Ben Cummings, Enrico Tomasso, Bent Persson (tpts). Alistair Allan, Adrian Fry (tmbs), Rob Buckland, Robert Fowler (alt/clt). Jean-Francois Bonnel, (ten/clt), Mark Allaway (ten/bar), Franz Sjostrom (bass/sax). Sarah Roberts, Ed Cross, Emma Fisk (vln), Tom 'Spats' Langham (vcl/gtr/bjo), Malcolm Sked (bs/sousa), Nick Ward (dms), Keith Nichols (pno/vcl/MD) Janice Day (vcl).
Edward, Prince of Wales, is dancing with Wallis Simpson, Noel Coward propositions an Italian waiter. A 'Hooray Henry' requests Ambrose to play Embassy Stomp. He writes his request on a ten pound note and gives it to a waiter to give to the band-leader. Ambrose, insulted, sends his refusal back on a twenty.
Champagne glasses clink, cocktails are shaken, the bright young things are enjoying a night out at the Kit-Kat Club or maybe the Café de Paris or the Monseigneur
On the continent, Hitler's making noises but nobody takes any notice over here. Why should they when they could dance to Carroll Gibbons, Jack Hylton, Harry Roy, Lew Stone and Fred Elizade?
Ignore him - nasty little man will go away.
Nasty little man didn't go away and, fortunately, neither did the music - tonight it returned.
Keith Nichols opened up tonight's concert - the prologue to the Whitley Bay Jazz Festival - with Embassy Stomp and took us on a magical mystery tour of London, Cannes, Monte Carlo and The Riviera in the 1920s and 30s.
A delightful trip back in time by a well-drilled band. Jazz content was limited but the music defined an era of good tunes, clever lyrics, matched vibratos, hot choruses and perfectly enunciated vocal refrains.
Very enjoyable evening.
Lance.
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