Any Jazz fans left in Sheffield?

[Highnote]

Hello extaxman, I remember those sessions at the Hallamshire Hotel,and prior to that at a Pub on West Bar, long gone now,it was upstairs and the Steel City Stompers had a trombone player who I can remember as John, in those days the very early fifties there was some trouble when the powers that be thought this was den of iniquity!!!,drinking and listening to jazz!!!,decadence in the extreme,(how things have changed) so it was decided to move to a teetotal place,and we all turned up in force to show it was the music we were interested in, and I well remember a very serious looking well dressed man sitting at our table asking questions about the music, our backgrounds and so on,we thought later he must have been some sort of solicitor or similar looking into the matter for the,shall I say the defence,however a short time later we were told the sessions were back on again at the Hallamshire Hotel, in a pub ,selling beer,playing jazz,and we lived to tell the tale.Happy Days.

[Texas]

I remember the first actual live Jazz band I saw in Sheffield was at the Cambridge Street Restaurant, it was down some sort of passage, the R.A.F. had a recruiting office there. The band was the Smoky City Stompers, I think they were from Manchester.

They had a sousaphone for bass with the band's name around the bell. I was absolutely knocked out. I'd been listening to records since I was a kid, but to hear it live, well that was something else. Then there was a short lived Jazz club at the British Restaurant opposite the City Hall, they got a few bands there. I remember they got Vic Lewis to sit in on guitar with some band or other, he was at the City with his big band doing a concert. He used to do Stan Kenton stuff. Like you say Harlan, happy days.

 

Incidently sweetdexter, the 'strippers' name was Sylvia, and if I remember right she got in the papers with the stripping incident.

[desy]

Led to believe there is something going on Jazz wise this weekend at either Hope or Castleton.

[drainpipe]

There was some great jazz around Sheffield in the sixties - here's a few reminders:

 

Stan Dawes band at Nether Edge Hall included Ronnie Chapman (tpt), Don Thompson (tnr), Stan Dawes (alt), Johnny Shaw (bar), Dave Howitt (pno & arranger).

 

Win Lee's band at the grand Hotel - Ray Hollingsworth (tpt), Bunny Harrison (tnr), Tony Oxley (dms), Len Stewart (dblbass),

 

I could go on...

[sprite]

The Steel City Stompers were formed at St Chads Youth Club in about 1950. We picked up different instruments and started to blow .National service did get in the way so therefore many budding musicians passed through the ranks of the S.C.S. to replace the one who had been called up. I could go on for ever about this topic but just one more thing. The trombonist that has been refered to was John Horton who fled to New York and became a surgeon. He also played with the Apex Jazz Band at the Hallamshire on West st

[Highnote]

Thank you for that Sprite I hope John Horton still has happy memories of those times.I Do!!

[extaxman]

Now found out from my mate that Ted Needham did used to play at Nether Edge Hall, just odd gigs for weddings, birthdays etc.

 

His bassist was called Jim Crow but he died early sixties and was replaced by various other people.

 

I was wrong about them playing at the Peacock in Baslow - it was at the Wheatsheaf in Baslow.

[dishwasher]

There used to be regular jazz nights at the White Lion on Heeley Bottom.

 

The pub was always packed. Was it a Tuesday evening? I can't remember.

 

And for a while there was one at George V, opposite the Kelvin flats.

 

I only have fond memories of jazz night in those two places.

[sweetdexter]

Hi drainpipe,

Would the sax player Don thompson have emigrated to Canada?

There is a Don Thompson over here in the cold white north(Presently 34 and humid) who is quite a success

[sprite]

Hello Texas.I too remember the Smokey City Stompers. They did come from Manchester. They had a band within a band and called thenselves Upper Tars alley Washboard Creepers.

Recalling the cafe in Barkers Pool. I remember seeing many bands there. Bands that I remember. Mick Mulligans Magnolia Jazz Band & George Melly, The Crane River Jazz Band,Reg Rigedens Barefoot J/Band,but I think the greatest of them all was Freddy Randel and his band