Mike Durham’s Classic Jazz Party @ The Village Hotel. Nov 6, afternoon

(Review by Russell/Photo courtesy of Patti Durham & Emrah Erken)

Nicholas D Ball [pictured] revels in researching the obscure. Two banjos, piano and drums, circa 1912, was the in thing. A quartet outfit, later to add melody instruments, was ideal as a touring dance hall band, travelling light, sharing the money four ways instead of eight, ten, twelve or more. One such band, the Anniversatile Four was the focus of drummer Nick Ball’s fascinating presentation. Genuine period costume, drum kit and whistle, in half an hour Ball ran through a selection of novelty ragtime tunes with the assistance of  pianist Morten Gunnar Larsen, banjo bandits Spats Langham and Martin Wheatley, and, the melody man, Claus Jacobi, reeds. The Anniversatile Four cut a number of sides on a visit to the recording studio in Hayes, Middlesex. Ball’s bold baritone voice rang out on Araby and again on Memories. A festival highlight.

Jack Hylton plays Hot! couldn’t have provided a greater contrast. A big band of proper big band proportions, Keith Nichols led a powerful outfit playing numbers listeners will, no doubt, have on 78. If not, there will be some in a cardboard box at their local charity shop.

Hoagy demanded an intimate gathering. Trumpeter Menno Daams assembled an ace line-up lineup: Richard Exall, reeds, Graham Hughes, trombone, David Boeddinghaus, piano, Martin Wheatley, guitar, and Josh Duffee (drums).

Mid-Sunday afternoon, it was time to hear the Henry Red Allen small groups. Clarence Williams’ Sister Kate and Buster Bailey’s Call of the Delta were sung by trumpeter Bent Persson leading a fine small group including Lars Frank and Richard Exall, reeds, Henry Lemaire playing guitar on this session, and drummer Richard Pite. The afternoon session drew to a close with the two-reed Winteler meets Bonnel. When first reading through a festival programme certain names stand out, they can be underlined, as sure-fire winners. Thomas Winteler and Jean François Bonnel are two such names. Add classically trained pianist Morten Gunnar Larsen, Malcolm Sked, bass and the brilliant Josh Duffee, drums, to the line-up and it’s got to be a winner. Well, it was. Wonderful frontline clarinets, and occasional saxophone, the perfect rhythm section, what more could one ask? Bechet had to feature – he did, and at times Winteler, standing to take a solo, had Bechet’s sound off to a tee. At one juncture, Winteler, listening to a Bonnel solo exclaimed: Yeah, man! The Frenchman said they would go out on a blues, very blues, he said. A superb set.                   

(Russell)