmosphere and they surely did! Bob has a beautiful voice and he demonstrated that fact when he sang ‘Why don’t You Go Down to New Orleans’ (there is a Leroy Jones version on YouTube). They played ‘Alexander’s Ragtime Band’. Obviously we all sang and danced to this Irving Berlin one [10wks @#1 for duet Arthur Collins & Byron Harlan], I remember Johnny Ray’s version, do you agree? A Bix Beiderbecke number, called ‘River Boat Shuffle’, was my next number to mention. I had written down ‘a brilliant fast number’. Hugh sang the next tune ‘Hard Hearted Hannah’. He sang it softly, with such feeling. Bob sang the next number, ‘The Song is Ended (But the Memory Lingers On)’. Then he sang a number called ‘Nice To Know You Care’. It was written by a dear friend of ours, Leslie Baguley (30 years ago, Keith played drums with him regularly). A while ago, Keith told Bob about this number, asking him to sing it one day. It was lovely to hear it performed again (please read special tribute page for Leslie Baguley). ‘(What Did I Do To Be So) Black and Blue’ was another terrific number they performed and sung by Bob. I wrote down that Max sang and what a powerful jazz voice he has. ‘Puttin’ On the Ritz’ brought on the line dancers, well, four (oh dear). Anyway, a great number. The next one is a great favourite of ours by Bob’s band, which was ‘Freight Train Blues’. They sound so like a train – just brilliant, with Max playing harmonica to the tune and the rest of the band making great train-like sounds fabulous. Hugh then featured on piano with a number called ‘The Pearls’ by Jelly Roll Morton. JRM is said to say it was one of his most difficult composition to play, so well done Hugh.
There’s nothing like ‘live’ music, bring a friend when you come next week for George ‘Kid’ Tidiman’s All Stars!
Diane and Keith