NEW KENT free members of Medway Jazz Society Or posted £7 News from Kent/U.K. WINTER 2014 Wishing every one a Merry Christmas December 2013 And a propitious New Year See in the New Year with Snake Dance, Sing along, prepare to Party! Soul, jazz, funk and more SEE PAGE 2 Bob Dwyer’s Bix & Pieces listening , and dancing to this band , is a fun and entertaining experience Farnborough Jazz Club, January 9 Tunbridge Wells Jazz Club February 6 See page 12, jazz in Kent Greg Abate Published by Medway Jazz Society Established 1997 KENT JAZZ NEWS KJN is published four times a year. News from Kent around the UK Join Medway Jazz Society. Page 3, What-When-Where. Receive Kent Jazz News & newsletter 4, Blasts from the past 1 For Jazz news, information, listings. Humphrey Lyttelon Humphrey Lyttelton recordings All of this, and more can be found on Obituary ‘Acker’ Bilk our on internet site. 6This and That ‘news form around Kent’ www.medwayjazz.co.uk 7 ,8 & 9 Kent Listings Please send your letters, information, 10 Listings some highlights from London or Email MJS 92 Breabhurst Rd 11 Jazz in Kent Wijmore Blues in Kent KENT ME80QT [email protected] 12 Jazz in Kent Deadline for Spring issue, February 1 13 News around Kent Clubs , 14 Blasts from the past 2 Dave Corsby Advertising on the internet Gypsy Swing and Beyond. You can advertise on the our website 16, (back Page) jazz in the UK www.medwayjazz.co.uk Credits Photoes Dave Corsby, website, £5 quarter page ad Congo Faith Healers the band, A5 Page per month Snake Davis Sally Hare send your copy to me. Information old programs In word please S p r i n g Issue COUSINS COPY CENTRE Kent Jazz News Comes out in Plan Coping March Colour copying Make sure you get your copy CAD Printing Have it delivered Binding + our newsletter Make sure of your copy, order by post (£7. for one year) make cheque to Kent Jazz News. 92 Bredhurst Rd Wigmore Kent ME8 OQT Unit 2, Rochester court Medway city Estate, Rochester 01634 727215 2 WHAT WHERE WHEN Christmas at the Pizza Express, Maidstone Definitely THE most relaxed and friendly way James Taylor Quartet, December 23 to see the New Year in. For a quarter of a century, the James Taylor Snake Davis knows how to blast it party-style. Quartet have set the standard for the coolest Take That, M-People, Lisa Stansfield, Euryth- sounds in funky acid jazz. mics sax man; Seven No.1 placements the last On dozens of mighty albums and at their leg- 12 months with 2 of Europe’s biggest tunes endary gigs at home and around the world, “Jubel” and “Changes”. they’ve quietly become a byword for distin- guished British creativity. Jo Fooks is back playing, after her long Ill- But the great artists never let the grass grow ness’ She made a "comeback" concert at under their feet, and now James Taylor’s im- Halstead Village Hall October this year. It passioned musical curiosity has led to the most was a charity event to raise funds for The ambitious and exciting project in JTQ’s illus- Royal Society of Musicians of Great Britain, trious history. who help her during her long Illness . And continuing with Her next engagements, are with Sue Rivers, at the Woodman on December 3, and her Qt The Chillbillies at spikes place the next day see listings December 28, The Chillbillies on the stage at 7.30pm Her latest CD "Back For More" is available The Chillbillies represent some of the best for sales on, www.jazzcds.co.uk 'gigging' musicians in the region. It features her quintet; Dave Cliff- guitar, Ted The styles covered in the Chillbillies unique Beament- piano, Val Manix -bass, Buster way represent a broad spectrum of genres Birch- drums with Derek Nash guest on bari- gained from the line-up's wealth of experience tone sax on two of the tracks gained locally, nationally and internationally Information from Jo website http:// through sessions, gigs, tours and shows with www.jofooks.com/ many varied acts. This culminates in what you'll see and hear Coljazz from toe-tapping jazz to foot stomping soul, takes a break until March 2015 RnB, Ska, funk and classic grooves. They first gig at the Anchorians Rugby Club, is March 20 with Bobby Wellins ten John And then a double helping of Horler pno. Tom Wells bs, and Trevor Tom- Hullabaloo on the 29th and 30th playing from kins dms, 8pm With a blend of jazz, jive, swing, and an origi- Simon Spillett Qt nal twist on pop, Hullabaloo is an ideal band Winner of 2011; British Award for tenor sax. for any occasion. He is a master of the hard bop style of jazz. Made up of double bass, saxophone, guitar, Drawing strongly on influences from the great drums, and specialising in vocal harmonies, British saxophonist of the 60s, Tubby Hayes. their versatility allows them to adapt a vast But he has created his own original style. array of songs to venues of any size. Has played at top clubs such as Ronnie Scott’s From family parties to summer festivals and and major festivals including Birmingham weddings to wild corporate functions, Hullaba- Brecon loo are sure to get the crowd going. Now hear him in a friendly pub setting. The Eagle Tavern, Rochester December 28. Seeing in the New Year, from 7.30pm Snake Davies Pizza Express All-Stars thirty-five years, Snake Davie New Year’s Eve Party ‘Which Reunion 2015 includes a three course meal, welcome cock- Founded in 1979 as the house band. tail, and a glass of Bubbly at Midnight This reunion features four of the original Soul, jazz, funk and more, dance, sing along, musicians: Dave Shepherd tbe, Digby Fair- prepare to party! weather (corn), Roy Williams bone, and Len Snake and the boys will definitely be in party Skeat bs, plus a regular dep. Stan Bourke dms, mood and up for anything. and brilliant newcomer Tim Huskisson pno Very different set list tonight! Pizza Express Jazz Club February 22. at 8pm Bring requests and comfortable shoes. p3 Blasts form the past 1 It was in 1956 that he recorded, his famous Humphrey Lyttelton ‘Bad Penny Blues’ this was the first jazz Born May 23, 1921, Hump was an out- standing musician, Radio presenter and car- recording by a British artist went into the toonist . His styles covered Traditional, Dix- European Hit Parade , and stayed in the UK ieland, Swing, and Mainstream Jazz. singles chart for six weeks. Although his first job at the Port Talbot Gradual he changed the style of the band, so steel plant, was very different from the that by the late 50's it was a small swing Jazz music that made him famous. band. On VE Day May 8, 1945, Lyttelton, joined In was in 1951, he joined forces with Gra- in the celebrations by playing his trumpet from a wheelbarrow, inadvertently giving ham Bell who came from Australia. his first broadcast performance; the BBC Together they went on to play some fusion recording still survives. and called the band Graham-Lyttelton Together with Wally Fawkes he joined Padsco Jazz Band. George Webb’s Dixielanders (George was With Bruce Turner joining the band, it at the front of traditional jazz revival move- moved nearer to mainstream jazz. ment in the So from 1958, Lyttelton's favored line up 40’s) He left the was an eight–piece band with three saxo- Webb Band, phones, (alt, ten and bar) although this was forming his own reduced to seven occasionally to save band in 1948. money. But he would sometimes add the And until the baritone again for broadcasts and re- mid 1950's he cordings. Lyttelton's mainstream band usu- was the leading ally included such established musicians as musician in Jimmy Skidmore, Joe Temperley, Kathy English tradi- Stobart, Jimmy Hastings, John Barnes, Roy tional jazz. Williams and Pete Strange along with new His band at this talent such as Tony Coe, Alan Barnes, John time included Picard, Karen Sharpe, and Jo Fooks. George Webb At first the band line-up in this style was and Walley good, and a recording made at this time Fawkes, and it 'Tipple Exposure' this showed the bands was during this new ideas and fresh approach. period he took But with personnel changes, so did the up residency at sound. 100 Oxford St. In the 60’s his repertoire had expanded, in- And I went to cluding not only lesser known Ellington my first jazz charts, but even "The Champ" from the gig, watching as Dizzy Gillespie Band. jazz fans trying to dance on a very small And Humphrey Lyttelton was always most area no bigger than a table. happy when the band played Traditional The Conway live Concerts: the first was in Jazz 1949 and the last in 1986. Some of concerts See page 6 for Hump’s Band line-up now were recorded on Lake Records. p 4 Information on recordings by Humphrey Lyttelton A lot of his early work can be found on Humph Experiments. Throughout his ca- Fellside Records, www.fellside.com/, reer Humphrey Lyttelton never fought shy originals from Lake Records. of pushing the boundaries and experiment- Humphrey Lyttelton & His Band Classic ing. This CD contains some of his early ‘Live’ Concerts Conway hall 1951- 54, experiments in the early 1950s. RFH 1954 + some studio tracks fea Wally It contains complete commercially re- Fawkes, Bruce Turner, Johnny Parker, leased recordings by the Graeme Bell- John Picard.