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

The first visit of the ‘Heart of England’ Jazz Band provided an evening of music madness and merriment. Here was a band who liked to entertain and ‘do their own thing’ so that you never knew what was coming next.

Whilst there were a few murmurs from the closet trad. Jazz purists, the audience seemed to enjoy the presentation of mostly jazz numbers although many were interspersed with diversionary humour and other unexpected tunes.

Spirituals, Rags, Blues and Standards were all given the vocal treatment by the Dixie Landers musicians attired in shirts more Barbados then Birmingham.

Led by clarinetist Selwyn Newton whose vocal octaves moved between Vivian Stanshall of Bonzo Dog Fame and Al Jolson plus Choral and Scat interruptions gave us “Curse of an Aching Heart”, “Marjie”, “Cake Walking Babies” and “La Vie En Rose” – a la Edith Piaf – it sure was ‘Vive la Difference’.

Powerful and driving trumpeting from Peter Ainge was ‘top drawer’ leading “Jackass Blues” with a bluesy bass solo from Roger Heath, vocalising with “Way down Yonder in New Orleans” and “Some Day You’ll be Sorry”.

Completing the front line, trombonist Terry McGrath also brought his saxophone and penny whistle into play with a duo with Dave Smith’s banjo in “Rosetta” also vocalising with “Ace in the Hole”.

Drummer Clive Millward was no shrinking violet airing his tonsils with “My Mother’s Eyes” despite other vocal interruptions, “Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue” as the band played Charleston style and “Georgia on my Mind” with Ainges leading trumpet play.

“Strutting with some Barbecue” gave Smith a neat solo spot. We had Dads Army singing in “Big Butter and Eggman” the Andrews sisters are suddenly appeared with “When You Wore a Tulip” and “Bye Bye Blackbird”, the spinners seemed to be singing “Down by the Riverside” and during Ainge’s attack on “Basin Street Blues”, Vera Lynn’s “We’ll Meet Again” appeared in the middle. They even ‘sung in’ the interval raffle.

But despite all the jollity, Millward’s drumming interlude in “Royal Garden Blues”, neat tempo changes in “That’s a Plenty” and top class band blending and variation in arrangements of “Jazz me Blues”, “Once in a While” and “Saturday Night Function” with trumpet, clarinet, saxophone and trombone in full flow, here was a complete entertainment package. With a programme of twenty seven numbers I can only conclude with ‘follow that’!

Heart of England Jazz Band
The Broadfield Hotel
Sunday 29 April 2007