REVIEW: March came in like a lamb and went out like a lion

The Yorkshire Stompers at Jazz on a Sunday in 2009

March came in like a lamb and went out like a lion when the River City Jazz Band were marooned in North Wales with snowdrifts and couldn’t make the trip on 24 March.

Jazz on Sunday hosted two Yorkshire based bands in March.

The White Eagles Jazz Band who visited on 3 March had been unable to fulfil their 2012 gig due to snow.

Led by trumpeter Dave Kendall, an entertaining programme of popular numbers warmed an enthusiastic audience.

Vocals were shared with female vocalist Ros Lewis taking the stage for “Milenberg Joys” and “Fooling Myself” in set one and “It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie” and “Butter and Egg Man” in the final set.

‘Mean’ trombonist Dave Lewis used an unusual mute (a pint glass) during the blues numbers, throwing in vocals on “Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby”, “Hard Times” and “Bye Bye Blackbird”.

Bass guitarist Jeff Kitson with the deadpan face sang his trademark songs “I Don’t Want To Set The World On Fire” and “Just a Gigalo”, with Steve Devine on clarinet and tenor sax blending the front line whilst battling with a flu bug.

Drummer Peter Crinham was given centre stage with the Neil Hefty classic “Cute” and the maestro of banjo and guitar Brian Herbert orchestrated the rhythm section adding his own vocal with “Babyface”.

With Kendall directing the arrangements of a band with many vocalists his own vocals included “Ain’t She Sweet”, “Buddy Bolden’s Blues”, “My Old Man” and “Too Busy”.

And with a rousing finale, it was time for the White Eagles to fly home.

The Yorkshire Stompers have been re-grouping following the retirement of leader and trumpeter Tony Smith, and banjo/guitarist Richard Speight brought the band to Castleton on 17 March with two new members; trumpeter Greg Wadman and trombonist Alan Bramley.

Featuring that Antipodean virtuoso of the slap bass Annie Hawkins, and top reedsman Frank Brooker, there was lots of variety with vocals from Brooker on “Treasure Island”, “Basin Street Blues” and “Do You Know What It Means” in a lively first set.

A Bramley trombone solo gave a Jazz feel to “April Showers” and drummer Terry Binns’ gave Huddersfield tones to “Ain’t She Sweet”.

A fine mix in set two featured Wadman’s muted trumpet solo with Humphrey Lyttleton’s “Bad Penny Blues”, Brooker’s take on “Lily of the Valley”, a great arrangement of “Christopher Columbus” with front line drive and neat interplay of trombone with drums on a smooth Ellington arrangement of Bigard’s “Lull at Dawn”.

The band took us into the final stretch with “Riverboat Shuffle” and the plaintive “Perdido Street Blues” with lead trombone. Brooker’s clarinet solo of “St Philip Street Breakdown” mesmerised and Speight’s guitar and vocal featured on the gentle “Silver Lining”.

The calypso beat of “St Thomas” with its infectious rhythm signalled “Lights Out” as “Frankie and Johnnie” and “Jambalaya” completed another successful evening!