The Millenium Eagle Jazz Band

Matt Palmer, The Millenium Eagle Jazz Band

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Following on the success of their September visit The Millenium Eagle Jazz Band were back in Castleton on 22 February at Jazz On A Sunday.

No doubt reasoning that it seldom pays to change a winning formula there was more of the same from leader Matt Palmer on clarinet, alto and soprano saxes and vocals; Peter Brown, trumpet, cornet, valve trombone, an indeterminate horn type instrument and vocals; Terry Williams, slide trombone, clear adhesive tape, swannee whistle and vocals; Chris Etherington, banjo and vocals; Julian “Baby Jools” Aldridge, drums and vocals and finally Brian Lawrence, double bass and sousaphone who, courtesy of a doctor’s note, did not sing

They started with New Orleans favourite 'I Can’t Escape From You', launched into Original Dixieland Jazz Band territory with 'Clarinet Marmalade' then scarcely surprisingly it was time for the evening's first song, Matt’s 'I Ain't Gonna' Give You None Of My Jelly Roll', incorporating harmonic refrain from Peter and Terry.

'The Mooche', a tune recorded on a number of occasions by various Duke Ellington led orchestras, followed, then came Sidney Bechet’s 'The Coffee Grinder', a vocal from Peter with Brian on sousaphone and 'Magnolia's Wedding Day' and the set ended with Matt up front on alto for the Swing Era classic 'Harlem Bound'

Another Bechet composition 'The Fish Seller' began the second set and saw Peter switching over to cornet and Matt to soprano sax then Terry came to the mike to recall Mr Acker Bilk and 'That’s My Home' then 'Creole Love Call', a tune ascribed at one time or another both to Ellington and to King Oliver, drew well merited applause for Matt’s clarinet expertise.

Driven along by Baby Jools, Terry and Peter featured on slide and valve trombones respectively with 'Undecided' then Chris gave us his “Bessie Smith” and 'Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out'. It was back to the Original Dixieland Jazz Band era again for 'That Teasing Rag' and the set closed with Matt at the mike, Peter and Terry handling the “Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs” and Brian booming away on sousaphone for novelty number 'My Little Bimbo Down On The Bamboo Isle'.

'Climax Rag' opened the final set, Matt urged 'Tie Me To Your Apron Strings Again', Peter and Terry reprised their September visit’s up tempo trombone spectacular 'It Ain’t What You Do It’s The Way That You Do It', New Orleans trumpeter Bunk Johnson’s march 'Bluebells Goodbye' followed, there was the usual unavoidable audience singalong with Chris leading the ensemble in 'You Made Me Love You' and winding down Terry was swannee whistling while simultaneously tearing adhesive tape to mimic the big cat in 'Tiger Rag' before they ended like last time with 'Bring Me Sunshine'.