[Dixielandjazz] Unashamed Plug - William Shakespeare Jazz'n'Swing Festival @ Stratford Upon Avon. November - 10 Minute prom video on YouTube

[John Petters]

Greetings Folks,

I've just put together a ten minute promotional video for the Seventh 
William Shakespeare Jazz ’n’ Swing Festival at the four star Stratford 
Holiday Inn Hotel (bridgefoot, Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire) in 
November (21st - 23rd)
watch the video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2Jea-AJ2QA

I have pulled out all the stops this year, with some new and exciting 
performers who will be contributing their talents to our regular jazz 
company for your entertainment and delight.

Joining an already impressive brass team will be the much respected hot 
cornetist, Alan Gresty.

Alan is one of the top performers in Europe – he spent many years on the 
road with the famous Monty Sunshine Jazz Band and today co-leads the 
sensationally popular Gresty / White Ragtimers, re-interpreting the 
music of Muggsy Spanier and the Bob Crosby Bobcats.

Alan will be featured in a special celebration of the Spanier - Bechet 
Big Four – a wonderful chamber jazz quartet, which combined the talents 
Sidney Bechet and Spanier in a hot, two piece front line.

Alan will be sparring with the incredible Trevor Whiting – who has 
graced recordings with Wild Bill Davison, Art Hodes, Al Casey, Chris 
Barber and Acker Bilk. Trevor was born within a few months of Sidney 
Bechet’s demise in 1959, yet far from following other kids of his 
generation into pop and rock music it was the sound of Bechet’s clarinet 
and soprano sax which captured his imagination.

This music commands a powerful rhythm guitar and a creative, walking, 
bass line. Both Tim Phillips and Keith Donald are more than qualified to 
lay it down for these two front-liners.

Later in the day, Gresty will be featured amongst the brass section in a 
one-off concert – ‘Jam Session Coast to Coast’ based on the Eddie Condon 
extravaganzas of the ‘40s and ‘50s.

This set introduces another performer new to the jazz company – the 
exuberant piano maestro, Colin Bray.

Colin was a revelation to me when I first started playing with the 
Ragtimers just over a year ago. He is the epitome of what a jazz 
musician should be - unpredictably surprising - frequently coaxing 
tantalising runs out of the keyboard, which causes the listener to ask, 
“where did he get that from”.

A re-discovery is the supremely gifted pianist J J Vinten. I first met 
Jonathan nearly twenty years ago when he depped in my ‘Swinging Down 
Memory Lane’ show at a theatre in Hertfordshire with George Chisholm 
OBE. He impressed me then – but went off to join the flamboyant and much 
missed George Melly. I’m sure you’ll be knocked out by his mastery of 
the piano.

As this is the centenary year of both Benny Goodman and Gene Krupa, it 
seemed appropriate to look for an up-and-coming drummer and I’m 
delighted to say that I am able to introduce a young man from a great 
drumming family. Jack Cotterill aged just 16, is already a seasoned 
performer. The son of the late Robert Cotterill, who played for T J 
Johnson’s Band and Max Collie’s Rhythm Aces, his Grandfather was the 
famous Pete ‘Tiny’ Cotterill, long time percussionist with Tommy 
Burton’s Sporting House Quartet and Max Collie.

Other festival highlights include ‘Swing – A Centenary Tribute to Gene 
Krupa & Benny Goodman’, with James Evans and Heather Birt and ‘Ory’s 
Creole Trombone’, with Cuff Billett and Mike Pointon.

‘Wild Bill and Bechet, the Famous Blue Note Sessions Revisited’, takes a 
look at these famous mid ‘40s Dixieland classics, with young Allen 
Beechey to the fore on cornet,

Sunday’s live musical menu starts with ‘Walkin’ with the King’ – Hot 
Gospel and Spirituals - a lively aperitif for a Sunday Morning.

Add a little French Cuisine - ‘Gypsy Swing’ with John Wurr, Jonathan 
Graham and Tim Phillips - then some more exotic flavours from ‘James 
Evans Quartet’ featuring Charles Condy.

Grab your popcorn for ‘Keith Nichols Ragtime, Jazz and Silent Movie 
Show’ – yes Keith will be accompanying a Laurel & Hardy silent and maybe 
a Keaton, Lloyd or Chaplin movie at the piano.

Stir in ‘Harlem to Hollywood’ featuring British Jazz Award Vocal Winner, 
Val Wiseman, in a selection of American Songbook evergreens and the 
joint will surely be cooking with gas!

Turn up the heat for ‘Kings of Classic Jazz’ and you are back in the 
Lincoln Gardens in 1923 – the aroma of redbeans ‘n’ rice, gumbo and 
other New Orleans dishes mingling with the spicy hot sounds of the King 
Oliver Creole Jazz Band. This salute which spotlights Ken Sims and Chez 
Chesterman in the two cornet led ensemble and the fine slap bass of 
Annie Hawkins.

And for Desert? The Grand Finale –‘The Story of Jazz from Ragtime to 
Swing’ finds the jazz company demonstrating the breadth and depth of the 
musical styles from the very beginnings of Jazz to the mid ‘40s.

Along the way, Sir Alan Buckley with be exhibiting some of his vintage 
drums and engaging in a ‘Jazz at the Phil’ inspired drum battle with 
Jack Cotterill and your scribe. I will be giving the jazz Lecture on 
‘Benny Goodman – The King of Swing’. There will also be a jazz quiz and 
a jazz forum.

Where will you find a more sumptuous feast of jazz? Can you afford to 
miss it?

More details here: http://www.traditional-jazz.com/mainpages/stratford.htm

Download the colour brochure here:
http://www.traditional-jazz.com/mainpages/strat.pdf


Download the booking form here:
http://www.traditional-jazz.com/mainpages/09%20stratford%20%20booking%20form.pdf

watch the video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2Jea-AJ2QA

I do hope you can join us but if you can’t - please tell your friends.

Keep swinging

John Petters

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