Little big band for Shire Hall

Published on 23rd October 2008 in Ents

The Shire Hall welcomes the Compact Little Big Band - West Coast Cool on Saturday, November 1.

With top musicians George Elliot and Terry Reaney on trumpets, Chris Maudsley on trombone, Dougie Drakeon alto sax, Jimmy Thompson on tenor sax, Alan Riley on bari sax, Frank Flynn on piano, Dave Joyce on bass and Jimmy Scaife on drums this looks set to be another fantastic night of live music at the Shire Hall.

More than any other musician, Shorty Rogers typifies the cool and crazy Hollywood-based jazz of the early 1950s.

The recordings by the Shorty Rogers Giants set the style for what came to be called West Coast Jazz. Among the many jazz stars who recorded with Shorty during that period were stalwarts of the Stan Kenton Orchestra, including Maynard Ferguson, Art Pepper, Bob Cooper, Shelly Manne and Milt Bernhardt.

A multitude of jazz names such as Pete Jolly, Bud Shank, Marty Paich, Herb Geller and Jimmy Guiffre increased their own status during this period working with Shorty. 

The music they produced signified to the world in general that jazz music, was fun! The Compact Little Big Band will be playing many of Shorty's original swinging arrangements at their concert in the Shire Hall, Howden on Saturday, November 1 and alto/tenor duo Dougie Drake and Jimmy Thompson will be trying to emulate the soloistic brilliance of those two great West Coasters, Art Pepper and Bob Cooper.

This excellent nine-piece band will assuredly capture the spirit of those great Rogers groups, playing his classic arrangements.

Those heady days at Hermosa Beach, California in the 1950s when Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse jazz club offered 12-hour jam sessions, starting in the afternoon and lasting well into the early hours, will be fondly recalled at the Shire Hall concert on Saturday.

Tickets are normally priced at £10 but there will be a special price on November 1 of £5. For tickets please call 01430 431535. The show starts at 8pm.