Guildford

Jazz

Code: 84 Year 2023-2024
Six live concerts: Mike Piggott Hot Club Quartet: Louisiana Rhythm Kings: Martin Litton’s
All Stars: The Forest Hill Owls: Richard Pite's Hot Quartet, Richard White’s Nevada St Four:
Admission £6 for each session ( including refreshments )
Note: No concert in January.

At our final concert of this season in April Richard White’s Nevada Street Four played a range of tunes for us – these varied from a syncopated foot-tapping Ol’ Man River and Stompin’ at the Savoy to slow numbers such as Someday Sweetheart and I’m Old Fashioned. We enjoyed the harmonies of their speciality rendition of Hoagy Carmichael’s Up a Lazy River. Band members were Richard White (clarinet, saxophone, vocals), Malcolm Earle Smith (trombone, vocals), Colin Good (piano, vocals) and a new player Curtis Volpe (guitar).

Another first-class concert and a real treat in March from Richard Pite’s Hot Quartet. Amusing anecdotes from Duncan introduced a variety of numbers from the likes of Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Bix Biederbecke, Hoagy Carmichael, etc. These included a slow tempo Tea for Two (dedicated to our two tea ladies), Wa Bash Blues, the lively Cake Walk, Riverboat Shuffle, and a few vocal numbers Way Down Yonder in New Orleans, Old Fashioned Love, I Ain’t Gonna Give Nobody None of This Jelly Roll (the grammar was commented on!), plus a ‘featurette’ piano solo St Louis Rag. Richard had put together a different line-up of band members to play for us - who were more used to being on the London Jazz Circuit and at Ronnie Scott’s than deepest Shalford. These were Richard Pite (leader, percussion, sousaphone, bass ukele, often played at the same time - and against doctor’s orders!), Joplin Parnell (piano, vocals), Lewis Taylor (trumpet), Duncan Hemstock (saxophone, clarinet).

We enjoyed a return visit from the excellent The Forest Hill Owls in February, playing a selection of music from the 20s and 30s. These ranged in style across blues, ballads, Dixieland and stomp. Numbers included Bass Ale Blues, Wang Wang Blues, After You’ve Gone, Ida Sweet as Apple Cider, and vocals Sugar and Anything (recorded by Tommy Dorsey and Frank Sinatra). The tempo was lively with foot-tapping numbers Snake Hips, Dunkin’ Donuts, and That’s A Plenty. Band members were Chris Lowe (leader, trombone), Michael McQuaid (clarinet, alto sax), David Horniblow (reeds, bass saxophone), Harry Evans (trumpet, cornet) and Dominic Sales (drums).

A regular band at our concerts, Martin Litton’s All Stars played a wide range of jazz and swing standards from the 20s and 30s at our December concert, plus a few unusual numbers. These included Bix Beiderbecke’s Singing the Blues, Irving Berlin’s Puttin’ on the Ritz, and Riverboat Shuffle, Tea For Two, etc – plus a member’s request for Fats Waller’s Yer Feet’s Too Big. Maybe also a first at one of our concerts, we were treated to a Billy Bennett monologue from Martin Wheatley – My Mother Doesn’t Know I’m on the Stage. The concert finished with Winter Wonderland to put us all in the mood for Christmas. Band members were Martin Litton (piano), Michael McQuaid (clarinet and alto sax), Pete Rudeforth (trumpet) and Martin Wheatley (banjo and guitar).

In November we were entertained by the seven-piece Louisiana Rhythm Kings playing music of the 1920s and 30s, and the exciting sounds of New Orleans, Chicago and New York, with the music of Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke and Fats Waller, amongst others. As well as traditional numbers, the varied programme included the Sheik of Araby and Muskrat Ramble. The band is now led by Simon Wyld (clarinet and trombone), with Roger Sills (sousaphone and guitar), Quentin Bryar (clarinet), Mike Jefferies (drums), Damien Murphy (piano), Pete Rudeforth (trumpet and vocals) and David Price (banjo and vocals).

At our first concert for this year in October Mike Piggott’s Hot Club Quartet played their own style of gypsy jazz, swing and blues as inspired by the Hot Club de France. The band was made up of Mike Piggott (violin), Nils Solberg & Jarrod Elks (guitars), and double-bass. The programme included pieces from the repertoire of Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli, as well as some Fats Waller and Duke Ellington. It also had Mike playing the unusual Stroh violin, and multiple strings on his violin all at once.