Archives: Events

Scarlette’s Serenaders are named after Mike Owen’s daughter, their repertoire includes jazz standards, old popular songs, and pretty much any songs they happen to like on the day itself!  An excellent band hailing from the Midlands in the New Orleans style of playing dance hall music which is great for dancing to, as well as listening to.  Fantastic line up….. Mike Owen (trombone), Sarah Spencer (sax, clarinet), Spats Langham (banjo, guitar), Malcolm Sked (double bass, tuba) & Graham Smith (drums). CANT WAIT!!!

Graham Smith’s JAZZ ALLSORTS – Allsorts of Jazz, played by Allsorts musicians, for Allsorts of tastes. This popular band, led (from the rear) by drummer Graham Smith,  features the trumpet playing of Midland jazz scene stalwart Tony Pipkin, trombonist Dave Deakin, renowned reeds man and ex-member of the Big Chris Barber Band Zoltan Sagi, Simon Smith on bass, Dave Browning on piano keyboard is noted for performing  Classic, New Orleans, Traditional, Swing and Mainstream styles of jazz music that showcase the talents of these experienced musicians too set your feet tapping or taking to the dance floor.

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).

The Ben Holder Trio is a stellar line-up of incredible musicians, blending an energetic mix of traditional jazz and swing with Ben’s own infectious originals, which hark back to the fun and swing of the 1920s and 1930s. The group is one of the most exciting trios to emerge in recent years. Led by the fiery enthusiasm of 26-year-old Ben Holder, who not only wows on violin but also on the keys, the trio is strengthened by the phenomenal Jez Cook on guitar, and the suave talent of Paul Jefferies on double bass.

The Ben Holder Trio masterfully mix old jazz favourites with some more recent material and leave audiences up and down the country shouting for more.

Sarah relocated back to the UK in January of 2017 and has been continuing to lead her ‘Sarah Spencer’s Transatlantic Band’ on both sides of the Atlantic, in Europe and in the USA.  She has also joined the long-established, Bob Dwyer’s Bix and Pieces band and is the other member of the front line of Mike Owen’s exciting and wonderful Scarlette’s Serenaders, which also performs internationally.  In addition to these, she is guesting with many other bands all across the UK and Europe.

Sarah Spencer’s Transatlantic Band performs powerful New Orleans jazz in the tradition of the great Revival.  Drawing influence from bands of that era, as well as taking influence from more modern New Orleans music, blues, rhythm and blues and the greats of all eras of Jazz and Blues; like Henry ‘Red’ Allen, Louis Armstrong, Kid Ory, Jelly Roll Morton, Big Bill Broonzy, Lonnie Johnson, Louis Jordan, Louis Prima and countless others.

Personnel of the Transatlantic Band are Sarah Spencer (reeds and vocals), Chez Chesterman (trumpet and vocals), Mike Owen (trombone and vocals), Brian Mellor (banjo, guitar and vocals), Tony Sharpe (string bass) and Jools Aldridge (drums).

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.

The Jazzaholics continue a tradition that has been decades in the making. In the days before The Beatles became famous, Trad Jazz was in the charts and it fuelled a youth movement that danced, enjoyed and learned about the American music of the 1920’s-40s. They branded it Traditional Jazz. The bands of Acker Bilk (Stranger On The Shore), Kenny Ball (Midnight In Moscow) and The Temperance Seven (You’re Driving Me Crazy) sold millions and set the scene for the bands that followed. The Beatles started out as a young band that played the interval set for Acker Bilk at The Cavern Club (which was a jazz club back then) in Liverpool before they hit the big time in 1964. Heady days indeed.

The Jazzaholics have a lineage to that musical tradition.  Formed by banjoist Jim McIntosh in 2007, he was a former member of the popular UK jazz band Phil Mason’s New Orleans All-Stars.  ​The Jazzaholics gets the audience’s attention from the word go! With a lively repertoire of music from jazz giants King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, Kid Ory, George Lewis, Gospel/Spiritual numbers and New Orleans brass band parade tunes also included in our repertoire. The Jazzaholics are full of vitality and musicality – they guarantee a fantastic traditional jazz experience for all.

The Jazzaholics maintain a traditional format of six musicians. Finley Milne (Trumpet), George Simmonds (Trombone *not pictured), Karl Hird (Sax/Clarinet), Baby Jools (Drums), Sean Moyses (Banjo) and   Jim Swinnerton (Double Bass).

Amended times for this gig 12:00 – 13:00 & 13:15 – 14:15 (apologies for this change but out of our control)

The Jake Leg Jug Band bring you the authentic sounds of 1920’s and 30’s America – Jazz, Blues, Gospel, Ragtime – and put their own twist on it. Songs of murder, betrayal, gambling, liquor and redemption.
Signing to one of the UK’s most prestigious Jazz labels ‘Lake Records’ they recorded albums as part of the ‘Vintage Recording Project’ essentially recording all live around ribbon microphones, as it would have been back in the 1930’s. Four albums released in five years; ‘Cotton Mouth’, ‘Next Stop!’ ‘Everythin’s Jake’ and ‘Break a Leg’ all met with rave reviews;​
“A masterpiece of nostalgic music. The band display real virtuosity and create a wonderful sound that will be hard for any other band to repeat”  Folk North West
“Expert musicianship and great arrangements….highly recommended”  Just Jazz
“Instrumental virtuosity. Very enjoyable, very listenable”  Blues & Rhythm
“A wonderful album. Expert musicianship and superb arrangements”  Fatea
“Good time music from a good-time group”  The Jazz Rag​
January 2020 saw the release of album number 6, ‘Goodbye Booze’ which commemorates 100 years since the start of the American prohibition, again released on the Green Bullet label. ​
The line up is:
Duncan Wilcox (Vocals & Double Bass)
Neil Hulse (Vocals & Guitar)
Liam Ward (Vocals, Harmonica, Jug & Stomp Box)
Bryony-Rose (Vocals & Washboard)