Reporter: Tony Sheldon
Date online: 12/06/2008

The Millennium Eagles jazz band was formed after the death of the founder of the Eagles band trombonist Tony Hobson who had led his band for 50 years Birmingham based.

Reedsman Matt Palmer who led the Nottingham’s Millennium band now leads the amalgamated ensemble consisting of the Eagles trumpeter Pete Brown, bassist Brian Lawrence, banjoist Brian Mellor, joined by trombonist Andy Holdorf and new recruit teenage drummer Baby Jools who has already been receiving rave reviews for the nuances of his jazz drumming.

Having been held up (not by Dick Turpin) on the M6 was probably the reason for some lack of cohesion in the first set, although dressed in their shirts of pale blue (rhythm section), petrol blue (trombonist), mid blue (reedsman) and deep yellow (trumpeter) this was always going to be a colourful performance, even without a Joseph in sight.

I may be in a minority of one but I have always found Palmer’s clarinet too ‘screechy’ for my ears, but the welcome attendance seemed to appreciate the musical talent on view with a variety of numbers and shared vocals.

There was some neat interplay and some mini band arrangement which worked well. “The Oldest Rag” saw a fine banjo/bass duo and an unusual “Moose March” with Jool’s slow drum solo, then duo with Brown’s trumpet – very well performed.

Armstrong’s “Once In A While” provided the platform for Lawrence’s bass solo. Vocals by Palmer with “Ace in the Hole”, Brown with “Baby Won’t You Please Come Home” and Holdorf with “Crazy ‘Bout My Baby” accompanied by Palmer’s tenor sax and tambourines brought the first set to a close with a big band sound.

Some clean jazz drumming with cameo pieces in “Wolverine Blues” got set two off to a good start. Mellor’s banjo and vocal gave a Sunday feel to “Precious Lord, Lead Me On” Gershwin’s “Puttin’ On the Ritz” was given the quartet treatment with trumpet, trombone, banjo and bass - strange version - not for me. Holdorf vocalized with a deep “St James Infirmary” and rousing “Give Me Your Telephone Number” with driving sax and the solo drum wizardry of Jools.

So to the ‘run in’ with a trio of trumpet, banjo and bass in “Devonport Blues”, a well played arrangement of the difficult “Chimes Blues” with superb front line timing and a ‘five minute’ drum solo in “China Town, My China Town” - this kid is good! Palmer’s clarinet lead the gang in the ever popular “High Society”, before saying good night with “Brahms Lullaby”.

The Millenium Eagles
The Broadfield Hotel
Sunday 11 March 2007