Pete Long and His Good Men: Pete Long (MD, clarinet); Michael McQuaid, Alyson Cawley, Karen Sharp, Ewan Bleach (reeds); Chris Snead, James Davison, Nathan Bray (trumpets); Andy Flaxman, Ian Bateman (trombones); Anthony Kerr (vibes); Colin Good (piano); Martin Wheatley (guitar); Tom Mason (double bass); Richard Pite (drums); Louise Cookman (vocals)
The Jazz Repertory Company specialises in presenting set piece occasions at Cadogan Hall. The Sloane Square venue can accommodate just shy of one thousand people and as the lights went down the vast majority of the seats in the Grade II listed building were occupied. As occasions go, it doesn't come much bigger than Benny Goodman at Carnegie Hall 1938.
Pete Long and His Good Men opened with Don't Be That Way, Sometimes I'm Happy and One O'Clock Jump. It was Jan. 16th 1938 all over again. Clarinet maestro Long was to play the part of BG to perfection. A gaggle of front row latecomers were about to incur the wrath of bandleader Long. Clarinet in hand, our MD scolded the unfortunate ticket holders. Belatedly taking their seats, Long hit upon the idea of reprising the first three numbers. His Good Men shuffled their charts, Long counted them in, Don't Be That Way, four bars. The all-star ensemble obliged. Seconds later, Sometimes I'm Happy, four bars. And on it went. Your correspondent was more than happy to be up in the balcony!
Suitably chastised, the latecomers up to speed, it was once again Jan. 16th 1938. Long's Good Men and 'Two Women' (Alyson Cawley, alto sax, Karen Sharp, tenor sax) played their parts to perfection. Personnel moved on and off stage as required: full orchestra, trio (Long, Colin Good, piano, Richard Pite, drums), quartet (trio plus Anthony Kerr, vibes), the permutations of the A-list musicians mirroring that of Carnegie Hall all of eighty eight years ago.
Chris Snead as Harry James, Colin Good as Jess Stacy/Teddy Wilson, Antony Kerr as Lionel Hampton and Jazz Repertory Company boss Richard Pite as Gene Krupa, they had been here before, they knew the score. Louise Cookman joined the ensemble to sing a couple of numbers, including Loch Lomond. We were approaching the final straight here at Carnegie Hall/Cadogan Hall. Stompin' at the Savoy, then, we knew it was coming, Richard Pite's party piece, Sing Sing Sing. Rapturous applause. Oh, to have been at Carnegie Hall back in the day. Russell
Set list: The Orchestra: Don't Be That Way; Sometimes I'm Happy; One O'Clock Jump; Twenty Years of Jazz: Sensation Rag (Original Dixieland Jazz Band); I'm Coming Virginia (Bix Beiderbecke); When My Baby Smiles at Me (Ted Lewis); Shine (Lewis Armstrong); Blue Reverie (Duke Ellington); Life Goes to a Party; The Trio: Body and Soul; The Quartet: Avalon; The Man I Love; I Got Rhythm ;The Orchestra: Big John Special; Blue Skies; Loch Lomond; Blue Room; Swingtime in the Rockies; Bei Mir Bist du Schoen; The Trio: China Boy; The Quartet: Stompin' at the Savoy; Dizzy Spells; The Orchestra: Sing Sing Sing; If Dreams Come True.
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