[Dixielandjazz] Pete Allen/John Petters Havin' Fun 3rd Oct Old Harlow

[John Petters]

Press Release

"Havin' Fun" Pete Allen / John Petters Hot Four set for Stompin' Jazz
Session at Old Harlow

St John's Arts Centre, Old Harlow Thursday 3rd October at 8PM

An outstandingly hot session of jazz is in store for fans at St John's Arts
Centre, Old Harlow on Thursday 3rd October at 8PM.

This special presentation entitled "Havin' Fun" is guaranteed entertain and
delight, when internationally famous bandleader and clarinet star Pete
Allen, teams up with Drummin' Man John Petters, young piano and vocal
genius, Nick Dawson and Keith Donald on bass.

The Hot Four were specially assembled at Petters' highly Louis Armstrong
festival on the south coast last year. The audience were so enthusiastic
that a CD was commissioned, (it was recorded in under five hours) which has
received considerable airplay on BBC Radio 2.

Pete Allen is regarded as one of Europe's most talented and exciting masters
of the clarinet. In 1978 he formed his own professional band. He brought
together a musical style and stage presence that has created an enthusiastic
following from both the traditional jazz fans and those who simply enjoy
happy music and songs for both listening and dancing.

As a boy, Pete grew up with jazz. He studied the music of all the old time
music greats, especially Ed Hall and Barney Bigard, two of the great legends
of the American jazz clarinet. Pete has never tried to copy their style but
has developed his own quite unique, exciting sound.

Over the years, Pete has appeared on many television and radio shows, both
with his own band and as a solo artiste. He also topped the bill in those
magical homes of jazz, St. Louis, Sacramento and of course, New Orleans,
where he was awarded an Honorary Citizenship for his services to jazz music.
In the mid eighties he was chosen to lead the Worldwide All Stars at the
jazz Jubilee in Sacramento. More recently, Pete has been selected to play
for the European Top Eight Jazz Band in Germany, on a number of occasions,
and the Phillips International All Stars in Holland. He has also played
alongside American Jazz Greats:- 'Peanuts' Hucko, Bud Freeman, Bob Wilbur,
Marty Grosz, Billy Butterfield, Barrett Deems and Jack Lesberg.

Pete has presented his own jazz programme for BBC Radio, and continues to
thrill audiences around the World with his own style of jazz clarinet,
presented with an entertaining show of light hearted humour and happy
foot-tapping jazz songs. Above all, Pete is a personality in British Music,
who is eager to please an audience whatever the situation.

Nick Dawson - aged 27 - a graduate from the Royal College of Music - has
been a lifelong devotee of jazz music. As a jazz pianist he is second to
none, possessing a phenomenal technique, inspired by such legendary figures
as Nat King Cole and Duke Ellington.

John Petters is one of Britain's busiest jazz musicians, and an explosive
drummer in the Gene Krupa style. He has performed with many top
international jazz artistes including Acker Bilk, Kenny Ball, Georgie Fame
and Lonnie Donegan. The respected American journal The Mississippi Rag
dubbed him "Britain's finest Traditional Jazz drummer" a fact bourne out by
the release of three CDs on the New Orleans based Jazzology label. Veteran
American Blues and Boogie pianist Art Hodes, with whom he recorded, said
that Petters is "..carrying the torch that we lit".

Keith Donald is one of the busiest bass players on the jazz scene. A totally
self taught musician with a natural ear, Keith knows little of the
technicalities of music, but can be relied upon to find the correct bass
notes after hearing a tune only once.

The repertoire will feature jazz classics from the golden era of jazz,
including "Elephant Stomp" which Radio 2 presenter Desmond Carrington
favourably reviewed on last week's show, Bill Bailey, on which Pete does a
very authentic Louis Armstrong style vocal, and the evergreen "Somewhere
Over The Rainbow".

Tickets are only £10 and are available from Freephone 0800 496 0673



Teresa Petters
WWW.Traditional-jazz.com