Mike Barry’s XXL Jazz Band, 27/09/2013

MIKE BARRY’S XXL JAZZ BAND, returned here at Farnborough Jazz Club on Friday, 27th September 2013.  Leader and trumpeter Mike had a bad time getting to us due to his new car not starting, but you would never had known it!  He proudly introduced his band as reeds player GOFF DUBBER, trombonist REX O’DELL, pianist TIM HUSKISSON, double bassist ROGER CURPHEY and drummer PAUL BUDD.  As mentioned last week, they are certainly a swinging, fun filled lot and the evening went well.  Mike reminds me of Paul Whiteman and certainly should have been as successful.  I hope Mike doesn’t take exception to me saying this, because I’m not sure why I think so, especially as PW only played violin/viola.  Maybe I feel he should have played trumpet, being a band leader!  We had some lovely numbers played for us, such as ‘I Wanna Say Hello’, ‘The Jazz Me Blues’, ‘River, Stay Away From My Door’ (which was sung by Mike) and ‘Riverboat Shuffle’.  I just loved how the next number ‘Georgia on My Mind’ was sung up-tempo by Rex, and Mike gave a marvellous rendition on trumpet too.  I jotted down that everyone played wonderful solos especially Roger, to the following number ‘If My Friends Could See Me Now’, (Shirley MacLean’s song in film ‘Sweet Charity’).  It certainly lured the dancers out. They also played ‘Brown Skin Girl’, which was a great calypso number made famous by Harry Belafonte.  I just love a calypso.  Another dance and (I‘m sure you can guess) audience participation occurred with ‘Everybody Loves Saturday Night’, great fun.  The next number to mention was the brilliant feature of Tim.  He played ‘You Took Advantage of Me’, which showed his massive talent (his other hat is as a fabulous clarinettist).  Our line-dancing occurred next with ‘Dr Jazz’.  I always ‘play up’ continuing with the Charleston, which sometimes ‘throws’ the other liners (just for a bit of fun).  Well thank you Mike and gang, we had a small crowd, but we all enjoyed ourselves.  They are back 29th November 2013, so make a note in your diaries and let’s give them a bigger welcome with a larger audience please.

Keep Happy.

Diane and Keith

 

‘Brown Skin Girl’ – Norman (‘King Radio’) Spann (1940)
‘Dr Jazz’ – Joe ‘King’ Oliver & Walter Melrose (1926)
‘Everybody Loves Saturday Night’ – Nigerian Folk (made famous Aldwyn ‘Kitch’ Roberts (1940’s)
‘Georgia on My Mind’ – (m) Hoagy Carmichael, (l) Stuart Gorrell (1930)
‘If My Friends Could See Me Now’ – (m) Cy Coleman, (l) Dorothy Fields (1966)
‘I Wanna Say Hello’ – (m) Jimmy McDonald, (l) Jack Hoffman (1051)
‘Riverboat Shuffle’ – (m) Hoagy Carmichael, (l) Irving Mills, Mitchell Parish & Dick Voynow (1924)
‘River Stay Away From My Door’ – Mort Dixon & Harry Woods (1931)
‘The Jazz Me Blues’ – Tom Delaney (1921)
‘You Took Advantage of Me’ – (m) Richard Rodgers, (l) Lorenz Hart (1928)