John Shillito’s Select Six - Jazz on a Sunday

John Shillito's select six.

Enthusiastic applause was the order of the day as the talented musicians of Devon’s John Shillito Select Six stopped off at Castleton on their northern tour.

Shillito leads the band with a quiet professional aplomb and “Sunday Night in New Orleans” kicked off a Sunday night in Rochdale followed by “Lennox Lewis Stomp” AKA Joe Louis Stomp driven by Shillito’s trumpet, John Wurr’s alto sax and Bobby Fox on trombone.

Ellington’s “Saturday Night Function” with front line fusion had a feel of bluesy swing whilst the popular “Clarinet Marmalade” had the toes tapping.

Contrasting Shillito vocals with “You’ve Got to See Baby Tonight” and the gentle spiritual “His Eye is on the Sparrow” led to Bechet’s “Dans le Rue D’Antibes” featuring clarinet, slide trombone and John Whitlock’s banjo solo to end the first set.

Shillito’s vocal backed by Wurr’s clarinet in “Nobody Knows” got the second set in motion followed by a Cajan arrangement in which John Whitlock’s guitar riffs and Derek Vaughan’s Caribbean drumming directed the flow.

Wurr’s baritone sax solo shone brightly with “Poor Butterfly” mingled nicely with the rhythm section whilst a fulsome front line drive “Panama” with banjo fusion and it was Whitlock’s solo banjo directing “Lover Come Back to Me” with differential styles.

Shillito’s vocals completed set two, contrasting ballad “Give Me a Kiss to Build a Dream On” with a full power “Mardigras” the rhythm section of Whitlock, Maughan and bass guitarist Bob Travis blending it all together.

A fast and furious “Take Me Right Back” began the countdown. Shillito then picking up the flugelhorn also vocalising with Whitlock’s guitar in a request for “The Gypsy”.

“Buono Sera” had a vocal duo of Shillito and Wurr given Fox’s strong trombone input with another mood change as alto sax and drums plaintively smoothed along the favourite “Caravan”.

Armstrong’s “South Rampart Street Parade” was given the full driven treatment whilst Shillito on flugel, vocal and trumpet entertained with one of his favourites “You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans”. Wurr’s baritone sax led the brass in this quirky “Second Line” drifting into “When the Saints” then giving Maughan the opportunity for a fine drum solo.

It was time to go; there were smiles all over the club as this superb Devon outfit played out with “Close Your Eyes and Dream of Me”. I’m sure they all did!

This week (17 May) The Tuxedo Jazz Band comes to Jazz on a Sunday. They are a band formed in 1993 with the desire to produce a sound close to the original New Orleans bands. 

We start at 8pm. Entrance fee £6 at the Mayfield Sports Club, Castleton, Rochdale at the end of Keswick St. off Manchester Rd. Castleton.