Isomatic UK Weblog

This evening we saw the Apex Jazz Band at the Cricketers in Horsell Birch, Woking. The band comprised Tony Nutt (cornet), Peter Minett (soprano and alto sax), Clive Burton (trombone), Dave Allison (baritone sax, clarinet), Terry Twiss (guitar, banjo, vocals), Aileen May (double bass) and Ian Parry (drums).
As usual, our favourite numbers were the slow ones with Terry playing guitar and singing, e.g. 'Melancholy Blues', 'I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me' and 'Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing'. We also loved the duets, i.e. Clive & Dave playing 'Sunday' and Peter & Dave playing 'September In The Rain'. Numbers we enjoyed for other reasons were:
'Gatemouth', which we dedicated to the person who rambled on for 3 hours at the Boost Energy AGM this morning;
and 'High Society', which reminded me of my flat-mate in 1964-65, dressed in hired suit with cummerbund for a college ball, prancing around humming this tune.
The only problem with the evening, once again, was a noisy trio behind us. We know the couple and they are OK on their own but with another woman companion they never stopped talking despite the band playing great jazz.

Labels: Jazz

This evening we went to The Europa in East Molesey to see the Urban Gin House Band. The line-up comprised Alan Brock (trumpet), Ray Lindsay (tenor sax, pictured), Alan Dandy (keyboard), Mike Bennett (bass) and Mike Knipe (drums).
Our favourite numbers with this line-up were:
'My Romance' by Richard Rodgers, to which we danced;
Ray's feature, including the verse, 'Tea For Two' composed by Vincent Millie Youmans;
George Gershwin's 'S'Wonderful';
'Times Getting Tougher Than Tough', composed by Jimmy Witherspoon, a number that we had not heard before;
Alan Dandy's feature 'Memories of You' by Eubie Blake.
Guests were:
John Shepherd (pocket trumpet) and Roy Stokes (trombone), playing 'Broadway' and 'Sunday';
Peter Clancy and Peter Tallent (trombones) playing 'Georgia on my Mind' and 'Some of these Days'.
Colin Lewry played keyboard during the break.

Labels: Jazz

Today and last Saturday we had lunch in the Crown at Northbourne. It is sad that this pub is not registered with Beer in the Evening nor anywhere else obvious. Both food and drink are good and prices are very competitive. We had the haddock and chips for £3.50 last week and the special £4.50 2-course offer today, comprising sausages / ice cream for Selina and steak pie / rhubarb crumble for me. Both were excellent. The most expensive bottle of wine is under £11.00 and Marston's Pedigree is on draught.

Labels: Travel

This evening we went to the Berrylands Hotel in Surbiton, where Brian White's Magna jazz band performs every week. On this occasion Brian was joined by Goff Dubber, playing Clarinet plus Soprano and Tenor Saxophones. The photograph shows him with Rex Bennett (drums), the remainder of the band comprising Pete Towndrow (cornet, trumpet), Alan Dandy (keyboard) and Richard Lyons (string bass). I noted 13 favourite numbers so must purge the list for this post, leaving:
Goff's vocal's 'Four or Five Times' and 'Someday You'll be Sorry';
The two clarinet duets 'Sweet Georgia Brown' and "Blues For an Unkknown Gypsy';
Alan's keyboard feature 'Russian Rag', by George Linus Cobb (August 31, 1886–December 25, 1942), a prolific composer best known for ragtime;
Goff's soprano feature 'Buddy Bolden Blues';
The great number that Brian and Goff always seem to play together 'The Blues and Jung', a variation on Mezz Mezzrow's 'The Blues and Freud'. A great evening of jazz.

Labels: Jazz

This evening we saw the Panama Cafe Orchestra at the Cricketers in Horsell Birch, Woking. The band comprised Dave Lowe (cornet, vocals), Richard White (Clarinet, alto sax,
vocals), Chris Lowe (trombone, vocals), Graham Collicott (drums), Roger Sills (sousaphone) and Dave Griffiths (banjo).
The first picture shows the full band with Dave and Richard posing for the camera. The second picture shows guest Roger Sills, hidden in the group photograph. Our favourite numbers were:
'Black Bottom';
'West End Blues';
"The Easy Winner';
'Farewell Blues';
and 'Candy Lips'.
At our table were; Alan 'Mr Sherry' Roper, Brian Hicks, and George Eatwell. Tony Aycliffe was relegated to another table from where he complained that the natives were restless tonight. It is true that there was excessive talking and moving around, George being one of the main culprits. George objected to me referring to myself as British rather than English, presumably his reaction against the Scots and Welsh rabid nationalism.

Labels: Jazz

This evening we went to The Europa in East Molesey to see the Urban Gin House Band. The line-up comprised Alan Brock (trumpet, vocals), Colin Bray (curly soprano sax, pictured), Mike Bennett (bass), Alan Dandy (keyboard) and Mike Knipe (drums). The band started really well with a succession of very enjoyable numbers:
'You Took Advantage of Me';
'Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing';
'If I Had You';
'Lady Be Good';
'Ain't Misbehaving';
and 'Girl From Ipanema.
Alan Dandy repeated Thursday's feature, playing the Billy Strayhorn numbers 'Prelude to a Kiss' and 'Daydream'.
Colin Lewry (keyboard), Trevor Dockerill (tenor sax) and Aileen May (bass) played in the break and then we had three groups of guests:
John Shepherd (pocket trumpet) with Roy Stokes (trombone) and Aileen, playing 'Exactly Like You' and 'Fidgety Feet';
Ray Lindsay (tenor sax) playing 'On Green Dolphin Street' and 'My Funny Valentine';
Peter Tallent playing 'All of Me' and 'Georgia On My Mind'.
Alan Dandy then played 'Up Jumped Spring' just before we left.

Labels: Jazz

This evening we went to the Berrylands Hotel in Surbiton, for Brian White and his Magna jazz band, with the standard line-up except that Terry Lewis (pictured) deputised on string bass.
Our favourites from the great selection played were:
'Happy Feet';
'Hesitating Blues';
'That Old Feeling';
'Mean to Me' with a great keyboard interval from Alan Dandy;
Alan's feature, comprising two Billy Strayhorn compositions 'Prelude to a Kiss' and 'Daydream';
'I Can't Sleep';
and best of all 'The Texas Moaner' AKA 'Texas Moaner Blues' featuring a fine bass solo from Terry. This number, composed by Clarence Williams' was recorded by his Blue Five on October 17, 1924 with Louis Armstrong and Sidney Bechet in the quintet. What a band that must have been !

Labels: Jazz

This evening, as usual, we broke our journey home from Park Farm to eat, drink and hear live jazz at The Cricketers in Horsell Birch. Tonight it was the Nigel Price Trio, comprising Nigel (guitar), Pete Whittaker (organ) and Steve Vintner (drums). It is obvious to us that Nigel and Pete are skilled musicians and ex-drummer Brian, sitting at our table, assured us that Steve is a fine drummer. Unfortunately the music is not really our style. Our favourite number was introduced as "A Blues", having a hard driving rhythm and bluesy melodies that we enjoyed. We also liked the first number, initially unannounced but instantly recognisable as 'Out of Nowhere'. The trio then played 'Lover Man' in Bossa Nova style, a jazz form we normally love but not this time. 'Secret Love' was played much too fast.

The Cricks was only half full so most of the regulars were not giving the trio a chance. However, one regular said it was the best jazz to be performed there, leaving his wife alone so he could sit closer to the band. You can't please everyone.
Regardless of whether we are enjoying the music, we sit quietly when the band is playing. We object strongly to people talking very loudly during the numbers; women this time. There is another large bar area; why don't they sit there ? Pure selfishness of the worst kind.

Labels: Jazz

This evening we went to The Europa in East Molesey to see the Urban Gin House Band. The line-up comprised Alan Brock (trumpet, vocals), Les Dyos (trombone), Mike Bennett (bass), Caroline Cooper (keyboard) and Mike Knipe (drums). With this line-up we particularly enjoyed 'If I Had You' and 'Georgia On My Mind'.
Colin Lewry (keyboard) and Trevor Dockerill (tenor sax) played in the break and then we had two groups of guests:
John Shepherd (pocket trumpet) and Trevor, playing 'Just Friends' and 'All Of Me';
Peter Clancy (trombone), Andrew Clancy (keyboard) and Aileen May (bass) playing 'Big Butter And Egg Man', 'Careless Love' and 'Royal Garden Blues'.
The Europa produce two trays full of snacks; pity we had a big meal before leaving home !

Labels: Jazz

This evening we went to the Berrylands Hotel in Surbiton, for Brian White's Magna jazz band, with two great deps; Allen Beechey (cornet) and Terry Lewis (double bass), both pictured. This was Allen's first time at the Berrylands, although we have seen him with his young band 'The Bright Stars of Jazz' and also fronting the Ken Colyer tribute band at the Purcell Room.
Our favourite numbers for the evening were:
Fats Waller's first published composition 'Squeeze Me';
'Blue Again' by Jimmy McHugh with words by Dorothy Fields, new to us but recorded by Wild Bill Davison With Fressor's Big City Jazz Band;
'I Can't Give You Anything But Love', again by McHugh and Fields;
Alan Dandy's feature 'Jitterbug Waltz' by Fats Waller (again).

Labels: Jazz

This evening, as usual, we broke our journey home from Park Farm to eat, drink and enjoy jazz at The Cricketers in Horsell Birch. The band was the Excel Jazzmen, comprising Tony Karavis (leader, cornet, vocals), Bernie Murtha (clarinet, alto sax, vocals), Colin Kingwell (trombone, jokes), Terry Twiss (banjo, guitar, vocals), Mike Broad (bass) and Ian Parry (drums). This is a straight trad band, its best features being the vocals by Bernie and Terry. Best of these were
Bernie's 'Short Dress Gal', Selina's signature tune, and Terry's 'Out in the Cold Again'.
We danced to two great blues numbers; 'Wabash Blues' and 'Snag It'.
Our other favourites were:
'Mabel's Dream', for which Selina wanted intimate details of the dream so I invented something suitable;
'Papa Dip', one of Louis Armstrong's nicknames;
'Saratoga Swing' with fine guitar from Terry;
Bernie's feature 'The Old Rugged Cross', the number that started me on a Monty Sunshine period when I was 13-16, before I deserted him for Acker Bilk (at age 17-22) and then Sidney Bechet (23 - now).
Colin read an excellent joke that is too long to repeat here concerning sex between people aged 18 and 54. Is this to be encouraged ?
We sat with Axel and Tony, who kept us amused with stories of their ex-wives, children, former businesses and clothing (Tony wants to know if his braces will pass the Concorde Club's dress code). I hope that we entertain them as much as they entertain us.

Labels: Jazz

This evening we went to Guildford's odeon cinema to see The Duchess. This film features good acting, fine cinematography and plenty of period costumes. The plot does rather labour the theme that this was the period where rich aristocratic men ruled and women obeyed their husbands or else. How times have changed; we have the reversed situation now. A woman said recently, to her husband in our presence, "do as you are told or you will never see your daughter again." Despiccable !

Labels: Film

This evening we went to the Berrylands Hotel in Surbiton, for Brian White's Magna jazz band, with the standard line-up. The pictures show Brian with Alan Dandy in the background and Pete Towndrow with Richard Lyons and Rex Bennett in the background. All the numbers played were good but we particularly enjoyed:
'New Orleans' by Hoagy Carmichael (believed to have never visited the place);
'Until The Real Thing Comes Along', Words & Music by Mann Holiner, Alberta Nichols, Sammy Cahn, Saul Chaplin & L. E. Freeman;
'A Kiss to Build a Dream On' by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby (often credited to Louis Armstrong);
'Yellow Dog Blues' by W C Handy;
and Alan Dandy's great keyboard feature, 'Indian Summer', generally played by Soprano Saxophonists in honour of Sidney Bechet.
The band began with a French flavour (Franglais really) but this had been forgotten by 10:30 when the raffle was drawn. Selina, sitting in the 'lucky' seat, won again and instinctively called out "C'est Moi" to the amusement of the band. Her choice of CD was a Dixieland collection, primarily by the Eddie Condon band. We had explained earlier to new girl Frances that the lucky seat was not for the superstitious after the death of its last two occupants in quick succession.

Labels: Jazz

This evening at The Cricketers in Horsell Birch we saw the Phil Brown Swingtet, comprising Phil Brown (trombone), Lester Brown (trumpet, flugel horn), Mark Aston (Tenor Sax, Alto Sax, Clarinet), Ken Ames (guitar), Andrew Clancy (keyboard), Mike Bennett (string bass) and David Clancy (drums). As usual with this band, we heard jazz from the 1920s to around 1960. We like the variation, though not everyone agrees with us.
Numbers we particularly liked were:
'Don't Mean a Thing if it Ain't got That Swing' with a great tom-tom intro by David and vocal by Phil;
'Carnaval' from Black Orpheus by Luiz Bonfa, played by Mark with the rhythm section;
'Lullaby of Birdland' music by George Shearing, referring to Charlie 'Bird' Parker and the Birdland jazz club named after him;
'Just a Gigolo / I Ain't Got Nobody', vocal by Ken, supported by Phil and the rhythm section;
'My Funny Valentine' featuring Mark and Lester.
Guests were Ray Poole (keyboard) and Peter Clancy (string bass), playing 'Autumn Leaves' and 'Centrepiece'.
The picture shows Peter Clancy chatting to Pat Brown while four members of their families (+3 others) play jazz !

Labels: Jazz