Stoke On Trent.
Nantwich.

Stafford.
  



Jazz Beat every Wednesday evening 7 to9pm
from

The BBC Stoke on Trent 94.6 FM or Radio Shropshire 96FM

John Hellings presents Jazzbeat

The programme has a good mix of Jazz and also gives a lot of infomation on Gigs in the area.

 

The programme is also one of the most popular on the BBC's 'Listen Again' service, which means you can listen, via the internet, at any time you want.
All information is on the BBC website

www.bbc.co.uk/staffordshire/entertainment/music/jazz

A Band which has a long association with Stoke
is
The Old Fashioned Love Band
The best known member of the band is Mel Hill who did present Jazz Beat for many years on Radio Stoke/Shropshire


Try their Webb Page at www.oflb.co.uk   


Photo by Sue Combridge
The Old Fashioned Love Band.

Their Gig List

March

Thursday 4th Burton Jazz Club, Marstons, Burton on Trent
Sunday 7th Old Brown Jug, Newcastle (1.00 - 3.00pm)
Thursday 11th Didsbury Cricket Club, Manchester
Wednesday 17th Risley Park Hotel, Risley, Derby
Sunday 21st Stafford Rangers FC, Astonfields Road, (12.30 - 2.30)
Monday 22nd Dunscar Conservative Club, Bolton
Wednesday 24th The Shrimper, Fylde Rd. ,Marshside, Southport
Sunday 28th The Harp, Albrighton (12.30 - 3.00pm)

  Granvilles Brasserie
Granville Square,
STONE,
STAFFS
ST15 8AB

Tel 01785 816658

 Sunday 18th April
7pm

DIGBY FAIRWEATHER’S HALF-DOZEN -

featuring some of Britain’s top jazz musicians

TRUMPETER DIGBY FAIRWEATHER

CRAIG MILVERTON On PIANO

TOM HILL On DOUBLE BASS

NICK MILLWARD on DRUMS

TICKETS: £40 including Supper! Phone Granvilles to book: 01785 816658

 


 The Stafford Jazz Society
Stafford Rangers FC Club
Astonfields Rd
Stafford
Gigs
Sundays

March

7th Duets for Django

14th Five Towns Footwarmers.

21st Old Fashioned Love Band

28th John Hallam
&
The Archie Cotterell Trio


uTickets members £3-00 non members £4-00
12-30 to 2-30pm
**********************
Well worth supporting.
Tel 01785 226950
John Smi0pm)Ddchild (bass), pl g

Click here for more info
www.staffordjazz.org
            

 

  The Salt City Jazzmen.
at
The Jolly Tar
Chester Road,
Wardle (A51)
Cheshire
on
WEDNESDAY, 3rd March
and hope to be there on the first and third Wednesdays of each month from then onwards.

 

 The Forty Five Club
Norton Cricket Club
Community Drive
Smallhome

 Diary.of Events

March 17th 8-30pm

Back Yard Music Boys

 Note

This a new Venue and a different evening

 The

Old

Brown

J U  G

Gigs

                                                               



New Event Trad Jazz
Sunday afternoons doors open 12noon
Showtime 1-00pm

March
7th The Old Fashioned Love Band

All at
Bridge St
Newcastle Under Lyme
Detail 07751 964 815

 

Sunday 30th November. The Archie Cotterell Trio with Carole Westwood and guest Trevor Emney

I am not at all sure who organises the Stafford Jazz Society, but must compliment them for the quality of Jazz presented.
I have noted this for sometime, and, at long last, we have managed to make that first visit. We have known The Archie Cotterell Trio for sometime, and Trevor Emney is no stranger to us. The last time we enjoyed his playing was with the Brian Jones Big Band at Oakengates, leading the Sax section, and playing some great solos. His rendition of Emily, on flute, was a delight. Carole Westwood is a really fine jazz singer and has put together a repertoire of songs that suit her style. With the excellent backing of the Trio she can do no wrong for me. One item stood out from the rest, called Gingee,and was delivered in great style. Trevor's playing is melodic, fluent and swinging and we know just what he is playing ( which is more than I can say for some ). Archie is a treat to listen to and, as I have stated before, no matter who he plays with it is always a great compliment of style and technique. Barry Watts drums, and Derek Brown, bass guitar, offer total rhythm plus some very nice solo work, and I applaud the Quintet for this fine afternoon jazz, and thank The Stafford Society for their presentation.
Geoff Inwood
Please click on the following pictures to enlarge.

 
Trevor, Barry, Carole, Derek.

 
Trevor, Carole,Derek, Archie.


Trevor plus flute and admirer

 
Trevor in full flow on tenor

 The Stompers Reunion Concert
Celebrating 50years of Jazz in the Potteries
At
The George Hotel
Burslem
Stoke on Trent
Friday 8th October

It was our pleasure to travel from Shrewsbury to support this concert. We knew many of the musicians, and Dave Timmis said it was always a popular evening.We noted that it was to run for nearly four hours, and I was surprised how quickly the evening passed. (always a good sign) The evening opened with the The Caldon Canal Stompers led by Roger Westhead .clarinet. This was a good choice as they were well dressed for the occasion, and played with great style, it got the evening off to a fine start.They were followed by Keith Garner, who had hoped to present his Feet Warmers, but due to illness
had to make up a pick up band who duly gave a good account of themselves.
Then came the Old Fashioned Love Band who, without doubt, were the stars of the evening. After a couple of numbers Mel Hill stepped down and invited John Shillito to take the stand. John was in great form both with trumpet and vocal, the audience clearly showed their appreciation, and I was sorry he did not stay for longer. However, the band did return later when Eric Newton, clarinet, was featured playing a very fine solo indeed. Infact he played just great throughout the evening. Pete Brown, trumpet, came on with the Sixties Stompers and this was most enjoyable.

For the finale everybody who could play an instrument were invited to the stand and, as you can see, it was a great way to end an evening.
Congratulations to Dave Timmis and his band of helpers for presenting us with a great evening's Jazz. We will look forward to the next one.
Finally, we thought the George Hotel was an ideal place for this concert and the facilities very good. From Tuesday 2nd November there will be jazz there in the cellar bar.

 

Caldon Canal Stompers

 

Old Fashioned Love Band

 

Five Town Pick up Band

 

John Shillito with OFLB

 

Finale

 

John Shillito Vocals

 

 

The Limehouse Jazz Band

 

Sunday 16th April at Staffford Jazz Society

A fine band from Holland playing the music of the 1920-30s. The band was formed in Harlem, Holland back in 1965 and play to a very high standard.

A good crowd at Stafford Rangers Clubroom gave the band an enthusiastic reception and a standing ovation at the end. Very enjoyable afternoon of early big band jazz from ten accomplished musicians.

Reporting & Photos By Frank Meeson

Click to enlarge

The Mardi Gras Society Band
It is thirty six miles from Shrewsbury to Newcastle, but at a late date I was advised that Billy Edwards(trumpet) would be one of their guests. It is some time since he paid a visit to Shrewsbury and, knowing he had been very ill, it was good to see and hear him playing once again. Keith Garner (banjo ) leads the band and not having heard the Mardi Gras play before I was not quite sure what the evening would bring forth. However, I need not have worried for in the first instance Bill was in great form and the second guest Harry Christian (reeds) was very much in evidence giving full support.
Keith banjo and guitar, Brian Lawrence double bass and sousaphone, and Ken Binns keyboard made up the rhythm section.
It was a small audience due to the bank holiday just starting, but for me and all those attending a most enjoyable evening and it was past 11pm before the finish.
Click on pictures to enlarge

 

The guests of the Mardi Gras

 
Bill and Keith

 
They were playing sweet Sue!

 
Harry Christian



The Old Fashioned Love Band

Mel Hill, Trumpet.  Eric Newton,Clarinet.   Mike Pembroke, Trombone.
Jake Reeves, Banjo.  Dave Timmis, Drums.  Guest Double Bass, Harri Forelius.

click on pictures

   


 
Mel Hill   Trumpet

 
Mel Hill   Vocals


 

A Visit to The Old Barbridge Inn
It was with much pleasure we were invited to the Barbridge by Jackie Huxley and I regret to say we had not visited before. It was soon obvious that we should have made this visit a long time ago as it is one of those pubs where you soon feel at home and the atmosphere is a happy one.
The Salt City Jazzmen were in very good form and a nice surprise was their guest Trumpeter Les Harris who just a few weeks ago had given us a good evening with the Severnside Jazz Band in Shrewsbury.
It was nice to see that Alan had a programme organised even if he had to play happy birthday twice! However the interval was a little long? Lots of good solos and vocals and we enjoyed it all.
Please do visit and you will not be disappointed.

We will return and bring some friends.
Click on pictures to enlarge

 
Derek, Alan, Les and Harry

 
Derek, Bob, Alan,Les, Stuart.and Harry

 
Alan,Derek, and Bob

 
Derek,Alan, Bob and Les

Les Harris


 
Alan Newton. Trombone. Mike Hardacre. Trumpet.
Harry Christian. Reeds.             Derek Pierce. Bass.
Bob Jones .Drums.                   Stuart Renn. Banjo.

A Little History
The band was formed in 1969 and began their first residency in late 1970. This was at The Vine at Shavington near Nantwich in Cheshire where they played fortnightly on Thursdays for eight years.
The early band consisted of Dick Wharton, cornet; Alan Newton, trombone; Dave Parsonage, clarinet & saxes; Jack Hewitt, piano; Bob Terry, banjo & guitar; Pete Noden, bass; and Bob Jones, drums.
With the sad loss of Dick Wharton, who died last October, the only original members still left in the band today are Alan Newton and Bob Jones.
In the intervening years the band has contained members who were, or later became, well known in other bands - Richard Vernon of Tommy Burton fame, Mark Challinor who went on to form his own band the Wabash Jazzmen, and Jon Penn, Derek Harrison, Peter Robinson and George Barnett, who have played in a variety of other bands in the Cheshire/Staffordshire/ Shropshire & North Wales areas. Also the band has often exchanged deps with the Severnside Jazz Band of Shrewsbury for which Dick Wharton also played regularly.
After leaving The Vine, The Salt City Jazzmen had residencies at the Railway Hotel and The Bowling Green pub in Nantwich, The Red Lion at Wybunbury, The Red Lion, Nantwich, The Royal Oak, Worleston and they eventually moved to their present venue, The Old Barbridge Inn, Barbridge, by the Shropshire Union Canal just north of Nantwich on the Chester Road, where they have now been resident weekly on Thursdays for the last 17 years.
The current band, apart from Alan and Bob, now has Mike Hardacre on trumpet, Harry Christian on clarinet/saxes; Stuart Renn, banjo/guitar and Derek Pierce, bass.

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