Chris Pearce's Frenchmen Street Jazz

Phil Probert - Chris Pearce's Frenchmen Street Jazz

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Despite being deprived in short order of the services first of drummer Graham Smith then of trumpeter Tony Pipkin, and with precious little time to cast about for replacements for either, Chris Pearce's Frenchmen Street Jazz arrived at The New Town National Club in Castleton on Sunday 5 July seemingly unfazed.

Indeed so effective were the band's reconfigured selves, in the persons of leader Chris on clarinet and soprano sax, his old associate Andy Leggett, also on clarinet and so-prano sax, together with regulars Richard Leach on trombone, Phil Probert on banjo and guitar and Ian Parry on bass, that any latecomers among the Jazz On A Sunday audience would have been hard pressed to notice a want of personnel.

Trumpet or no trumpet, drums or no drums, there was no lack of verve as they opened proceedings with a pair of tried and tested standards, 'Wabash Blues' and 'China Boy'' then Jelly Roll Morton's (alleged) composition 'Sweet Substitute' and threatened to raise the roof with a no holds barred Sidney Bechet-esque version of gospel song 'Halle Hallelujah'.

'On Treasure Island' was given the Richard Leach treatment then 'Out Of The Gallion' found Chris and Andy way down yonder in the lower registers of the clarinet re-calling the Bechet/Mezzrow collaboration of the nineteen thirties before, with Phil's banjo ringing, the set ended with 'I Found A New Baby'.

Set Two kicked off with 'Canal Street Blues', some Irving Berlin, courtesy of folk song 'Russian Lullaby', followed by Duke Ellington's 'Saratoga Swing' after which, harking back to folk associations, came the intriguing 'In My Darkest Hour' composed by a certain Arlo Guthrie (son of the renowned Woody) and to end the set, perhaps smarting at having been whistled up at such criminally short notice by Chris, Andy took the lead (appropriately on tin whistle) for 'Maryland My Maryland'.

Foot tapper par excellence 'Everywhere You Go' opened Set Three then came the Pearce/Leach duo with King Oliver's 'Sweet Like This', the clarinet/sax pairing assay-ing 'Oh Sister Ain't That Hot', Probert in top form on guitar with 'Can't Help Loving That Man Of Mine' from Porgy and Bess, Leach with the vocals on 'Nobody's Sweetheart Now' and 'I Want A Little Girl', a last tear up with 'That's A Plenty' then, contemplating the long haul back to Worcestershire and points south, 'Last Mile Blues' with to finish Bechet classic 'Dans Les Rue D'Antibes'.