Mike Durham's International Classic Jazz Party. The annual, three-day festival (four days including Thursday evening's 'Welcome Concert') attracts musicians from all over the world. The 'classic jazz' event, broadly spanning the first three decades of the twentieth century, would be for nought if there wasn't an audience. And an audience there was, arriving from all four corners of the globe.
Thursday October 30: CJP Welcome Concert
Thursday evening: the CJP 'Welcome Concert' in the Village Hotel's Pub & Grill. An in formal affair, festival favourite, trumpeter Rico Tomasso led a handpicked ensemble, including two CJP debutants, British-born, St Louis, Missouri-resident, trombonist TJ Müller, and, from Holland, David Lukàcs (reeds). Stomping off with Alice Blue Gown, the excitement palpable.
Tomasso and the two debutants were joined by pianist David Boeddinghaus (New Orleans), Félix Hunot (Paris) playing banjo and guitar, Graham Hughes (tuba and string bass), and from Davenport, Iowa, master period jazz drummer (and keen supporter of Liverpool FC), Josh Duffee. As the packed audience kept the bar staff busy, your correspondent opted for the first of several (hic!) pints of Guinness.
Europeans, Scandinavians, Americans, Canadians, the Brits, the evening was an opportunity to catch up, renewing acquaintance and meeting new friends, a truly global affair. Tomasso led the way, his 'Armstrong' trumpet playing blowing the roof off, not least on Ring Dem Bells.
Three non-stop days of jazz (12 noon 'til 1:30am the following morning) lay ahead. Time to get the head down. Russell
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