GEORGE TIDIMAN AND HIS STARS made sure we all had a wonderfully ‘cracking’ fun-filled Christmas Party on 19^th December 2014 here at our Farnborough Jazz Club. Their music was extra special and of course George’s inimitable self, kept the jokes fully flowing. This is not an act, he is a naturally funny man and we just love him. Of course his stars are really true stars too, with DENNY ILETT on trumpet, TIM HUSKISSON on clarinet, ‘SOUTHEND BOB’ ALLBUT on banjo, JOHN SIRETT on double bass and BILL FINCH on drums.

 

Our friends fully supported the party and must mention some wonderful party outfits – as you will see by some photos taken. The evening’s fun started with ‘You Always Hurt the One You Love’ (the band’s theme tune), with the dancers out at the start, showing everyone was ready for partying. George sang (and played of course) ‘Magnolias Wedding Day’ – lovely jubbly. Now the intro to the next number was absolutely magnificent by Denny, oh what a talent. I know, I’ve said that before – but it’s true! The tune was ‘Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans’. Of course they all played it terrifically. Then came Bob’s turn to sing with ‘Ace in the Hole’. I just love his baritone voice and he carried on singing with ‘It Takes a Worried Man’. Oh and I wrote ‘fabulous’ at all solos by each musician. Then if that wasn’t enough, came another brilliant intro from Denny to ‘Stardust’, with them all joining in, each playing beautifully. Our usual line-dance (Charleston style) came next, when Bob sang ‘You’re Bound To Look Like A Monkey When You Grow Old’. Plus George singing ‘My Little Bimbo down on the Bamboo Isle’, with him playing slide whistle (I think that’s its name) etc. Such a lot of fun.

 

Just in time, Steve brought out the umbrellas for the ‘Bourbon Street Parade’ and our party ended on a complete high with tons of photos being taken and so many smiling faces. Such a wonderful evening of magic. Thanks George, Denny, Tim, Bob, John and Bill, plus (serving our drinks) Ian, Val, Harry, Kath and Barb, with Ameri-Carlo’s food and all our wonderful party-going (or coming) friends for making Keith and I feel it was all worth it.

 

 

However, this evening had its flaws, completely down to me. What? I can hear you say. That can’t be so! Well, for many months, I had been experiencing such silly little problems, but lots and lots of them and collectively, they were draining! One problem was our land-line being out of order, giving an ‘engaged’ tone, so people kept trying (needing to book for the party). Then my laptop lid broke (couldn’t open it up and ended in ‘hospital’ (obviously now mended), plus my only other means of contact (and I needed to contact possibly over one hundred people) – my mobile went missing! Oh, it all had its own reward of course. I was back in the 1950’s, when we had no telephones, but then one would write a letter. However, this was Christmas and post in those days would have been delivered quickly and at little cost! Oh those lovely days when we were all sane, aye? But I didn’t personally know all the wonderful musicians who were famous then. So I feel very privileged to know these musicians of today. Now what about one of those other problems I mentioned – Oh you’ll love this one! We decided to try Farnborough’s own delightful (small) café to provide our party food. Ameri-Carlo’s is a wonderful place to visit with home-made food – check it out for yourselves. So what was the problem you ask? To begin with, I asked for ‘plates’ for every table (the food was much more than adequate for one person), but of course I should have asked for ‘platters’. Consequently, there was not enough food – especially as when everyone had left, I found two bags with 16 PLATES LEFT OVER!!!!!!! Plonker you say! No, PRATT – that’s my name! So my message to everyone who came on the day is I shall try to make it up to you somehow. Val (behind the bar) said she will save the sausages-on-a-stick in her chicken shed, till our next gig on 9^th, so you can look forward to some compensation. She assures me they will still be tasty (just heard on the TV, Eric Idle’s song from Monty Python’s Spamalot, ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life’ and seems apt to mention it here). Anyhow, we do hope you had a super festive season and also wish you a Happy New Year and are certainly looking forward, with your support, to keeping the club open for yet another year.  Thanks Mike for taking the many photos of everyone having fun and I do hope no-one objected to my including them (if you do, please let me know and I will remove it).

Oh happy days, keeping jazz ‘live’.

Signing off from 2014,

your hosts, Diane and Keith

‘Ace in the Hole’ – Louis Panico & Elmer Schoebel (1926)

‘Bourbon Street Parade’ – Paul Barbarin (c. 1953)

‘Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans’ – Eddie DeLange & Louis Alter (1947)

‘It Takes A Worried Man to Sing A Worried Song’ – folk roots unknown/1^st recording Carter family (1930)

‘Magnolia’s Wedding Day’ – (m) Jimmy McHugh, (l) Dorothy Fields (1928)

‘My Little Bimbo Down On The Bamboo Isle’ – (m) Walter Donaldson, (l) Grant Clarke (1920)

‘Stardust’ – (m) Hoagy Carmichael (1927), (l) Mitchell Parish (with Hoagy) (1929)

‘You’re Bound To Look Like A Monkey When You Grow Old’ – Clarence Williams & Alex Hill (1930)

‘You Always Hurt the One You Love’ – (m) Doris Fisher, (l) Allan Roberts (1944)