Harlem Hot Stompers @ Boston Spa - Dec. 20

John Ronan (tmb), Bill Smith (cornet), John Reade (pno), Ian McCann (bjo/gtr), Grant Taylor (dms), Dave Parr (bs/tuba), Dave Thomas (cl)

(Review by Ray)

Time again to listen out for Santa's sleigh bringing goodies ......remember ...if you believe ...you can hear the bells on his sleigh ....no bells tonight, but a festive treat nevertheless as the boys from Manchester crossed the Pennines to provide a packed house at Boston Spa with jazz of a festive nature at the annual party bash.

Suitably attired in Santa hats the guys kicked off with Closer Walk with Thee then That's a Plenty taking us back to the spiritually uplifting Won't be Here Too Long. Back to trad ....a couple of features ....Dave Thomas on vocals with Button up Your Overcoat and John Reade a piano solo on Wildcat Blues. Jelly Roll Morton's FroggimoreRag took us up-tempo and into You're Nobody's Sweetheart Now, then Down by the Riverside saw the first audience participation of the evening & took us to the break.

As befits a Christmas party at the Spa, the food just kept coming ....a visual cornucopia fit for the occasion ....though after over indulging we were not fit for much ...but ...that's what Christmas is all about !

Anyone who knows the Stompers would recall that they sadly lost leader Tony Foulkes 18 months earlier ....since then, Banjo man Ian has led them forward. On returning for the second set, resident archivist John Ronan gave us the good tidings that it was 45 years to the day that the original Stompers played their first gig ...not a bad record at all ....you can see how they survive in today's scene ....Bill Smith led the line in the style of an old fashioned centre-forward .....with wingers John & Dave excelling in providing support to him ....and the half back rhythm line keeping it all tight at the back.

Kicking off the second set in fine style, we moved through Acker's Goodnight Sweet Prince to Buddy Bolden's Buddy's Habits then a beautiful Dave Thomas solo, Burgundy Street. A rousing Black and Blue saw us safely to the Raffle. No prizes for us, but the musical gems kept coming .... Jelly Roll’s Doctor Jazz then it was our turn ....the hall echoing to Carols as John on piano led us through the old standards ....Rudolph ...Silent Night ...Winter Wonderland ....White Christmas ...and finally Jingle Bells. Going Home was a non too subtle hint that the end was nigh and sadly we bade farewell to our friends at the Spa and braved the cold of the night.

Traditionally, at the close of the year, we make resolutions ....if you have not yet visited the Jazz at the Spa, then you really need to put it high on your 2015 wish-list - the jazz there is of the highest class, it’s every Saturday, and it's pay on the door - so it's a few miles down the road? ....the simple fact is that nowadays we in, the Newcastle area, no longer have a venue which regularly attracts the bands that the Spa does ....we are starved of regular good jazz of this type ...the first three months alone see Savannah Jazz; Alan Barnes and John Hallam; Mart Rodgers Manchester Jazz; Frank Brookers Happy Chappies; T J Johnson Band and Amy Roberts ......fabulous Jazz !   

Take a look at the website ..www.jazzinthespa.co.uk 

Happy Christmas everyone ....keep jazz alive ....

Ray R.