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Jazz West Midlands A site for Jazz Fans in and around the West Midlands |
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The John Williams Festival
Click on Buttons to view Click on a town for information |
![]() at Ironbridge in the County of Shropshire. |
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The Cartway Bridgnorth |
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Worcester 27th, 28th, 29th June Information on this year's bands 18 Riverside Close Upton Upon Severn Worcestershire WR8 0JN Email: info@uptonjazz.co.uk http://www.uptonjazz.co.uk/ |
19th-25th May Crabbery St, Stafford Town Centre Stafford Gilad Atzmon. Liane Caroll. |
at Lichfield Rugby Club Tamworth rd Lichfield June 26th to 29th http://www.lichfieldarts.org.uk/rajb.asp |
Hazelwell Lane Stirchley Big Band with Sara Coleman. |
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Llangollen Jazz Festival Royal International Pavilion £12.50 / children £5 |
also on Radio Shropshire 96fm two hours of jazz presented by A fine Midlands reed man and club owner in Stafford. It has always been a pleasure to listen to him and the wide selection of jazz records which he played. |
The Coventry Jazz Festival inc The BBC Big Band. Hugh Masekela Alan Barnes Randy Breker Liane Carroll. Bryan Corbetts quartet (plus Ed Jones and Deirdre Cartwright) etc |
Friday May 16th 7-30pm BBC BIG BAND with Peter Grant & Clare Teal Tickets £12.50, £16.50, £19.50 |
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We need a permanent experienced trumpet player Though must be Midlands based dedicated and committed We got festivals, gigs, recording own CD etc etc Tel Dave 02476 501520 |
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![]() are going to Gran Canaria again and invite you to join them. 1st-15th December 2008 at Bar Marina Puerto de Mogan, Gran Canaria They do like to be beside the seaside !!! http://www.hofejazz.co.uk |
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Forthcoming public gigs Thursday, 1st May 8.30-11.00 Friday, 16th May 8.30-11.00 |
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If you like to see
Jazz musicians playing your favorite music, then I am sure you
will enjoy a visit to the following URLs I was advised by my friend Frank Meeson of these details. Bob Erwig, is a retired cornet player from The Climax Jazzband and I understand now lives in Canada. Some of you may know him ? I must advise you that they are addictive and you may may spend a lot of time on your computer ! |
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Devon Glorious Devon. |
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Devon The Odd Wheel Wembury nr Plymouth most Thursday nights. 01752 862287 The Foxhound Brixton nr Plymouth |
![]() John Shillito |
I have been a Jazz fan nearly all
my life from the early days of Geoffrey Everitt and Radio Luxemburg
and the wonderful A.F.N. ( American Forces Network) in Germany.
I even built a one valve radio so I could listen to this station
late at night. At this time
the disc jockey was Moff Moffat and his programme was Midnight
in Munich. He played the greatest jazz of that time on V Disc.
Woody Herman. Stan Kenton. Benny Goodman and of course Louis Armstrong.
If there is anybody who remembers these times and programmes I
would be interested to hear from them.
I recall going to a meeting in Sutton Coldfield some years ago
and we had a lecture from a collector of V Discs.
If you know of this gentleman I would be pleased to hear from
you
In those days we only had 78rpm records 10 or 12inch. My dad had
a spring wound record player with needles that you had to change
after a couple of plays. In time I bought an arm with a stylus
which played through the radio. (wonderful).
It was a Guy called John Tims who started my interest in Jazz,
he is a drummer and lives in Ellesmere and became a good friend.
He had his own room with his kit in and a radiogram to play his
records on! He invited us there on a Sunday afternoon's and we
played his and our records. What a great time it was.
John was the drummer with The George Riley Band a local dance
band located in Oswestry and resident at The Victoria Rooms but
quite often they came to play at the Garrision Theatre. Park Hall
Training Camp.
My earnings at that time were about £2-00 per week and after
giving my mother twenty five shillings for my keep this left me
with fifteen shillings of spending money! Records as I recall
were around two shillings & sixpence so much care was needed
before buying. As time progressesd LPs came onto the market and
3minutes of playng time became a thing of the past, of course
it was not quite that simple as I had to aquire a record player
to play at 33 RPM.
Most of the Jazz I went to live was with the Big Bands Ted Heath,Geraldo,
Joe Loss and if very lucky Vic Lewis.
One great treat was the Dance Band Championships held at The Winter
Gardens in Blackpool and if I remember correctly a band called
Ken Mackintosh won in that year and went from strength to strength.
The resident band for the show was Geraldo.
Over the years I have been fortunate to see and listen to many
fine bands. Woody Herman. Buddy Rich and of course the great Ted
Heath Band never to be forgotton. Then along came George Shearing,
The MJQ, Stan Kenton etc
But the great change came with Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie,
Stan Getz, Miles Davies and of course our own Johnny Dankworth
Seven who were leading lights in this change of style. It is good
to see that for all these changes that the Trad /New Orleans jazz
is still played throughout this country, and bands like Chris
Barber, Kenny Ball, Acker Bilk and Phil Mason must take much credit
for this.
As any Jazz fan knows the local musicians who form the many bands
throughout the country and play for peanuts must also be given
great credit for keeping this music alive. But dont forget it
is our support that can keep them playing.
Geoff Inwood