Jazz Pilgrims Bands from the past and present
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Here is a list of bands from the past and present so scroll down and get the info etc.
BANDS :
Trad Fad Northdown Stompers The Mainline Jazz Band Thameside Stompers
The Shanghia Syncopated Orchestra
Les Herberts Jazz Band
Red Hot and Blue
The Dixiecats Jazzband
The Dixiecats Jazz Band
The Dixiecats playing at the Queen Charlotte, Rochester, Kent 1982
picture from the Eric Webster collection
band members:
Tom Brady tpt/ldr, Peter Godsiff clnt, Kenny Pyrke tmb, Micky Brookes drms
Bernie Johnson bass and Eric Webster banjo
The Dixiecats at a private party circa mid eighties
band members:
Tom Brady tpt John Elmer clt, Kenny Pyrke tmb, Eric Webster bnj.
Jim Belcher bass and Miles Wilson drms.
The Dixiecats at The Malta Inn, Allington Lock, Sandling, Maidstone, Kent
taken in the 70's / 80's
band members:
Tom Bradt tpt, Roy Mason clt, John Finch tmb, Harry King Drms
Eric Webster bnj. and Mick Howell bass.
Red Hot and Blue
Peter Leonard trumpet - Chris Thompson bass - John Stuart banjo - Alan Cresswell clarinet
This great quartet has just been formed since 2013 - a great sound
and a great CD to buy - click on the four high lighted to listen
1 Streets of the City 8 Burgundy Street
2 Magnolias Wedding Day 9 Sweet Georgia Brown
3 Wabash Blues 10 At the Jazz Band Ball
4 Bad Penny Blues 11 When Your Hair Has Turned to Silver
5 Old Miss Rag 12 The Old Rugged Cross
6 Davenport Blues 13 Strutting with Some Butter and Egg Man
7 So Do I 14 Panama
Recorded live at the Ramsgate Seaside Shuffle in the Small Boat Owners Club 29th November 2014
to purchase CD and enquire about the Red Hot and Blue
phone Peter on 07427 726 228 or email: redhotandbluejazz@gmail.com
or visit www.facebook.com/redhotandbluejazz
Trad Fad (1972 - 1978)
information from Clive Brooks wonderful book 'Trad Mad' a concise history of the traditional jazz revival in Kent
The original line up of the Trad Fad as follows:
Jeff Hatton (tpt/ldr), Pete Godsiff (clt/ten), Kenny Pyrke (tmb),
Alex Holt (piano), John Atkinson (bjo/gtr), Sid Dale (tuba) and Derek Bailey
(drms)
(tpt) Norman Haynes, Tom Brady
(bjo/gtr) Eric Webster
(bass) Bernie Johnson
(drms) Andy Grey, Micky Brooks
Band renamed 'The Dixie Cats' under the leadership of Kenny Pyrke
A newspaper cutting June 10th 1974, from Eric Webster's pics
band members:
Geoff Hatton tpt/ldr, Pete Godsiff clt, Kenny Pyrke tbn, Alex Holt piano,
Eric Webster bnj, Sid Dale tuba and the youngest member of the band Andrew
Gray drms.
The lads with Patti Clarke
This
recording is from the Tony Pink collection taken at the Laughing Water 15th
October 1975
band members:
top row L/R Pete Godsiff , Beth (a fan),
Norman Haynes, Bernie Johnson and Alex Holt
bot row L/R Eric Webster, Micky Brooks and
Kenny Pyrke.
with guest: Randy Colville clt and Ray Smith tenor on 'St James
Infirmary'
click on to titles to hear:
Avalon
Back of Town Blues (Norman & Kenny voc)
Battle Hymn of the Republic
This is a great photo of Peter Baker supping of what he
likes supping and if you click on to the
title St James Infirmary you can hear Peter vocalising with the
accompaniment
of Randy Colville on clarinet
and Ray Smith on Tenor - the great sounds we had in the seventies
St James Infirmary ( vocal
Peter Baker)
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The Northdown Stompers 1956
taken at the Orpington Jazz Club
from left to Right:
Bill Phillips tmb., Mick Jones bass, Davy Jones bnj., Jim Belcher tpt.,
Al Roscoe drms., Jack Gilbert clt and Pat Roscoe piano.
photo from the Jim Belcher collection
above four pics from the Eric Webster collection taken around 1959
Alan Roscoe tpt, George Berry clt, Jim Belcher tbn, Pat Roscoe piano, Mick
Jones bass,
Brian Fairbanks drms and Eric Webster bnj
Note the transport. The bass player took his bass in the motorcycle chair,
the leader
had the car, most of the others had motorcycles or scooters in those days,
George Berry clarinet
trade card not many people
had phones in the late 50's
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The Mainline Jazz Band
This band was run by Tony King, a trumpet player from Hull Yorkshire and
having settled down in the Gravesend
area put together a jazz band made from various musicians from the Gravesend
and Medway area. The band first
started a regular gig in the Railway Inn at Sole Street. The band took its
name from the mainline train service to
London. The band started in the late 70’s and continued until the mid
1990’s with various personal changes over that time.
The Original line up:-
Tony King trp
Neil Highley trm
Jack Hughes cla and alto sax
Geoff Gilry guitar
Pete Drage bass.
Pete Turner drums. No photo available
Pam Tucker vocals
This band had a change when Pete Turner was replaced on the drums by Eddy
Newport in about 1979. Pete Drage
was replaced by Alex Taylor, Neil Highly was replaced by Rod Hayes and Jack
Hughes was replaced by Charles Sherwood.
During the 80’s the band shared a Sunday lunch time gig at the Toll Gate Inn
on the A2 near Gravesend with the
Jubilee Jazz Band run by John Pollard a sax and clarinet player. This gig
ran for about 6 years with great success.
Tony King
Neil Highly
Charles Sherwood
Jack Hughes
Geoff Gilry
Trumpet
Trombone
Reeds
Reeds
Guitar
Eddy Newport
Pam Tucker
Bob Pluck
Pete Drage
Drums
Vocals
Guitar
double bass
The band played in the mainstream style rather than in the true traditional
NO style. The repertoire covered many
jazz standards to boss novas and some pop numbers. The function of the band
was to entertain as many people as
possible with a variety of styles of jazz music.
The band worked around Kent, Surry and London areas playing at many
functions and WM clubs. Gravesend is
twined with Nurmunster in Germany and Cambria in France and over several
years the band went and played at
concerts and festivals in these towns. The height of the bands fame was
reached when Tony King got a booking
to perform at the Rochester Castle Gardens on the same bill as The Kenny
Ball’s Jazz Band. Playing to an audience
of 3000 was the pinnacle of the bands success.
In the mid 80’s to 90’s there were some changes.
Neil Highly was replaced by Rod Hayes on the trombone.
Geoff Gilry was replaced by Steve Morgans on keyboard.
Alex Taylor was replaced by Pete Thomas bass
Pam Tucker was replaces by Elaine Dyan on vocals
Charles Sherwood was replaced by Mark Southwell on clarinet and Saxes
Bob Pluck on guitar, Mike Brooks drums and Alan Boreman on alto sax did many
dept’s with the band..
The later line up produced a recording at Porcupine Studios in New Eltham
under the direction of Ted Taylor. The band
had about 200 cassettes made and they were sold at various functions
especially the foreign engagements. This helped
to cover the cost of the recording session.
The band that went to Germany in 1986:
L/R Eddy Newport, Rod Hayes, Mark Southwell, Steve Morgans, Elaine Dyan, Tony King and Pete Thomas.
Here are four tracks from their cassette recording made in 1987 the line up is the above group musicians
Sweet Georgia Brown
Mack the Knife
Sweet Sue
It dont mean a thing
vocal Elaine Dyan
vocal Tony King
vocal Steve Morgans vocal Rod Hayes (arranged by Tony King)
In 1991 Eddy Newport left the band and was replaced by Mick Brooks
The band ended it’s days playing at the Three Daws Pub in Gravesend and
finely at the Cricketers at Meopham
and many ‘Stars’ were booked to play with the band. Kathy Stowbart, Hugh
Leddigo, Roy Williams, Randy Colville
and others all made a Sunday lunch time gig a firm favourite.
Composed by Eddy Newport. August 2008.
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The Thameside Stompers
This band is probably one of the longest running jazz bands in
North Kent; it’s first started up
in the early 70’s. The band came
together by two guys who met at a folk club and found they had a love of
jazz and thought it would be a good idea to try and form
a traditional jazz band. Those guys were Pete Drage playing bass and
Alan Bundy plying banjo. Through work contacts Pete
met Dennis Lear a clarinet player and in turn Don York playing
trombone formed the start of the band. Soon drummer Peter Turner
and trumpeter David Kedge made up the final line up. Cutting their
musical teeth at various pubs they finally settled down to a regular
weekly gig at the pub “The Lad’s of the Village” in Stone near
Gravesend. This gig ran without a
break for nearly 25 years. Over
that time there were many changes to the line up. Harry King replaced
Pete Turner, Fred Hoare bass replaced Pete Drange and
his brother Ronnie Hoare joined playing piano. Harry King died and was
replaced by Colin Large and in the latter years Don York
was replaced by Rod Hayes and Dave Kedge was replaced by Ken
Atkinson trumpet. Fred Oare died and was replaced by
Jim Belcher on bass and Ronnie Oare left the band. Finally the
“Lad’s” gig came to an end in the late 1990’s and found a new pub
to gig in called “The Rising Sun” at Falkham Green near Longfield
Kent. This gig was a once a month event and ran for about 5 years.
Tom Brady Colin Large Jim Belcher
Dennis Lear
Rod Hayes Ken Atkinson and Tom Brady
Taken at 'The Rising Sun'
at Falkham Green, Nr Longfield, Kent
Since then the band has been doing various gigs around the county, but are
few and far between. Since the Performing Rights laws,
whereby if a pub has more than two musicians playing, a music licence must
be obtained and the cost can be too much for the landlord
to pay, so in effect this has killed live bands in a pub for ever.
Photos of the original line up are unobtainable. This group formed the
mainstay of the band at the “Lad’s of the Village” and
“The Rising Sun” pub gigs.
Ken Atkinson
Dennis Lear
Rod Hayes
Alan Bundy
Jim Belcher
Colin Large
cornet
clarinet
trombone
banjo
bass guitar
drums
here are the above lads playing at 'The Lads of the Village', Stone
Crossing, Nr Gravesend, Kent. 27th August 1991
Savoy
Blues
Running Wild
vocal Rod Hayes
here are the boys at 'The Rising Sun' Faulkham Green, Kent. 5th September
1991 -
but Dave Link on trumpet and Fred Hoare on bass.
Baby wont you please come home
Rosetta
vocal Colin Large
Known as the Al Boley of kent
here are the
boys at 'The White Swan' 13th November 1991, but Eddy Newport on drums
Lonesome Road
Christopher Columbus
here are the boys at 'The Jolly Knight' Rochester, Kent. 7th December 1993
but Tom Brady trumpet and John Ellmer drums
There'll be some changes
Digger Digger Do
vocal Tom Brady
Over the years, several musicians have dept with the band and listed below are just few.
Tom Brady tpt Eddy Newport drums John Elma drums and clt Barny Smith bass and guitar Nobby Willett banjo
Ian Hamilton tpt Dave Kedge tpt Dave Link tpt Tony King tpt
The band style is a relaxed traditional jazz sound with a wide range of
standard jazz tunes.
Composed by Eddy Newport
Sept 2008
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The Shanghia Syncopated Orchestra
A great orchestra playing 20's and 30's arrangments led
by trumpeter/ vocalist Robin Eve in his spare
moments from 1982 - 1989 after having found a pile of old 1920's dance music
in a shop, and the Orchestra
are still playing now and one of their yearly highlights is at the
Clore
Ballroom, Royal Festival Hall (map)
Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, United Kingdom SE1 8XX.
the lads from left to right:
Steven Botting tmb, Ron Rackley bass, Martyn Liston reeds, John Cottis drums, Bob Pluck banjo,
Robin Eve tpt/leader, Peter Flawn piano and Steve Hatfield violin
two tracks from this wonderful orchestra recorded 3rd October 1982
at the Oakwood International Studio, Canterbury, Kent.
Shanghai Vo - Do - Do - De - O - Blues
click on above titles to listen
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The 'Les Herbert's Jazz Band
The Les Herberts Story:
Over a decade ago, two strangers met, one foggy winter night on the
London train. As it struggled home to Thanet,
they
exchanged reminiscences and discovered a mutual musical background which
spanned the skiffle fad and the
trad
jazz boom of the 1950's. One played the piano, the other played the banjo
and there it stopped. However, as in
all
good stories, the two players discussed their acquaintance elsewhere and the
tiny seaside town of Broadstairs, Kent
produced five other musicians, all exactly right for a jazz band. Someone
else found a 'gig' and with only one practice
and six
tunes in the repertoire, the band set out on its road to minor fame. In its
early days the band rarely played under
the
same name twice running, which was just as well, but one night, after
offering the name 'Les Herberts' as a French
pun,
they found that an entrepreneur had billed them as ' Les Herbert and his
Vaudeville Jazz Band'. The name stuck,
but the
band often receive messages for Les from people who distinctly remember
playing with him, knew him as a mate
in the
army or claim he owes them money. Jazz has taken the Herberts into all kinds
of places apart from night clubs
and
pubs, and they have shared the bizarre experiences that are common to
musicians everywhere. There was the
night
when they played 'on ice' and the piano froze, the night when they
unintentionally kept 200 pilgrims awake in
Canterbury and the afternoon on which they welcomed Father Christmas to a
department store. The band has appeared
on
stage on numerous occasions, in company with such eminent jazz figures as
George Melly, Alex Welch and Chris
Barber,
but most of all, they have played in Thanet and East Kent, turning out
'jazz' to appreciative audiences, especially
in
Margate's own jazz pub, "The King's Head". During the Herbert's story, the
personnel have changed from time to time,
but the
band has played on through the swinging 60's and in and out of Punk Rock
without faltering.
The music on this record is a good cross section of the bands repertoire.
"Tight like that" is a popular favourite
everywhere the Herberts play, as are other old standards such as "Dr. Jazz"
and "That's a plenty". However, this recording
has
given them a chance to do some "studio" tunes, the old Jelly Roll Morton
composition "Sidewalk Blues" being one
of
these. Les Herbert's jazz has never been totally for the purist, but tunes
like "Gatemouth" and "Buddy Bolden's Blues"
are
authentic enough to satisfy those who want both nostalgia and entertainment.
This record is dedicated to the band's many followers and supporters and,
who knows, may introduce a new
audience to some very old songs. During its making, the musicians consumed
at least 40 bottles of a well known brown
ale, several pints of vicious home brew, 2 gallons of coffee, 4 lbs of
cheese and a lot of biscuits. Three members of the
orchestra now have new neighbours and all of the band are now speaking to
their wives once more. Wout Steenhuis
went quite pale at the 10th take of "Sidewalk" but looks all right now.
Thanks Wout.
" The Herberts " March 1978
This Lp recorded in 1978 and produced on the Jelmer Label no 'JELMER STERIO
JS 102/78' it
hales from the engineering stable in Broadstairs of local maestro Wout
Steenhuis who, as well as being
a brilliant musician himself handled recordings of the Wedgwoods and
organist Tony Savage's sing -
along shows at Margate's Lido.
Side 1 Side 2
1,
Tight Like That voc John
Walters
1, Gatemouth
2,
Sidewalk Blues
2,
I've Got What It Takes
voc Betty Renz
3,
You Took Advantage Of Me voc Bill Bowden
3,
Sweet Georgia Brown
voc Bill Bowden
4,
Jazz Me Blues
4, Saratoga Swing
5,
Buddy Bolden's Blues voc Bob Hilditch
5,
Fidgety Feet
6, Louisiana voc Bill Bowden
6,
Sweet Lorraine voc Bill Bowden
7,
Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives To Me voc
Vernon Kennard
7,
That's A Plenty
8,
Doctor Jazz voc Dick Smith
8, Tight Like That
The Orchestra:
Bill Bowden Trumpet, Flugelhorn and vocals
Dick Smith Clarinet and vocals
Martin Rawbone Trombone
Robin Day Drums
Vernon Kennard Bass and vocals
Bob Hilditch Guitar, Banjo and vocals
John Walters Piano and vocals
Guest Vocalist: Betty Renz on 'I've Got What It
Takes' Klaxon, Whistles, Mumbling, Footsteps, Vocal Refrains: Les
Herberts
This is a review in the June 1979 'Cresendo
International' magazine of the album
Here we have Betty on her 91st birthday looking good and still singing
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