[Dixielandjazz] Jazz Church Services - Redux.

[john petters]

> 
> A church gig is one way of getting jazz musicians to church...
> 
> --Sheik 
>
I have been playing church concerts in the UK for over ten tears. The show
is called Walkin' with the king. Line-up is usually Ken Sims, cornet, Mike
Pointon, trombone, Dave Bailey, clarinet (when he is in the UK), Tim
Phillips, banjo, Keith Donald, bass. Listmate Louis Lince was on the
original CD we recorded in '94, which sold out and is in its second
pressing. We always sell a lot of CDs to the congregation, many of whom are
hearing jazz for the first time. 

I have only been paid a fee once. That was on a re-booking at Cranham in
Essex last year. We had played the Anglican church on our normal 80 percent
of the box office deal 2 years earlier and got 250 people at £10 per ticket,
so it was a good pay day. The organiser wanted to pay us a fee. So I charged
a good rate and she sold £4000 worth of tickets. The charity made nearly
£3000. 

Do we hold back 'cos we are in church? No way! We go for broke. My extended
drum solos generally meet with applause - as Duke Ellington said to Sam
Woodyard, there was thunder and lightning in heaven, you are it. 

Normal reaction - singing and dancing and a good time had by all. 

Yes it gets jazzers into church and church people into jazz. Only practising
Christians in the band are Dave Bailey and me. We played Catholic, Baptist,
Anglican and Methodist churches to date. 

There are photos and mp3 clips of our church gigs and cd on
http://www.traditional-jazz.com/pge_king.htm

And an article  on the history of spirituals in traditional jazz with
historical sound clips on 
http://www.traditional-jazz.com/pge_spir.htm

The clips include Morton, Sam Morgan's Band, Mahalia Jackson, Sr Rosetta
Tharpe, Big Bill Broonzy, Papa Celestin and Mitchells' Christian Singers. 

John Petters
Amateur Radio Station G3YPZ
www.traditional-jazz.com