Summer Time – Jazz on a Sunday

‘Summer Time’ is a time for eccentricity, and a band which features the exuberant trombonist Terry Brunt with his beret, floor length scarf of many colours and trombone painted in the sky blue and white colours of his beloved Manchester City, is bound to have something up their sleeve on the 4 July - American Independence Day.

Surely enough, half way through set two came the musical tribute but not before our Terry removed from a hidden bag an enormous American flag scarf which stretched half way across the dance floor like a wedding dress train, with all the mayhem which followed. Jazz on a Sunday - always good music, and good entertainment.

Off to a fine start with “China Boy”, “Corinne Corrina” had Brunt in good voice and Derek Skepper on trumpet driving the tune, followed by a nice arrangement of “Good Queen Bess”.

“Marching Through Georgia” emphasised 4 July, with Maurice Gavan on keyboards, Keith Allcock on double bass and Dick Mancarrow on drums providing the movement for Skeppers muted trumpet, and then staying geographically for Armstrong’s “Sleepy Time Down South” and Skeppers vocal.

“Muskrat Ramble” had the ragtime keyboards of Gavan in full flow, before guest reedsman Barry Aldous took the floor for a vocal/solo “It Had to be You”.

“Doggin Around”, a swinging arrangement built round the sax of Aldous with the rhythm boys in abundance led to the first break with “Please Me” gentle trumpet and trombone, clarinet melody and double bass solo.

Suitably refreshed, nostalgic sixties had Skepper vocalising with Acker Bilk’s “That’s My Home”, and a dreamy band offering of the melancholy “Blue Turning Grey Over You”.

After the American extravaganza, a superb clarinet solo of “Lady be Good” with keyboard vibes, clarinet duo with double bass and drums interaction. “Down by the Riverside had Brunt in good voice with the ‘gents’ chorus, and a swinging Ellington’s “I’m Beginning to see the Light” created rhythmic influence with trombone fusion complementing driving sax led everyone to the bar.

A clever arrangement of “Big Butter and Egg Man” with Skepper in vocal and solo mode got the last set off to a fine start. The plaintive strains of sax with keyboards and trombone interlude in the rarely played “Tuesday Blues” contrasted with Skeppers German vocal and Brunt’s blasting trombone for “The Faithful Hussar”.

Requested as usual, was Brunt’s vocal and solo “St James Infirmary Blues” with all the ‘performing arts movements’. Waller’s “Ain’t Misbehavin’” had ‘fats Gavan’ rolling the keyboards, Aldous vocalising and playing the clarinet almost duetting with the ‘misbehaving’ dance movements.

The rocking rhythm of sax and trombone accompanied Skeppers vocal “Exceptional to Me” and the ‘gents’ played out with boogie keyboards, drums crashing in a crescendo rising “Sweet Georgia Brown”.

Sunday 25 July sees a return to Castleton of Cumbria as les bull band by popular request - Mayfield - 8:00pm