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CALYPSO MOON are a UK-based jazz band with a passion for the music of the 1920s, 30s and 40s, made famous by stars such as Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Doris Day. CALYPSO MOON are Eleanor Dattani, Lydia Glanville and Amy Coates. ELEANOR DATTANI is a seasoned vocalist and songwriter. She has performed with many bands over the years, including festival heavyweights The Electric Swing Circus, with whom she performed at Glastonbury, Bestival, Womad, Shambala and Secret Garden Party, as well as touring internationally. Songs she has co-written and sang on have been played on BBC Radio 6 Music, and have millions of Spotify plays and YouTube views. After a break from music which involved having a baby during a global pandemic, Eleanor has returned to the mic to lead her own band – the incredible Calypso Moon! LYDIA GLANVILLE, Calypso Moon’s drummer, has had an exciting career gracing stages such as Glastonbury, Cheltenham Jazz Festival, The Barbican and Birmingham Town Hall. She has toured the UK and Europe extensively with many artists and groups, including Boat to Row, John Southworth, Gren Bartley, Kate Doubleday and Jipsy. She has performed live on BBC Radio 6 Music and recordings she has played on have been featured on the One Show. Playing with Calypso Moon allows Lydia the opportunity to revisit the types of music which she loved as a young musician whilst studying at Birmingham Conservative. AMY COATES is a badass jazz bassist and super-talented arranger in very high-demand! Having recently graduated from the University of Birmingham, this year she has performed at Birmingham Symphony Hall and Mostly Jazz Festival to name a few, and performs regularly with many different acts on the Birmingham jazz scene. We are certainly lucky to have such an exciting young talent in Calypso Moon!

The stellar line-up for this musical extravaganza is Jeremy Huggett (piano & vocals), Alex Clarke (saxes), Kevin Grenfell (trombone), Simon Smith (double bass) and Steve Street (drums).The stellar line-up for this musical extravaganza is Jeremy Huggett (piano & vocals), Alex Clarke (saxes), Kevin Grenfell (trombone), Simon Smith (double bass) and Steve Street (drums).

On a gig with the Harlem Jazz Orchestra, Zoltan and Sarah were talking and Zoltan said that he wanted to play a New Orleans Revival-style gig with himself and Sarah. Inspired, Sarah has formed a band of some of the best musicians in the UK who play in that idiom. She decided to highlight the 2-reed front line and go without a trumpet player but, instead, have Mike Owen join them, which makes the band about as authentic in the New Orleans dance hall style as possible.

Sarah Spencer – reeds, Zoltan Sagi – reeds, Mike Owen – trombone, Tom ‘Spats’ Langham – banjo/guitar, Jim Swinnerton – string bass, Graham Smith – drums

On a gig with the Harlem Jazz Orchestra, Zoltan and Sarah were talking and Zoltan said that he wanted to play a New Orleans Revival-style gig with himself and Sarah. Inspired, Sarah has formed a band of some of the best musicians in the UK who play in that idiom. She decided to highlight the 2-reed front line and go without a trumpet player but, instead, have Mike Owen join them, which makes the band about as authentic in the New Orleans dance hall style as possible.

Sarah Spencer – reeds, Zoltan Sagi – reeds, Mike Owen – trombone, Tom ‘Spats’ Langham – banjo/guitar, Jim Swinnerton – string bass, Graham Smith – drums

Formed last year as an inspiration to get Rob Cotterell and Wil Robinson together again, on one of our Jazzamatazz gigs.  The dastardly duo will be joined by our club favourites, Richard Exall and Andy Bramall with a new face to us (and the warmest of welcomes to) Al Harris on double bass.

These fabulous musicians all bring a wealth of experience from a wide range of musical influences to culminate into an extravaganza of jazz.  This one will be a gig not to miss!

Richard Exall (clarinet & tenor sax), Andy Bramall (guitar, banjo & vocal), Rob Cotterell (Drums), Al Harris (bass & vocal) & Wil Robinson (trumpet, & vocal).

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), Jim Sutton (string bass) and Bill Hayes (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!

For many years Dave Wood (Reeds) and Stan Stephens (trombone) were members of the New Georgia Jazz Band run by cornet player Dave Smith. Dave Smith left the band in 2016 as he moved to Wales. This left the band without a cornet, it was decided to stay as a five piece and they rebranded their selves as New Orleans Bump (the title of a Jelly Roll Morton tune).  Inevitably, without the usual cornet/trumpet, we have a different, rather more gentle sound to regular line-ups but our repertoire includes many standards plus a growing number of lesser-known tunes. Vocals from Stan and Dave are a regular feature and we are regularly booked at clubs that enjoy dancing.  The Covid lockdown brought about another complete change to the rhythm section which is now made up of Sarah Thatcher (banjo/guitar), Spike Kennedy (bass) and Dave Andrews (drums).

Sweet and Hot have always gone down a storm, so it was a no-brainer when Jeff & Anne approached the club for a re-booking in this year’s programme. We are always pleased to give Jeff & Anne Barnhart a warm welcome to our club and we look forward to an eclectic mixture of fantastic jazz, a huge dose of humour and an inexhaustible supply of historical chat and anecdotes. The band as before will feature Jeff Barnhart on piano and vocals, Anne Barnhart on flute and vocals, Graham Smith on the vintage drum kit and Tom ‘Spats’ Langham on banjo, guitar, jazz anecdotes, education and vocals.

Gethin Liddington studied classical trumpet with Terence Lax at Welsh College of Music abd Drama from 1989 – 1993. Since graduating he has mainly worked in jazz and commercial music. He has performed widely in collaborations including Keith Tippetts’ Tapestry, The Paul Dunmall Octet and Big Band, The Pasadena Roof Orchestra, The Syd Lawrence Orchestra, Back to Basie, Blue Harlem, Welsh National Opera, Jeff Hooper, Catrina Finch, Katherine Jenkins, Keith Nicholls, Alex Mendham Orchestra. He has performed for TV and radio and has recorded and given performances at many major festivals throughout Europe and is a jazz tutor at RWCMD. Gethin will be performing for us as part of his star line-up Trio. One not to be missed, Geth always puts on a very good show!

Gethin Liddington studied classical trumpet with Terence Lax at Welsh College of Music abd Drama from 1989 – 1993. Since graduating he has mainly worked in jazz and commercial music. He has performed widely in collaborations including Keith Tippetts’ Tapestry, The Paul Dunmall Octet and Big Band, The Pasadena Roof Orchestra, The Syd Lawrence Orchestra, Back to Basie, Blue Harlem, Welsh National Opera, Jeff Hooper, Catrina Finch, Katherine Jenkins, Keith Nicholls, Alex Mendham Orchestra. He has performed for TV and radio and has recorded and given performances at many major festivals throughout Europe and is a jazz tutor at RWCMD. Gethin will be performing for us as part of his star line-up Trio. One not to be missed, Geth always puts on a very good show!