Reporter: Tony Sheldon
Date online: 12/06/2008

Always popular visitors, trombonist Dave Donohoe brought his band of musicians to ‘Jazz on a Sunday’, with the addition of ex Phil Mason trombonist Martin Bennett, who now performs on piano with his own band ‘The Old Green River’.

Now Martin is a big man in every way, and whilst his expertise shone though, it seemed to overshadow the rest of the band and cohesion suffered with the programme a little disjointed.

Bennett provided blues solos with ‘Good Morning Judge’, ‘Callin On My Darlin’ and ‘You Say You Leave Me’.

Vocals were also shared with Donohoe’s choices ’ My Buddy’, ’Cold Cold Heart’, ‘ Paper Doll’ and ‘Iko Iko’. Trumpeter Dave Pogson sang popular standards ‘Cry Over You’ and ‘April Showers’, whilst the intricate guitar and banjo play of Malcolm Hoane on ‘Flow Gently Sweet Afton’ and ‘Sidewalk Blues’ was complemented with his vocal chords on ‘Love Songs Of Long Ago’. Annie Hawkins on bass was given plenty of short interludes to shine, with drummer Bill Evans quietly blending the rhythm section. Reedsman John Brunton provided the lead on clarinet in ‘Blue Hawaiian Skies’ and there were fine arrangements of ‘Original Tuxedo Rag’, ‘Bogalusa Strutt’ and the rarely played ‘The Chant’.

The Dave Donohoe Band
The Broadfield Hotel
Sunday 30 April 2006