Last week, we said the MARTYN BROTHERS JAZZ BAND were going to be here at our Farnborough Jazz Club. Stating “Oh yes, they are back again this Friday, 6th June 2014, This highly talented young band has always been one of my favorites. Most of you know these two brothers are band leader, Barry Martyn’s sons, who has lived in New Orleans for many years. As I said last time, Emile and Ben spent many years there too (Harold ‘Duke’ Dejan was Emile’s godfather). Co-leaders BEN MARTYN on double bass/vocals and EMILE MARTYN on drums, have booked TOM KINCAID on piano, KARL HIRD on reeds, JEFF WILLIAMS on trombone (it will be nice to see you again Jeff after all these years) and JOHN RUSCOE on guitar. If any of you are concerned about losing Trad Jazz, as we are all getting long in the tooth now (oh I forgot, I’m only 17!), well here are the young boys who will keeping it going. This band always produce some exciting jazz, so let’s give them a first class audience and how about some of you youngsters turning up too – they’re quite good-looking, :0)”
Well they did it again! We certainly had a great evening. This particular Friday was the 70th Anniversary of D-Day, so they slipped in some specials for a tribute, such as ‘It’s a Long Way to Tipperary’ – 1st world war fame may it be (sung by Ben, with of course, our audience) and ‘When the Saints Go Marching In’, plus Ben’s own composition, ‘I’ll Watch the Moon’ [Ben says it’s his version, lyrically at least of ‘I’ll Be Seeing You’. He wanted to write a song with the sentiment of the old WW2 songs about leaving somebody behind, being far away, but both looking up at the same moon from different parts of the world and connecting with each other]. By the way, when Ben left the house on Friday, he saw a little poppy growing on his drive which wasn’t there the night before. Back to the evening, the first number I noted was ‘Running Wild’. They all had fabulous solos (Karl played tenor sax), which was rip-roaring when they all played together, so although they played it last time, I just had to mention it again. Jeff has a strong – good ol’ earthy jazz voice, evident when he sang ‘On the Sunny Side of the Street’, great stuff. Then Emile produced some brilliant and elegant drumming to ‘Summertime’, (sung by Ben) again played last time, and why not when you play it that well! Karl was featured on tenor sax with Jeff singing ‘Caledonia’, oh what a wonderful musician Karl is. Now last time they were here, Ben asked if any of us knew what was at No.1 in the hit parade on the day of our birth. Keith’s was ‘Cheek to Cheek’ (a big hit for both Fred Astaire and Frank Sinatra), so possibly why they played it this evening, of course plenty of dancing. They were all really fabulous (Karl on soprano sax) with ‘Tiger Rag’. Talk about rip-roaring again (sorry, can’t help repeating myself). Ben also sang ‘The Twist’ (made famous by Chubby Checker). There was plenty of dancing, but I’m so glad I was otherwise occupied, so didn’t need to hurt myself, ha! Tom and John’s feature song, ‘You Never Can Tell’, wowie, they were spectacular, so couldn’t leave this one out without a mention. Well, I really have gone on, haven’t I? Their next gig will be 5th September 2014.
Nothing like ‘live’ music to gladden the cockles of your heart, aye.
Diane & Keith