Farnborough Jazz Club

The brilliant young Martyn Brothers’ Jazz Band will be performing on Friday, 13^th January 2012 here at Farnborough Jazz Club and is sure to be a special evening, so miss it at your loss!  First of all, I’ll be celebrating my birthday and we have a ‘gangsters & moles’ fancy dress planned (although optional).  Quite funny really, the band have just returned from Chicago - how’s that for a coincidence!  Keith and I are really looking forward to having these very talented guys back again, namely Emile Martyn on drums, Ben Martyn on double bass/vocals, Alan Beechey on cornet, George Simmons on trumpet,  Don Pitkin on piano and a very special guest is Sammy Rimmington Jnr on clarinet, what a line-up and all for £8 entry.

I wonder if you have missed us.  I am still encountering problems with my computer, so please be patient and I shall have it all under control.  It is also my aim to have photos and videos on board as soon as possible, I know the site is a bit boring, but the intention, is to let you know who is performing each week.

Last Friday, 6^th January 2012, we started our new year’s entertainment with Bob Dwyer’s Bits & Pieces.  Such a lovely band, I saw nothing but smiling faces.  There was plenty of dancing, but occasionally the floor was empty, owing to the fact the audience wanted to just listen to the great talent!  It was such a fun evening and I found I hadn’t written down the tunes played as I was enjoying myself too much, although one such number that needs a special mention is ‘Elephant Stomp’.  This was played solo by John Bayne on ‘Big Bertha’ (Bass Sax).  He can play that number every time he plays for us, because he plays it fantastically!  He is also the double bass player for the band.  The rest of the players are leader Bob Dwyer on trombone & vocals, Malcolme Walton on trumpet & vocal, Duncan Hemstock on clarinet/tenor sax, Hugh Crozier on piano & Vocals, Paul Sealey on banjo and Laurie Chesco on drums.  A couple of other numbers I recall were Fats Domino’s R&B song  ‘Blue Monday’ (written in 1952 by Dave Bartholomew), another R&B number called ‘Caldonia’ (believed written in 1945 by Louis Jordan) and a Bix Beiderbecke song ‘I’ll be a friend (with pleasure)’ (written in 1920’s by Maceo Pinkard).  This band’s secret is variety and by the by, their next date with us is 18^th May 2012.

Here’s wishing you all a happy and healthy New Year.

Diane and Keith

P.S.  Just a little laugh for you, it is believed to be bad luck if we do not to remove our Christmas decorations by the end of 12^th night (5^th January), something to do with 13^th being unlucky.  Chatting to my daughter, I mentioned about another believed unlucky situation, i.e. walking under a ladder?  I recalled a situation years ago, whilst pregnant with my first baby.  I was working near Fleet Street, London, which has a narrow pavement.  There was a ladder resting against a building, straddled across the pavement.  I was about to walk under the ladder, at which point my friend grabbed me and pushed me outside the ladder and into the road!  However, I was narrowly missed being hit by a lorry.  So much for bad luck, but I suppose we try not to tempt providence, aye!  So I will conclude wishing you all a ‘lucky New Year too.

‘Vintage Jazz’ will be supplying our evening’s entertainment tonight, Friday, 9^th December 2011.  This ever-popular dance band continues to have a loyal following.  Not all these fans are dancers, because the band is a good listening band too, providing an all-round evening of fun.  So don’t worry about the cold, you will soon be hot at Farnborough and remember, dancing keeps you fit (I think).

Last Friday, 2^nd December 2011, the ‘Dart Valley Stompers’ appeared for the first time at our Farnborough Jazz Club and as expected, they didn’t disappoint us, they were brilliant.  The musicians were band leader Jeremy Huggett (reeds), Graham Trevarton (trumpet), Ron Milford (trombone), John Witlock (banjo), Bob Martin (double bass) and Ron Berry (drums).

Some of the numbers they played were Duke Ellington’s number ‘Caravan’ (m.Juan Tizol/l. Irving Mills) with a mind-blowing fantastic solo played by Jeremy, plus ‘I’m Walking’ (by Fats Waller) sung by Trevor and ‘Dream a Little Dream for Me’ (m: Fabian Andre & Wilbur Schwardt/l. Gus Kahn) sung by Ron.  Also a wonderful banjo solo played by John called ‘Helter Skelter’ (by Paul McCartney) and ‘I Loved Her on the Back Porch’ (I think it was written by Kent Blazy, Kim Williams & Garth Brooks), sung by Graham (with great comical change of lyrics!). They finished the evening with ‘Tiger Rag’ (nobody knows the origin of this song, but Harry DaCosta & Edwin B. Edwards wrote a version).  What an evening, I know there were some other fantastic numbers and solos, but5 I was too busy dancing to jot them down!  The band come from Devon and although they were down our way on tour, when they finished playing at 11.30pm, they packed up and then drove all the way back to Devon!  MUSICIANS ARE AMAZING! They all travel such distances to play for our entertainment purely for love, because the money they earn is really covering expenses, sometimes out of pocket.  Mind you, the same goes for us clubs, but we love it all and it helps to keep us young.  We certainly hope Dart Valley will return to Farnborough sometime next year - we shall work on that.

Doesn’t time fly, can’t believe we are nearing the end of another year.  However, we are already pleased to have a great deal of talent lined up for you for next year, so please keep supporting us and we will try to reward you with those fabulous bands that are out there.

Keep ‘erm’ coming.

Diane & Keith

The Dart Valley Stompers are appearing at the Farnborough Jazz Club for the very first time on Friday, 2^nd December 2011.  They come from Devon and are an extremely popular band.  So to all Farnborough Jazz Club fans, please get down here to show these guys the wonderful warm welcome you always give.  We shall certainly have a cracking evening.  Their line-up is band leader Jeremy Huggett (reeds), Graham Trevarton (trumpet), Ron Milford (trombone), John Witlock (banjo), Bob Martin (double bass) and Ron Berry (drums).

Last Friday, 25^th November 2011, with the New Orleans Heat, well what can I say!  FAB-U-LOUS!  Yep, they pulled out all the stops, receiving great audience participation and the whole evening was a tremendous success.  We have given them two bookings  for next year, on 24^th February and 23^rd November 2012, so put them in the diary not to be missed.  There was a change of personnel from the listing I gave last week, namely Ron Rumbol on reeds and Pete Morcome on banjo.

So “Keep dancing” - you can tell I watch ‘Come Dancing’, yes I love it.  Pity they don’t always choose the right music, but each to their own.  However, when they have a Latin American dance, the Pro’s would do better to choose the music/tempo from Edmundo Ross, that wonderful Latin American band leader.  I read in the Daily Mail that he died last week aged 100yrs.  Tribute to him, his music will live on for ever, I’m sure.  Anyway, I shall always remember him.

Diane & Keith

Hi everyone, I am back at long last! ‘New Orleans Heat’ will be our band for tonight, Friday, 25^th November 2011, a brilliant 7-piece band, who fare from all over the UK. Their line-up will be Gwyn Lewis on cornet (Gwyn lives in Swansea), John Scantlebury on clarinet/sax,  Mike Taylor on trombone, Barry Grummett on piano (band leader), Harry Slater on string bass, Tony Peatman on banjo and Colin Bushell on drums.  Get there early as we should have a good crowd.

My computer lost its memory (bit like me!) and was restored by my son-in-law.  However, it is still encountering problems.  The weird thing is when I looked for the last ‘newsletter’ document, it happened to be for Friday 19^th August 2011 and guess who it was about?  Believe it, or not, it was about ‘The Original Eastside Stompers’.  Of course last week, Friday 17^th November 2011 we had them again and (as in August) the band members were trombonist Jan Bryce (son of cornetist Owen Bryce), with John Shepherd on trumpet, ‘romantic’ Ronnie Findon on clarinet & vocals, Roger Graham on bass & sousaphone, Graham Collicotte on drums and Brian “Toes” Laurence on banjo.  Their repertoire began with that lovely fast number ‘Stevedore Stomp’ (by Duke Ellington).  Other numbers included ‘Buddies Habits’, a brilliant swinging number (by King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band), ‘Troubling my Life Before’, a 4-bar blues number (sung by Brian).  Then there was ‘Sweet Georgia Brown’ (m. Ben Bernie & Maceo Pinkard. l. Kenneth Casey), with Roger playing a fabulous solo on his tuba.  I must mention they played Lennie’s favourite number he used to call ’All’s Fair in Love & Peace’, which is actually called ‘Let’s be Fair and Square in Love’ (by Fats Waller).  We all send our love to you Lennie.

Anyway, come tonight to Farnborough Jazz Club to enjoy an evening of foot tapping fun.  As I said last August, it’s what jazz is all about, having fun.

Diane & Keith

This has to be a quickie to let you know Vintage Jazz is  playing tonight.  I am sorry you have not had any updates from me in the last few weeks.  Plenty of personal reasons for my absence.  However, the jazz club continues and I can confirm all the bands have been fabulous.  I will back track on all their news in due course.  Until then, please support the club, it is great fun and we would like it to continue indefinitely.

Diane & Keith

P.S. Poppies on sale at the bar.

‘Barry Palser’s Savoy Jazz’ is appearing tonight, Friday, 21st^th October 2011. Trombonist Barry has with him in the band Mike Cotton on trumpet, Tony Teal on clarinet, Tony Pitt on banjo, (brother) Vic Pitt on double bass and John Tyson on drums. Another fabulous band of professionals and I know you will enjoy them. Hope to see many more of you tonight.

Diane and Keith

P.S. Hope to be back to normal (well, that is if you can ever call me normal!) in a week or so, when I will update all previous missed newsletters.

I have been hacked (received a virus) and have lost computer’s memory. It is for this reason that I have not been able to update my website (having to visit other people to get on line). It is most annoying (well I could use a stronger word there!), because I have enough worries on my plate at the moment. What enjoyment anyone gets from doing such a thing is beyond me. That’s people for you! Within a few weeks, I have returned to another 10K comments, most of which are SPAM! I really feel saddened by the sleaze one gets too! Oh well, thank goodness I have our little jazz club to enjoy. It helps me to keep my sanity, when thinking about the world we live in. Why don’t all you people who have nothing else to do in life but try to destroy the rest of us, get a life and go out dancing. Maybe you would then be able to smile, instead killing one-another! It’s so simple really, just work hard and play hard. There is enough illness around that destroys us, without doing it intentionally! There, I said it, now I will get down off my soap box and try to return to my normal newsletter writing.  Have a nice day.

Diane (Author)

This Friday, 30^th September 2011, we shall have ‘The Limehouse Jazz Band’ from Holland back here again at the Farnborough Jazz Club. This will be their third visit to the club, so they will be quite at home with us by now. Certainly we shall enjoy seeing them again. They are extremely talented musicians and ‘wowed’ us on previous evenings. I believe the guys in the band will be as follows:

Robert Duis - leader/cornet 1

Louis Lanzing - musical director/cornet 2

Rob Radoux - alto sax 1/clarinet 1

Alhard Zwart - alto sax 2/clarinet 2

David Lucacks - tenor sax/clarinet 3

Jan Elsink - trombone

Jan van der Woord - piano

Stef Geurts - drums/vocals

Patrick Weeghmans - tuba

Sir Wil van Schaik - banjo

Due to technical difficulties, am unable to confirm these names, plus still cannot update how things were in the last three weeks. However, I shall be back-dating the info’, as soon as possible.

Laurie Chescoe’s Reunion Band is back to entertain you tonight, Friday, 16^th September 2011, another band not to be missed for great professionalism. I have who will be in the band, but cannot confirm, so I shall fill in this part after the event – sorry!!!!!

George Tidiman’s All Star Band was every bit as dangerous as advised last week, Friday 9^th September 2011, but none of you took my advice! You all laughed too much, over-applauded and your dancing didn’t drown them out, so their heads have grown twice their size too. Oh well, I suppose we shall have to have them back again, wont we. The numbers they played were well favoured, but will be back to tell you about them at a later date – life is just a bowl of cherries at the moment!

Have a great week and see you Friday (tonight).

Cheers

Diane and Keith

George Tidiman’s All Stars Band is with us once again tonight, Friday 9^th September 2011. The band features George on trombone, Mike Barry on trumpet, Tim Huskison on clarinet, Bob Albutt on banjo, John Siret on bass and Bill Finch on drums. This band is dangerous, so be forewarned, bring your dancing shoes to drown them out, don’t laugh at George’s jokes, or he will tell more and don’t applaud too loud, or they will think you are enjoying yourselves too much.  See you all tonight here at Kent’s  Farnborough Jazz Club. Don’t forget, we start at 8.30pm till 11.30pm.

I am sorry, but will have to update you on the details, of how the last two Fridays entertainment went, at a later date - too many things interrupting my flow – so be patient with me, ta.

Diane (and Keith)