Midnite Follies Orchestra @ The Spice of Life, London - Dec. 22

Mike Henry, Lewis Taylor, Pete Rudeforth (trumpets); Michael McQuaid, Alex Clarke, David Horniblow, (reeds); Alistair Allan (trombone, vocals), Rory Ingham (trombone); Martin Litton (piano); Spats Langham (guitar, banjo, vocals); Malcolm Sked (double bass, sousaphone); Richard Pite (drums)

Arriving 11:20 am at Cambridge Circus in time for a 12:30pm start would be soon enough, wouldn't it? Well, yes and no. The Spice of Life usually draws a decent crowd, however, an hour and a half ahead of the down beat, this Monday lunchtime gig saw punters queueing up the stairs and out onto the street.

The attraction? The Midnight Follies Orchestra, no less! Formed by the late Keith Nichols to perform the music of Duke Ellington, the MFO had lain dormant for quite some time. Dormant that is until Alistair Allan decided it was time to revive the ensemble. 

Using many of Keith Nichols' original charts, the star-studded orchestra opened with Jungle Nights In Harlem (a feature for Rory Ingham). Cotton Club Stomp tore it up, the full house roaring its approval. 

Taking it down a notch or two, bandleader A. Allan sang Let's Do It, thereby setting things up for a barnstorming Mahogany Hall Stomp (Mike Henry and Alex Clarke in the spotlight).

Black and Tan Fantasy, A. Allan singing No Strings (I'm Fancy Free) from Top Hat, to a terrific Potato Head Blues incorporating Keith Nichols' arrangement for three trumpets playing the famous Louis Armstrong stop time chorus (the three trumpets being Mike Henry, Pete Rudeforth and Lewis Taylor) and three clarinets - Ms Clarke and Messrs Michael McQuaid and David Horniblow - seeking to emulate Johnny Dodds. 

Rockin' in Rhythm took us up to the interval. It had been some set! 

An interval pint (a 'best bitter' Spice of Life pint) then in no time they were back at it. Tiger Rag taken at a frightening tempo didn't faze the ensemble. They were 'on it' as they say. Wow!  

Pete Rudeforth as Arthur Whetsell playing Luis Russell's Sweet Dreams of Love worked well, as did East St. Louis Toodle-oo. In the absence of Rico Tomasso it was down to Spats Langham to sing  Thanks a Million and, of course, he made a good job of it. 

The band took a breather as Martin Litton showed us how to play Carolina Shout - this alone was worth the price of admission. 

Spats Langham singing Truckin' lead us into the final number of the afternoon - It Don't Mean a Thing. MD Alistair Allan thanked each and every one of the Midnite Follies, and Spice of Life MC Richard Pite thanked all and sundry. Here's to 2026! Russell