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

A visit from the Wirral’s Tuxedo Jazz Band always brings an evening of what I would call, ‘Gentle Jazz’. Plenty of New Orleans and a good variety, but with a softer feel with crescendo at a minimum.

Perhaps this is down to leader reedsman Gerry Owen who is very quietly spoken with intros which sometimes fail to ignite the excitement usually generated by a Jazz band.

Owen opened the gig inviting us to “Linger Awhile” but vocals were well spread through the band. Trumpeter Martin Sharp giving way to “The Birth Of The Blues”, trombonist Geoff Milner, having “Just A Closer Walk With Thee” and banjo maestro Malcolm Horne “All By Myself In The Morning”.

‘Willie the Weeper’ brought a fine trombone/trumpet duo with a bass interlude from Ray Owens. Horne's banjo solo built up the tempo in “Beer Barrel Polka" and Brian Woods' integral drumming blended the interval number of “Bugle Boy March”.

Lots of vocals also in the second set with Owens opening up with “My Little Girl”, and accompanying Aimsele in a nice arrangement of “Georgia On My Mind” with backing from Horne’s guitar, Sharp wistfully sang “Oh You Beautiful Doll” but the piece of the evening was Jelly Roll Morton’s “Sweet Substitute” beautifully sung with guitar by Malcolm Horne with Owen's sax, slow trombone and muted trumpet.

A rousing “Salutation March”, the current ‘in tune’ “Creole Belles” and a front line led with prominent banjo in “Clarinet Marmalade” brought the set to a close.

And so into the final ‘half’ with Owens belting out the popular “Hello Central, Give Me Dr Jazz” and the clarinet of Owen leading “Sobbing Blues”.

“That’s A Plenty” was rhythm driven with Horne’s banjo flying high with bass and drums before a gentle vocal and trombone solo as Milner asked “Put Me To Sleep In My Old Kentucky Home”.

Request (again) "St James Infirmary Blues" was well sung by Horne and the band signed off with Sharp’s powerful trumpet getting us ready for home with “Fidgety Feet”.

The Wirral’s Tuxedo Jazz Band
The Flying Horse Hotel
Sunday 23 September 2007