The Tame Valley Stompers - Jazz on Sunday

Photo: Valerie Bracken

Tame Valley Stompers

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There is nothing tame about the Tame Valley Stompers, superb musicianship, superlative teamwork and an evening of entertainment par excellance.

Lead by eccentric trombonist Terry Brunt with a sky blue and white trombone which has superseded his green trombone, Terry’s dead good boys had the rafters rocking from start to finish.

“Way Down Upon the Swanee River” got the show on the road slowing down to the vocal and muted cornet of Roger Wimpenny’s “Dream”.

A Tame Valley arrangement of “China Boy” saw a rhythmic blend backing the superb solo of Paul Broomhead’s soprano sax.

“Everybody Loves My Baby” brought the vocal of bass guitarist Pete Smith into play accompanied by tenor sax and the keyboards of Noel Broadgate.

A first offering of “Sunset Café Stomp” sung and played by Wimpenny was powered along by keyboards, trombone and clarinet, leading to front line splendour in the rendition of a melodic “Chimes Blues”.

“At the Jazz Band Ball” had Brunt’s trombone sliding all over the place. In contrast, the dreamy “Creole Love Call” had the smooth sounding clarinet, muted cornet and trombone and band leader Norman Pennington’s integral drumming producing that ‘wow’ factor. “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” with tenor sax throughput and Smith’s bass guitar solo blended with Brunt’s vocal and the set finished with the Glee Club/Rep Company at their Sunday Best for “Just a Closer Walk with Thee”.

Suitably refreshed Broadgate’s keyboards drove “The Old Miss Rag” and Broomhead’s clarinet in full flow with “Black Cat on the Fence”.

Armstrong’s “If You Come Back to Me” had Wimpenny in male and female vocal mode, leading to Broadgate’s party piece of Chevaliers “I Remember It Well” Johnny Cash’s “Water Into Wine” and Waller’s “Your Feet’s Too Big”.

The stage was set for Broomhead’s clarinet with the gentle “Playle’s Hymn” followed by a breathtaking “St Philip Street Breakdown”. Seeing is believing.

And into the last set with a medley with Wimpenny’s vocal travelling from “Royal Telephone” to Donegan’s “Puttin’ on the Style”. Brunt then took the spotlight with “The Old Creole Trombone” sliding to eternity with twenty-five tunes without coming up for breath.

“Goody Goody” arranged for Smith’s vocal and bass guitar solo with mini solos for cornet, keyboards and muted trombone swung along with gusto, leading to a Broomhead vocal and soprano sax solo in “Wining Boy Blues”.

A great version of Tommy Burton’s “You Meet the Nicest People” featured Wimpenny’s vocal, Broadgate’s stride boogie, Brunt sliding along and Broomhead’s smooth clarinet tones.

Wimpenny led the band out with that cry from New Orleans – “Going Home” – as the applause died away it became more of a question of ‘Coming Back’.