Barry Grummet – Piano and Band Leader

Fabulous news for you.  We, at at FARNBOROUGH JAZZ CLUB, have booked that well-known jazz band, ‘NEW ORLEANS HEAT’, to play here as part of their March 2017 tour.  They begin this tour with us on Friday, 3^rd March 2017.  They last appeared here July 2014 and we had so much fun with them then, that we are pleased they are travelling down and stopping off here again.  This is a highly popular 7-piece band and is led by BARRY GRUMMETT – on piano (from Loughborough).  He will be joined by RICHARD CHURCH on trumpet, ROGER BIRD on clarinet, DAVE VICKERS on trombone, ALAN BIRKENHEAD on banjo, MIKE BROAD on double bass and COLIN BUSHALL (from near Gloucester) on drums.  Yep, another great evening expected – certainly we don’t expect a quiet night aye!  Lots of dancing should be the ‘order of the evening’.  Oh – and we have a Shepherd Neame bar (with club prices), a friendly atmosphere and free parking.

Come and meet

Diane and Keith, your hosts.

‘NEW ORLEANS HEAT’ were here as part of their tour, entertaining us at Farnborough Jazz Club on Friday, 18th July 2014. This highly popular 7-piece New Orleans jazz band, is led by BARRY GRUMMETT on piano with musicians GWYN LEWIS on long cornet, MIKE TAYLOR on trombone, JOHN SCANTLEBURY on reeds, TONY PEATMAN on banjo, COLIN BUSHALL on drums and HARRY SLATER on double bass. As you will see in the note at the bottom, they fare from differing parts of the UK. They had all set out from their homes early lunch time. First, four of them arrived and we began with a quintet, being Barry on piano, Mike on trombone, Harry on double bass and Tony of banjo. Trumpeter JOHN LONGLEY was in our audience and stepped up to help make it a quintet (thanks John). Their first number was ‘When You and I Were Young, Maggie’ with John Longley singing. Such a super start and showed their professionalism. Then about 9.00pm, Gwyn, Colin and John (S) arrived. They had been trapped in a traffic jam nearby on M25 for a couple of hours, but still went straight on to play for us without a break! Musicians are a very special breed, aren’t they? Colin was super special, when you think he had to somehow to set up his drums with the band still playing. Thanks boys. The band then played ‘Seems Like Old Times’, with Gwyn singing – still in his shorts from travelling. He has great legs, beautifully set off with his short black socks :0), shame he changed at the break! Wild Bill Davison became a friend of both Keith’s and David Capstick’s, when they were running the Steering Wheel Club (Wild Bill was in UK playing with the Alex Welsh band). Keith and I both thought Gwyn sounded just like Wild Bill, absolutely fantastic whilst playing ‘Sleepy Time Down South’. Then came ‘Rebecca, Rebecca, Get Your Big Legs Off of Me’, againsang by Gwyn and in which they all played their socks off (Gwyn’s too, ha) – of course frightening off the violent storm we had just witnessed outside (just like Glen Miller scared off a doodlebug in the film, hmmm)! Trombonist Mike was featured next with that beautiful Cole Porter number ‘I Love Paris’. He used mutes and was marvelous. My next number to write about was ‘Burgundy Street Blues’. It was John’s turn to be featured on clarinet. Yes, you’ve guessed, another superb piece of musicianship. Our line dancers (moi included) enjoyed dancing to ‘Angry’ (Louis Armstrong’s signature tune). John sang this one – great. ‘Goodnight Irene’ obviously was sang by all of us and their last number was a wonderful bit of boogie playing by Barry with ‘Kansas City’. We suggest this band should not to be missed, so if they ever come your way, go see them (they are presently on tour in Sweden). They were to have returned in December, but it was decided it would be wiser for them to return sometime next year in warmer weather (especially with Gwyn, on occasions, travelling from Sweden).

Please note John Longley’s own band The Halstead Hotshots, play every 2^nd Tuesday each month at The Cock Inn (Halstead, Kent, TN14 7DD). You can spend a very pleasant afternoon enjoying a pint or three with possibly a meal, listening to the jazz from 2:00-4:00pm (jug collection only). They played in the garden last time, with it being a warm, sunny afternoon. (I recall Keith played there on many occasions in the 80’s with ‘Manhatton Jazz’).

Keep on enjoying your jazz.

Cheers,

Diane and Keith

N.B. Barry travels from Loughborough, Glyn from Swansea, Mike from Sheffield, John from Cardiff, Tony from Lincoln, Colin from Gloucestershire and Harry from Long Eaton in Derbyshire and then play for us.

‘Angry’ – (m) Henry & Merritt Brunies & Jules Cassard (l) Dudley Mecum (1925)

‘Burgundy Street Blues’ – George Lewis (1944)

‘Good Night Irene’ – Huddie Ledbetter (1908)

‘I Love Paris’ – Cole Porter (1953)

‘Kansas City’ – (m) Mike Stoller, (l) Jerry Leiber (1952)

‘Rebecca, Rebecca, Get Your Big Legs Off of Me’ – Pete K.H. Johnson & Big Joe Turner (circa 1938)

‘Seems Like Old Times’ – Carmen Lombardo & John Jacob Loeb (1945)

‘Sleepy Time Down South’- (m&l) Clarence Muse with brothers Leon & Otis René (1931)

‘When You and I Were Young, Maggie’ – (m) James. A Butterfield, (l) George W Hamilton (1864-66)

 ‘NEW ORLEANS HEAT’ returned to us again at the Farnborough Jazz Club on Friday, 22nd November 2013   A 7-piece band, with leader BARRY GRUMMETT on piano, GWYN LEWIS on trumpet, MIKE TAYLOR on trombone, JOHN SCANTLEBURY on reeds, TONY PEATMAN on banjo, COLIN BUSHALL on drums and HARRY SLATER on double bass.   Barry travels from Loughborough, Glyn from Swansea, Mike from Sheffield, John from Cardiff, Tony from Lincoln, Colin from Gloucestershire and Harry from Long Eaton in Derbyshire, pretty amazing lot aren’t they.  We had a good turn out for them, with a newish unexpected group of six ladies, plus another new group of four ladies.  Of course that helps to make our male audience happy (better not say it makes the band happy, their wives may not like it – ha)!  With a bigger audience, it was not easy to catch names of the tunes.  I do know the dance floor was certainly very busy all the time, me too!  I first jotted down ‘Salute to Ohio Blues’.  Then ‘Oh Lady Be Good’, which was sung by John.  Then a lovely dancing number I haven’t heard in a while, called ‘Ti-Pi-Tin’, wonderful. ‘Let Me Call You Sweetheart’ was next.  Now you have guessed, plenty of singing from the audience, but lots of dancing too.  ‘New Second Line (Jo Avery’s Piece)’ was one of those numbers you just know, but can’t recall its name – fabulously played.  Then came Gordon’s request, called ‘All the Girls Go Crazy’ famously played by trumpeter William ‘Bunk’ Johnson.  Then there was a special feature of Gwyn’s, accompanied by Tony.  The number was ‘This Moonlite Power’.  Gwyn also sang this so powerfully, he was terrific.  My last number to mention is ‘Should I’, again marvellous.  I then was so busy dancing, I failed to write down anymore – just enjoying every moment.  I think all that were present would agree with me.

Diane and Keith

‘All the Girls Go Crazy about the Way I Walk’ –  Kid Ory (1945) disputed earlier by Buddy Bolden (1944)?

‘Let Me Call You Sweetheart’ – (m) Leo Friedman, (l) Beth Slater Whitson (1910)

‘New Second Line (Jo Avery’s Piece)’ – Joseph ‘Kid’ Avery (circa 1920)

‘Oh Lady Be Good’ – (m) George Gershwin, (l) Ira Gershwin (1924)

‘Salute To Ohio Blues’ – (need to find out more!)

‘Should I’ – (m) Nacio Herb Brown, (l) Arthur Freed (1929) (Film: Lord Byron of Broadway)

‘This Moonlite Power’ – (need to find out more!)

‘Ti-Pi-Tin’ – (m) Maria Grever, (l) Raymond Leveen (1938)