ABBEY JAZZ

Another Jazz-at-the Park Evening in August

2008-07-25T04:00:00.000-07:00

A date for your diary if you're not already going somewhere exotic on the Sunday of the August Bank Holiday weekend, 24th August.

Phil Probert's JazzMates ('the nightsounds of the '40s') with guest vocalist Ruth Frith, will be playing at the Colwall Park Hotel, this time for Jazz 'n' Pasta. The cost will be £15. The band this time will comprise Rod Kelly (pno and vocals), Phil Probert (gtr and vocals), Mark Johnson (bass) and Graham smith (drms). Ruth will give us another selection of her melodies from the pre and postwar swing era, and we'll ask her to include a couple of Jo Stafford songs to mark the passing of that wonderful artist last month.

The last event in May was a near sell-out, and attendance is limited to 80 places so we can get that nightclub atmosphere we're looking for, so don't forget to ring the Colwall Park Hotel (01684 540000) to secure your place.

Antique Six minus two plus two!

2008-07-25T03:49:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the late report, folks, but the bin lorry took my phone line down!

The Antiques on this visit were joined by Len Thwaites and Phil Probert, their regular bass and banjo men being on holiday. However, they still gave us a full programme of their classic numbers plus feature and novelty numbers, and provided an evening to savour.

Len and Phil had played with the band in the Isle of Man on the previous Friday so were fully into the swing of things by the time the band arrived in Malvern. The Antiques are always a well-organised team, believing that good presentation is a courtesy every audience deserves - an impression that was greatly in evidence until Probert knocked over his pint during the quietest moment in a Chris Pearce reed feature. You just can't take some people anywhere!

Coming Up - 20th July - Antique Six

2008-07-07T03:22:00.000-07:00

We look forward to the welcome return of this popular band. Their immaculate presentation of the classic jazz cannon is sure to please. Get there in good time!

Men in Black - JBQ hit town again!

2008-07-07T02:54:00.000-07:00

A cracking show from these sultans of swing led by JB himself, and weren't they at the top of their form?

You'd never have guessed they had been playing since lunchtime, appearing at the Harp before taking in Malvern on their way home. They were tight, they were organised, they were funny and they were swinging like the mutts nuts. You just cant hear and watch this band without a grin on your face. We learned during the evening that Stafford Jazz Club have voted them band of the year - a considerable compliment since Stafford are, well, a bit on the conservative side when it comes to their musical tastes.

John B was as ever the complete entertainer on piano, Roger M on reeds played both cool and hot with the same nonchalant slouch. Andy Wood made brilliant guitar soloing look easy. And in the engine room Clive Miller (dms) and Mark Howell (bs) glued the entire thing together in such an unobtrusive way that it took me several numbers to realise just how good it must be to play in front of them.

Ain't we lucky!!?

Coming Up - J&B - 6th July

2008-06-23T09:59:00.000-07:00

John Beckenham and the boys return to give us their inimitable mix of jazz and jump jive. There's never a dull moment with this band and every time they visit Spring Lane, we all go home with broad grins. Don't be late!

Rockin' Robin

2008-06-23T09:42:00.000-07:00

What about that then? Jazz, country and rock'n'roll all presented con brio by Robin Reece on reeds with the great guitar playing of Alan Johnson, our second new guest. Robin turned out to be a natural entertainer, with stage presence and a fascinating and varied repertoire.

It was fun to be in the audience and see Rod Kelly, Graham Smith and Len Thwaites being challenged to guess what they'd be playing, as Robin gave them the first 8 bars! You might call that a high risk strategy, and the boys rose to it. So we got Chicago, we got Latin, we got Willie Nelson, Fats Domino and more, much more.

I think it's great to ring the musical changes at Spring Lane, and it was a real pleasure to hear this band work through such a variety of material.

COMING UP - JUNE 22nd - Something a bit different

2008-06-09T10:02:00.000-07:00

We bring you Robin Reece on reeds and voice and Alan Johnson on guitar and voice, both seriously talented blokes whom you'll enjoy. They'll be backed by Len, Graham Smith on drums and Rod Kelly on piano. This is going to be fun - so be there or be square.

Tarra for now.

ABBEY JAZZ HITS LUCKY THIRTEEN!

2008-06-09T09:36:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Len and Betty for thirteen successful years of Abbey Jazz. And as if to underline what a force of nature the club has been, the sun smiled down on us!

Len was gracious in thanking lots of people for their contributions, but we all owe him the same for keeping us going through thick and occasionally thin. His knack of bringing together combinations of players who just 'click' is our greatest asset, and speaking for the musicians, its what brings us back each time. We look forward to entertaining you because we know we're going to enjoy ourselves!

So last night we had Mike Turner on reeds, Richard Leach on trombone and the late Alan Bateman on trumpet (delayed by leaves on the line, wrong kind of snow etc). Rod Kelly did piano, Graham Smith did drums , Len did bass and Phil Probert guitar/banjo.

This was mainly a dixieland session, which we don't do very often, and Alan B was on storming form, being particularly assured in the high register - some of those endings were the hottest you'll have heard for a long time, or I'm a dutchman. Mike and Richard were thereby inspired to give us some terrific solos, and through the evening we were treated to some numbers you don't hear very often. Examples were Summer Set (when did you last hear that?!), Stevedor Stomp (more like a stampede if you ask me!) and Squeeze Me done a la Ellington.

But for a truly esoteric experience, and you may have missed it if you weren't paying attention, I have to announce that Mr Thwaites was actually heard to sing!!!!!!!!! Now I grant you it was only three bars of Happy Birthday, but I'm sure that now we have passed this great psychological landmark, we shall soon be treated to a complete recital. Just keep asking....

Folks, thank you all for supporting Abbey Jazz now and in the past years. Do tell your friends about Abbey Jazz too - its always a great encouragement to the musicians who come from a distance to see a full room, and what's more, it means we get paid!

Yes! There's still a heart in England!

2008-05-26T01:23:00.000-07:00

It just keeps getting better, dunnit!?

Pete Ainge, Selwyn Newton and Richard Leach came together to provide a lively and entertaining night which (I hope you agree) showed why these guys are members of two of the Midlands' very best bands.

The style was relaxed - laid-back even - and the choice of numbers made for some great solo improvisations from all three front liners. Fans of the Heart of England band would not have been surprised at the ease with which Pete and Selwyn fitted together to producea fine variety of textures and sounds, and they had an ideal accomplice in Richard which resulted in a swinging Chicago sound from start to finish.

Ken Jones was on top form too, so we had a rapport in the rhythm section from the off. Here's an insider's technical observation for you: the rhythm section played tight and quiet last night, and in doing so built up a tension that was for me one of the best nights I've enjoyed down at Spring Lane. Some of the best moments last night were played pianissimo - we just hope you heard them at the back!

Finally, we must mention the cabaret moments of close harmony - we are unlikely to forget Selwyn's gay rendition of When Somebody Thinks You're Wonderful, and the boys gave us a great version of When You Wore a Tulip to remind us of how entertaining a band the HoE is.

Thanks to everyone for a memorable night (yet again) and see you next time.

Comin' Up - May 25th

2008-05-19T11:48:00.000-07:00

To continue the footballing analogy (see below) we have a couple of strikers from The Heart of England band next week - Pete Ainge (tpt) and Selwyn Newton (clt), aided and abetted by Richard Leach (of the Antique Six and his Seven Stars) on the sludgepump.

I've long been of the opinion that the heart of England was plucked out and eaten by Margaret Thatcher back in the eighties, but you live and learn, particularly when Pete and Selwyn are blowing.

Ken Wright's drummin', Len's thrummin' and Phil Probert's strummin'.

A front line to savour - 18th May

2008-05-19T10:32:00.000-07:00

Another memorable night at Spring Lane, with four in the front and four at the back (when John Ripper had a welcome sit-in) gave us a fat sound and the chance to create some serious riffs.

Tony Pipkin and Ron Hills brought us several of their Swing Kings repertoire, aided and abetted by the ever-creative Terry Roberts. In fact we had three of the Martinique with us - Terry, Ken Jones and Jim Harney. It was a bit like playing for England when Len and me were the full backs and there were sizeable squads from Man United and Chelsea in the attack! When John Ripper came on to play baritone sax, Ken Jones remarked that we were well on the way to becoming the Len Thwaites Big Band, and there were certainly moments when the front line sounded seriously Basie-like.

So it was another great night to be in the rhythm section, when we could lay back on Jim's lovely relaxed swing and chug away while listening to some great solo work from the guys.

I know I say this too often, but there aren't many clubs where you can hear this kind of small band swing, this good, week after week. I think it beats the hell out of Collier-esque dirges, though I expect I'll get hate mail for even mentioning it!!

Any road up, see yer all next Sunday!

Reminder - Change in Club Schedule during May

2008-04-28T07:39:00.000-07:00

Don't forget, there will be no session on Sunday 11th May, as there is a function happening at the Rugby Club.

However, we'll be playing 18th May and 25th May to make up for it.

And, if you fancy a treat on Sunday 4th May, come to hear Phil Proberts Jazzmates ("The nightsounds of the 40's") at the Colwall Park Hotel, from 7.00 pm till 11.00pm. The price is £15 and includes a scrumtious curry buffet. We'll be bringing you our version of a night club atmosphere, with singer Ruth Frith, Rod Kelly on piano, Trevor Emeny on drums, and Len Thwaites on bass.

John Hallam - a magical, musical tour

2008-04-28T07:14:00.000-07:00

Sunday's crowd ( and it was one, we're pleased to say) got a musical tour of the great and good of jazz from the brilliant John Hallam. Before the first half was done, we'd heard Ellington, Basie, Goodman, and Gerry Mulligan, to name but four. John was in great form, switching with ease from clarinet to tenor to baritone and providing a variety of tone, mood and rhythm that made it easy to forget he was fronting the session alone. His choice of numbers took us through many a tune we've not heard for ages and made you realise how much you missed them. All in all a terrific night of good value.

The rhythm section of Roger Heeley, Roy Dutton and Len Thwaites provided John with sensitive backing throughout, and there was some cracking solo work from them too. It was good to see Roy back after his indisposition with a problem we old chaps don't like to mention, but suffice it to say that we were enruptured with his playing and we truss he's fully recovered now. Certainly sounded like it.

We gather Roger and Roy will again be backing John Hallam at Keswick and Bude this year, so there's much to look forward to if you're visiting those festivals.

27th April - John Hallam returns by popular demand

2008-04-14T09:22:00.000-07:00

Next time up, we give you the great John Hallam on tenor and clarinet, backed by Roger Heeley (pno), Roy Dutton (dms) and of course Len Twaites (bs). This will be another special evening - be there or be square!

Bateman, Abrams and Leach

2008-04-14T08:42:00.000-07:00

For those of you who missed them, this was not a new firm of Malvern estate agents, but they certainly proved to be hot property at Spring Lane last Sunday. We saw the welcome return of Alan Bateman (tpt) and Frank Abrams (reeds) who played up such a storm in March, this time joined by Richard Leach on trombone. And what a great combination that turned out to be.

We got the whole bag from Louis Armstrong to Ellington with a fair sprinkling of swing era standards thrown in and judging by the applause, the audience had as much fun as the band. There's no denying it, Alan and Frank are an exciting pairing in any setting, and with Richard Leach on top form, the energy level never flagged.

Back in the engine room, we were joined this time by Rod Kelly on piano, and Barry Norman on drums. Now those of you who see a lot of jazz know that Rod is known principally as a mainstream/modern pianist, and Barry as a dixieland drummer. But the 'Malvern Factor' was well and truly at work and both these gents showed their versatility and musicianship by turning their hands to everything that was thrown at them, so the rhythm section chugged along like a well-oiled swing machine.

I wish we could bottle the ingredients that make Abbey Jazz so much fun for the musicians: month after month we get to the end of the evening thinking if only we could take this band on tour...! But I guess its the freshness and challenge of the combinations Len puts together that makes the bands feel so much fun from inside.

With the thirteenth anniversary coming up fast, that's lucky for some, and I sez more power to yer elbow Mr Thwaites!

A Bonus Sunday Evening! Jazz and Grub.

2008-03-31T06:54:00.000-07:00

Sunday 4th May is not an Abbey Jazz night (being the in-between week), but you could still get your fix of small band swing, by travelling over the misty mountains to Colwall. As it's a bank holiday on the Monday, you can also look forward to a lie-in the next morning!

From 7pm till 11pm we bring you Phil Probert's Jazzmates, with guest singer Ruth Frith, and a scrumptious curry buffet. (For those who worry about curry, dont! There will be a nice mild version specially for you!)

The venue is the Colwall Park Hotel, and the line-up Rod Kelly (pno), Len Thwaites (bs), Phil Probert (gtr) and Martin Emeny (dms). When we took this band to the Pershore Festival last year, it went down a storm. For those who haven't heard Ruth Frith, she's got a great repertoire of lively stuff and ballads, and I never get tired of working with her.

The cost of this special evening is £15 per head, and I can promise you a really good feed as well as a great evening of jazz, courtesy of hosts Iain and Sarah Nesbitt, who run a prize-winning kitchen at The Park.

Don't suffer a jazzless weekend - munch and bop in Colwall. Phone the Colwall Park on 01684 540000 to be sure of your table.

Coming up - 13th April - Return of the Swindon Mafia!

2008-03-31T06:44:00.000-07:00

With memories of 2nd March (see review) still fresh in the mind, we bring you Mssrs Alan Bateman and Frank Abrams again, this time partnered by Richard Leach on trombone. Every time Alan comes, we have fireworks, and I've a feeling this will be no exception. Rod Kelly (who can look after himself in the ruck along with the best of them) will be on piano. Barry Norman will be percussing, Len Thwaites bassing and Phil Probert twanging. Don't be late!

30th March Sax Orgy. Williams-Pearce Ripper!

2008-03-31T06:09:00.000-07:00

There were saxes of every shape and size on offer this Sunday, and a packed house once again. It's been so good to see so many of you there, but keep telling your friends about us, as there is still room for a few more at the back!

Chris Pearce (soprano/clarinet) and Cliff Williams (tenor/clarinet) were the booked attractions, and were joined for part of the session by John Ripper (see last time's review) on baritone. The session took a couple of numbers to get into its stride, but once it did, we had a night did we not?

Oddly enough, it took a slow blues (Texas Moaner) to ignite things, and many of the best numbers of the evening turned out to be the slow ones. Cliff gave us a perfect rendering of Nancy With the Laughing Face, a la Coltrane. It was my third gig with Cliff in a week, and I can tell you, every one a real pleasure. The guy combines taste and inventiveness with a tone like honey.

Chris scored a second-half equaliser with his version of Willow Weep for Me. I happen to know that this is one he saves for the big occasions, so we can feel flattered at Spring Lane. At the risk of repetition, the great pleasure of working behind Chris is his taste and good judgement, which has one listening hard and savouring the ideas that emerge.

And of course we had the treat of John Ripper getting up with the big gun, and contributing most fluently. John springs from a big band background, and a lot of what we played last evening was not familiar to him - not that you'd have known.

In the engine room we had Graham Smith on drums, Len and me. Graham is not only a great drummer, he has wit - he gets a certain look in his eye and you know he's going to work some little trick that'll leave you grinning. Working without a piano man was by way of an experiment, to see whether this lets a two-man front line stand out more clearly. Tell us what you think.

The evening finished on a high as we rocked through a couple of dixieland traddie ones, which (judging by the bopping I could see at various tables) seemed to send everyone home smiling.

Thanks to everyone who came up after the gig to say they'd had fun! That's what makes Malvern special for your musicians!

Sorry there are no pix this week - the box Brownie must have been on the blink!

Wot's On? March 30th

2008-03-17T03:59:00.000-07:00

Next time, we promise you an evening of hot steamy sax.

We'll have Chris Pearce and Cliff Williams and that should be another winning combination.

See you there folks.

Pipkin-Turner Thriller

2008-03-17T02:21:00.000-07:00

Your blog now operates in glorious technicolour, and to prove it here are a couple of pix, including the Boss, who has just had his bass fiddle glued back together, which may account for his serious expression as he tries to get his fingers unstuck from the instrument.

Well, we promised you a night of treats, and that's how it turned out. With Tony Pipkin (tpt) and Mike Turner (reeds) both in top form, we got an evening that combined classic favourites like That's a Plenty with smooth ballads. And it was great to see a full clubroom after the foul weather of the last few days.

From inside the rhythm section, you always get a feeling from the first number whether the line-up is going to click. And that's how it was this time. The session was fun to play from start to finish, with some real highlights. My favourites - Tony and Ken Jones (pno) giving us She's Funny That Way as a duo, and a demonstration of how to impress with understated elegance and taste. And Mike Turner giving us I Wish You Love, not only in impeccable French but, as the Italians would say, con alma.

We also had the pleasure of a new talent emerging from the audience, in the form of John Ripper on tenor sax. John moved to Malvern last year and has been a regular member of the audience at Spring Lane. He turned up with his sax last night and gave us plenty to remember him by. I'm sure we will see him again.

Thanks again to everyone (including Ken Wright on drums). And a final mention to the secret dancers, who were jigging in the corridor during the last number, where they thought nobody could see them. Good to see that a bunch of aging musicians can still get the crowd on its feet!

TTFN.

Have Your Say!

2008-03-03T03:53:00.000-08:00

Now we are a bit more used to running this blog, we've made it easier for you to post comments on what we publish. You no longer have to sign up to Google, so just follow the 'comments' links and see what happens. If you have any problems have a word with Phil Probert on a club night.

Upton Festival Ticket Auction

2008-03-03T03:49:00.000-08:00

As we announced last night, the Festival have very kindly gifted us a ticket for two which we propose to auction. I understand this is worth £100 and we will let you know in the near future how we'll be handling the auction. So for the time being, see what you've stuffed behind the kitchen clock and consider your bids, the proceeds of which go towards our running costs for your enjoyment.

Abbey Jazz Coming Up - 16th March

2008-03-03T03:43:00.000-08:00

Next time up, we bring you Tony Pipkin on various brass thingies from trumpet to flugel, paired with Mike Turner on clarinet and soprano sax. These are two guys who are at home with a wide range of jazz, so we look forward to an evening of treats. Your rhythm section will be Ken Jones (piano), Ken Wright (drums), Phil Probert (guitar) and Len Thwaites (bass).

As we've been enjoying nearly full houses at the rugby club so far this year, we urge you to be there in good time and look forward to seeing you.

Thrash Metal Trad

2008-03-03T03:17:00.000-08:00

Over a quiet pint at the bar before we started, Frank Abrams (clarinet, soprano and tenor saxes) said something along the lines of how nice it was to come to Malvern and play relaxed swing music. You'd think he'd know better given that his mate Alan Bateman (trumpet, soprano and baritone sax) was standing behind him. Yes, that Alan Bateman - the one reknowned for the rapidity of his stomp-ins and persistent cruelty to banjo players. Over another pint in the interval, Frank Abrams and I were trying to put a label on what we'd been attempting. We decided that Thrash Trad wouldn't be far wide of the mark!

It was a fun session, with risks taken and, I think, rewarded. Frank gave us some great solos on all three of his reeds, and reminded us of his very personal style (especially on the tenor) - a great mix of melodic inventiveness and just a hint of early fifties blues or rock that adds spice. Alan Bateman just gets better and better. The appearance of his baritone sax was a rare treat - and boy, can he honk! The rhythm section (Ken Jones, Nick Millward, Phil Probert and Len Thwaites) chugged along happily behind these guys and it was fun to play a mix of dixieland and swing for a nice full room.

The playlist for the evening included some innovations - including Strutting with Some Barbecue played as a bossa, and some great scat singing from Nick Millward . Those of you who didn't run screaming from the room will also have noted the intriguing dis-arrangement of Aint No Sin, in which we experimented with free form, bebop-style jazz. (And you thought we were just getting the chords and words wrong....)

It was a great evening to be playing behind two exciting and creative guys and we look forward to having them return.

Ye Greate Electricitie Cock-Up

2008-03-03T03:09:00.000-08:00

One returns from slaving over a hot beach in St Lucia to find that in ones absence, our loyal clients have been subjected to the disappointment of missing their fortnightly fix. It seems the culprit was some key electrical installation on the nearby industrial estate. Very much a one-off, we gather, but one attended by an heroic performance by Peter Doran who stood in freezing temperatures to greet people as they arrived, and to send them home to a hot toddy and their slippers! Peter is hereby promoted to Hero of The Soviet Union, First Class.

Sincere regrets to all who turned up and were disappointed, but we hope and trust this won't happen again.