Frog Island Jazz Band – Jazz on a Sunday

Photo: Valerie Bracken

Frog Island Jazz Band – Jazz on a Sunday

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The Frog Island Jazz Band from deepest Essex has not travelled North for many a year, and ‘Jazz on a Sunday’ were delighted to welcome this long established outfit to Castleton playing the pure original music which emanated from New Orleans at the turn of the 20th century.

Many numbers were new in their oldness as they do not feature in the standard programme of many of the bands today.

The gig opened with “Sobbing Blues” cameo pieces from all the musicians followed by a big band blend in “Shimmyshawobble”.

Next for our delight, Jelly Roll Morton’s “The Pearls” with solos for Jim Hurd on clarinet and Keith Durston on piano.

“Alligator Hop” neatly controlled with cameo performances on clarinet, piano and integrated rhythm was succeeded by “Soultrain Stomps”, the blending of the very early sounds held together by the superb sousaphone of band leader Rob Fulllove.

Hurd’s clarinet and John Whitehead on trumpet introduced “Oriental Man” with rhythm piano, the banjo of Dave Price, Hurd adding the vocal and the powerful drumming of Chris Marchant.

The gentle New Orleans beat directed the vocal and sousaphone of Fullalove in “I’m Going Away to Way You Off My Mind”, leading to the slow melancholia of JR Morton’s “If Someone Would Only Love Me”, and Durston’s piano brought up the first break with a ragtime medley par excellance.

Suitably lubricated the band flew into “Kansas City Stomp” and “I Can’t Say”, a very slow rhythmic number with cameo pieces for all the musicians led into pure early New Orleans.

Durston’s ragtime piano accompanying Fullalove’s vocal in “Messing Around”.

“Someday Sweetheart” with Hurd on vocal included mini duos, muted trumpet into the sousaphone directing the melody, and the muted trombone of John Jeanes, and Hurd’s clarinet crafting the conclusion.

“The Gooba Dance”, heavily rhythm based with interplay for trumpet and clarinet gave way to “All of Me”, a solo for Dave Price’s banjo backed by the rhythm boys.
Jeanes’ trombone solo led “Hiawatha Rag” carried along with rhythm power, switching to “Jackass Blues”, sousaphone led with bluesy frontline and ragtime piano, and the interval arrived with JR Morton’s “Milneburg Joys” Whitehead’s muted trumpet, a duo for Hurd’s clarinet and Durston’s piano, a duo for Jeanes’ trombone and Price’s banjo and all the boys gliding with the joys.

The Frog Islanders certainly believe in entertaining the devotees, and with hardly a chance to come up for breath, the band were in action again with “Cake Walking Babies”, Whitehead vocalizing with Jeanes’ sliding trombone.

Back to JR Morton with “Ponchatrain” melodic clarinet ragtime piano with rhythm, muted trombone solo, and interlude for banjo and a bluesy front line finish – fantastic.

Papa Celestin’s original arrangement of “Tuxedo Rag”, had the integral rhythm boys driving the front line, and the ‘other’ “Dinah” sung by Hurd and guided by muted trumpet and trombone with some ‘raggy’ piano.

“Black Bottom Stomp” rhythm driven for the front line to lead in the band before a sprint finish slowed down for Clarence Williams’ “I’m a Little Blackbird” sung by Hurd with cameos for piano and banjo.

With the front line driving “Canal Street Blues” with integral rhythm and cameo interludes, it was time for the band to finish with their party piece and what else could it be but “Frogymore Rag”. A fully integrated arrangement as the last note of a very special evening came to an end.

It is only fair to say that there were one or two who prefer their Jazz ‘up and at ‘em’, but for the full flavour of the original sounds which developed the traditional jazz boom as 1900 hit the calendar, you will not find any better exponents than the much feted Frog Island Jazz Band. An evening to remember.