Diary

Formed in 2012 Washington Whirligig has quickly gained an enviable reputation for its versatility and professionalism. Catering for all occasions from birthdays and anniversaries to formal dances and corporate entertainment, they have also taken the jazz club scene by storm, earning praise and gaining great reviews wherever they perform. Playing early New Orleans through to driving mainstream jazz, swing and blues, they have a programme for every occasion. All band members are experienced musicians, respected within the industry, ensuring your event will be a memorable day.

“Whirligig by name and by nature, this recently formed band is a joy to both listen to and play with. Their enthusiasm, endeavour and the excitement they create on the bandstand will, in my opinion as an occasional guest member of the band, take them a long way toward their drive to success. As with many other bands, the Alex Welsh Band are among their influences and inspirations, but with one difference, they play with the fire and drive of their idols, missing in so many other “tribute” bands. I will be happy to play with this band as often as they ask me to"

Jim Douglas, guitar and banjo, Alex Welsh Band, 1963 to 1981.

Dave Hepworth (clarinet & tenor sax), Andy Bramall (guitar, banjo & vocal), Rob Cotterell (Drums), Liz Hepworth (bass & vocal) & Wil Robinson (trumpet, flugel horn & vocal).

Established nearly twenty years ago, The Martinique Jazz Band fast became one of the top jazz bands on the local scene in the Midlands.  They have played at many of the premier venues both in the UK and on the continent, and played with many of the top stars in jazz.  Their annual German tour has always gone down well with both the musicians and the audiences.  The Band has also played in Fritzels on Bourbon Street in New Orleans during the Jazz and Heritage Festivals.  After being invited to play at one of the Mayors charity presentations, the whole band were declared "Honorary Citizens of New Orleans!".  The Band refuses to be labelled as a "Dixieland" band and they take pride in playing many different styles of jazz, from King Oliver to King of the Swingers, from Beiderbeck to Brubeck, from Louis Armstrong to Louis Prima through to Louis Jordan.  Their musical repertoire is as broad as it is long.  Many of their numbers will be recognised by even non-jazzers but they also continue to play lesser-heard obscurities because of their unique musical value. The play-list includes, Old Classic Jazz, Blues, Show Tunes, Sinatra and some good old swingers but the main aim is to send people home very happy.

Due to circumstances beyond our control the programme has changed.

Amy Roberts & Richard Exall will be welcoming their new bundle of joy into the world instead of playing at our club.

Filling their slot is Jim Douglas, who is hosting a jazz jam benefit session for Roy Williams (trombone) who sadly suffered a stroke earlier this year.  Lots of musicians are springing forth to offer their services. This promises to be a session not to be missed.

The band has established itself as one of the most respected and entertaining outfits on the British jazz scene, with their adventurous and eclectic repertoire gaining plaudits wherever they perform. Tad Newton’s Jazz Friends have recently headlined at Upton On Severn Jazz Festival, Pershore Jazz Festival, Teignmouth Jazz Festival, Birmingham Jazz Festival, Bromyard Music Festival, Jazz On a Summer’s Day in Blisworth, Wellingborough Jazz Festival, Wantage Jazz Club, Olney Jazz Club, Carlton Music Festival and at The Spice of Life Jazz Club, one of London’s top jazz venues.  The band comprise of Tad Newton (trombone/vocal), Alan Haughton (piano), Ronnie Fenn (drums), Tomas Pedersen (bass), Mike Wills (reeds) and one of London's top young jazz players as a special guest Lester Brown (trumpet/flugelhorn).  This poses to be a fantastic session, one that will be remembered for many weeks to come.

This Midlands based band was formed over 20 years ago with some members from the Hazel Slade Big Band.  They always promise to please the audience with some fabulous numbers from a varied repertoire.  Presented in a light hearted fashion with some banter between Jon & Robin. They really are a little big band!  Tunes from W C Handy, The Ellington Orchestra, Dizzy Gillespie, Django Reinhardt to name just a few.  A s the band name suggests, this band don’t ‘alf swing!  One of the clubs favourites.

The Eagle Jazz Band founded in 1951 delighted audiences worldwide for an amazing fifty-four years, one of the oldest formed bands in the UK.  The band sports a healthy combination of youth and experience, Pete Brown (trumpet cornet and valve trombone) and Brian Lawrence (Bass and Sousaphone) were both long serving members of the original Eagle Jazz Band after initially forging their musical partnership in the Potteries based Mardi Gras Society Band during the 1970s.  Matt Palmer (clarinet & saxes) joined in 2004, having worked extensively with Pete at Alton Towers theme park in Staffordshire. Drummer   Julyan “Baby Jools” Aldridge (drums) has returned to the fold and added vigour to the engine room to allow the band to fire on all cylinders when required.  Along with            Brian Mellor (banjo and guitar) and Terry Williams (trombone, drums & vibes).  The collective experience amassed by the current line-up includes top UK theme parks, river cruises cruise liners, major UK and European Jazz Festivals and Radio and Television broadcasts. The wide repertoire is drawn from popular songs from the 1920s, 30s, and 40s; Classic Jazz compositions by King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton Sydney Bechet and Duke Ellington plus New Orleans Marches, Rags, Stomps, Blues, Swing and instrumental features.  All band members are multi-instrumentalists, enabling us to play a variety of different sounds and styles each played in a happy, entertaining manner, many featuring vocals.

Kevin Grenfell (Trombone) is a first-class trombonist with a great sense of humour.  He has put together a fine all-star band, including guest stars, touring in the area.  Joining Kevin for this date is our club favourite Paul Harrison, who has graced our stage and dazzled us with his musicality on many occasions.  Whomever joins Kevin and Paul on this gig is sure to deliver an entertaining, high octane, harmonious and enjoyable afternoon.

Inspired by the music of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli’s Quintet of the Hot Club of France. Most Gypsy Jazz bands today consist entirely of stringed instruments.  Django, however, also later recorded with accordionist Gus Viseur and various clarinettists, including Hubert Rostaing.  Our quartet follows this lead with a line-up of accordion, clarinet, guitar and double bass, playing well-known HCF numbers as well as more contemporary Gypsy Jazz numbers.

A return visit by popular demand of this great band lead by Ron Hills who is considered by jazz fans as one the UK's finest trombonists.

This swinging, six-piece unit includes some of the Midlands most respected jazz musicians led by the wonderful Ron Hills (trombone), alongside Tony Pipkin (trumpet & flugel horn), Terry Roberts (saxophones).

In the rhythm section, are club favourites Roy Dutton (drums), Roger Heath (double bass) and Rod Kelly (piano).  Who all pay a respectful tribute to some of greatest icons of 1930's and 40's jazz and popular music, when swing really was king!

Baby Jools is part of the new youth movement in old school New Orleans jazz. The Gloucester musician has spent much of his time as the drummer with Jim McIntosh and Max Collie, but the Jazzaholics have now been together for several years, thereby strengthening his own leadership duties.  Baby Jools started playing drums at the age of six, rumbling around to the accompaniment of his father’s record collection. By the age of 17, he’d already joined our locally-based Millennium Eagle Jazz Band.  He favours the authentically clunky sound of the 1920s and 30s, emphasising his collection of woodblocks and rolling out a particularly resonant snare and bass drum clatter. The Jazzaholics repertoire differs from most such outfits as they’re very likely to throw in a large shot of rock’n’roll. This club session should certainly guarantee a strutting and spinning Sunday afternoon.  Baby Jools (drums), Mike Owen (trombone), Denny Illet (trumpet), Jim Swinnerton (double bass), Karl Hird (reeds) and Brian Mellor (banjo and guitars).

One of our club favourite acts, Carl Sinclair (piano) will make a return visit to us alongside Howard Smith on Drums to help us kick the Christmas spirit into a swinging time.

Carl comes from a family of strong musicians he first started playing the piano when he was only six years old.  He had classical lessons to the age of twelve (just listening and learning to copy the sounds) and went on to win 'Young Musician of the Year'.  A few years later, he switched to a teacher that gave more direction on improvisation, jazz and pop.  By the age of eighteen, he'd mastered the art of playing boogie-woogie piano - relying on a strong left hand and a quick technique.  Since 2007, he has become one of the resident pianist at Jools Holland's live music venue 'The Jam House' in Birmingham.  But he’s also very privileged to have performed at some of the country’s top music festivals and theatres and at countless weddings/private parties - and even done a few for some celebrities!

Hot Fingers welcomes you to an eclectic mix of vintage acoustic music.  As well as the red hot jazz of 1920’s New York, there will be sophisticated 1930’s Swing. The band re-create the ‘French Coffee House’ sound of the king of gypsy swing Django Reinhardt, the blues guitars of Eddie Lang and Lonnie Johnson, and the syncopated Latin rhythms of Argentinean Oscar Aleman, this is mixed with vocals from the song-writing greats, crooners such as Bing Crosby and Al Bowlly, and hokem from the likes of Cliff ‘Ukulele Ike’ Edwards.  From Jump-Jive to swing, from the Charleston to Bossa-Nova, Hot Finger’s wide range of styles and rhythms makes them popular with both sit-down audiences and dancers alike.  The band comprises Spats Langham (banjo, guitar, ukulele), Danny Blyth (bass clarinet, guitar) and Malcolm Sked (sousaphone, double bass).  They will be joined by the superb vocalist Emily Campbell who adds a touch of class with her plaintive vocals, drawing inspiration from the likes of Peggy Lee and Ella Fitzgerald.

This highly popular and talented band is comprised of leading musicians in their field each of whom have a long standing history of playing traditional and popular jazz.  With a high standard of musicianship and a touch of humour the band will provide first class entertainment.  Their music is drawn mainly from popular composers and date from a period of between 1900 and 1950 in a Traditional style along with numbers from the swing era including Sinatra type compositions.  The band is West Midlands / Shropshire based and covers adjacent counties that include Worcestershire, Staffordshire Herefordshire and Warwickshire with occasional excursions further afield.

Christmas Party Fun.  Mince pies, crackers, surprise present raffle, Christmas Hamper Raffle draw, and lots of fun.

Tickets for concerts in advance, either enquire at the desk or send a S.A.E. and cheque made payable to Jazzamatazz to Emma Pearse, 1 Long Close Avenue, Allesley Village, Coventry, CV5 9GH.   Tickets are £10 in advance or £12 on the door.

Kevin Grenfell (Trombone) is a first-class trombonist with a great sense of humour.  He has put together a fine all-star band, including guest stars, touring in the area.  Whomever joins Kevin and Jeremy on this gig is sure to deliver an entertaining, high octane, harmonious and enjoyable afternoon.