The community based big band led by Christine Britland played to an enthusiastic, full capacity, audience. The band, with an age group of between 14 years and nearly 80, gave an impressive performance for their Christmas party concert night.
The aptly named Strike Up The Band had the full big band sound as did the John Lee Hooker blues, Boom Boom. This was followed by another blues, Blue Christmas, sung by Dave Vaughan with a nice clarinet solo from Donna Hewitt.
Further numbers included Doxy, Artistry For Trumpets and The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy sung by Kate Bulman. Baker Street, Big Band Christmas - a nice medley of well known Christmas songs - before a couple of Latin numbers - Sway sung by Dave and Latin Satin.
After the lively Chicago the mood was changed with Christmas Fantasy based on Greensleeves followed by Kate singing Santa Baby.
The classic Tuxedo Junction was well played before Funky Music and Django's first vocal Makin Whoopee. After the popular Moondance with a nice bass trombone solo from Dave Bowman, the first set was brought to a close with a lovely Latin version of Silent Night and guest Kevin Eland playing an excellent trumpet solo.
A great swinging start to the second set was made with Big Swing Face including solos from Sean Steel drums, Dave Archbold keys, Neil Brodie trumpet and Donna alto sax. Bare Necessities was then followed by the beautiful What a Difference a Day Made sung by Kate.
Further numbers included Frosty The Snowman with a nice trumpet solo from Neil Brodie, Vehicle, Skyfall well sung by Dave Vaughan, Chameleon,
Green Onions, Mambo No 5, Big Band Christmas which was again a medley of Christmas songs finishing with Auld Lang Syne. Area 51 was based around the myth of a top secret Nevada military base.
Django sang Why Don't You Do Right?, Dave sang The Christmas Song, then This Masquerade and The Hawk Talks were well played before the finishing number of the night Baby It's Cold Outside, a vocal duet with Kate and Django.
This was a very successful night of Big Band music with its large brass section and first class rhythm section much appreciated by the audience, I apologise for not been able to mention all the soloists but it was a special night for 14 year old Nell Gamon taking her first trombone solo with the band.
Thanks as usual go to the staff of Dorman's Club for their support with the jazz night. Ron Hampton
Andrew Daley,
Harriet Macrae, Frank Britland, Lindsey Turner, Karen Jones, Neil Brodie, Kate
Bulman* + guest Kevin
Eland (trumpets); Jonathan Tindale, Nell Gamon, James Joy, Tony
Slater, John Mackay, Dave Bowman (trombones); Donna Hewitt, Dave Vaughan*, Mark
Marsden, Richard Jones, Ellice Jones (alto saxes); Dave Bell, Paula Bailey,
Django Zazou, Ben Hastings (tenor saxes); Simon Jones, Gordon Chiverton
(baritone saxes); Dave Archbold (keys); Ron Smith (bass (guitar); Dave Fisher (guitar);
Sean Steel (drums).
*Vocals.
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