Tuxedo Jazz Band - Jazz on a Sunday

Photo: Valerie Bracken

The Tuxedo Jazz Band.

The Tuxedo Jazz Band play a predominantly slow style of New Orleans music, and a healthy crowd were entertained with a neat variety of arrangements and improvisations.

Trombonist Derek Galloway makes the intros with his quirky humour and leads a front line of accomplished musicians with Richard Knock on trumpet and Gerry Owen on reeds.

Vocals are shared with Owen choosing to “Shimmy Like My Sister Kate” whilst Galloway preferred to “Shake Rattle and Roll” accompanied by Colin Smith on double bass and Louis Lince on banjo. “Oh How I Miss You Tonight” featured a slow Owen alto sax with trumpet and muted trombone contrasting with “Salutation March” Owen changing to clarinet, and Smith’s tuba bringing out the feel of marching.

“It Had to be You” blended nicely, before Knock’s vocal came into play with “Rosetta” (not the Georgie Fame number but the jazz original). A rousing “Bourbon Street Parade” with Galloway’s vocal closed the first set.

“I’ll Always Be in Love with You” sung by Owen had the ladies attentive which he then contrasted with “St James Infirmary Blues” vive le difference.

“Baby Face” sung by a ‘cute’ Galloway gave Lince the opportunity to show his prowess on a new banjo bought from New Orleans maestro and now retired, Les Muscat, with Brian Woods accompanying with stick drumming.

A melodic version of “St Philip Street Breakdown” by Owen on clarinet was listened to in silence before Owen switched to alto sax and also sung “Someday You’ll Be Sorry” Ellington’s popular “Mood Indigo” was stylistically arranged for clarinet, banjo and muted trombone, Galloway leading on trombone and vocal with the highly controversial (at the time) “Jack I’m Mellow”.

Owen brought the set to a close with the sing-a-long “On A Coconut Island”.

Into the ‘third half’ with “Avery’s Piece”, often thought a strange composition with plenty of scope for banjo and double bass. “Louisiana Fairytale” had Galloway’s gentle trombone and dreamy vocal with rhythmic accompaniment before Jazz on a Sunday birthday girl Val was serenaded with “Happy Birthday Blues”.

It was Galloway leading again with trumpet, banjo and tuba in “Alexander’s Ragtime Band”, and this long standing bandsman with the Temperance Seven then switched instantly to the Sunday favourite “His Eye is on the Sparrow” and the band played out still in the gospel mood with Owen leading on vocal with “Lord, Lord, Lord, You’ve Sure Been Good To Me”. Great evening!