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Any Jazz fans left in Sheffield?


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Reading about the appearance of the Kurt Edelhagen orchestra at the City Hall set me thinking about the first jazz concert I ever went to there. It must've been in late 40's early 50's. The band was a Vic Lewis outfit and I remember Kathy Stobart, Don Lang, and Dill Jones were some of the musicians. And the drummer was Pete Coleman. Vic Lewis was into Stan Kenton and featured a number of arrangements by Bill Holman et al. He was quite tight with Kenton and I think he recorded personally with the Kenton Band but I'm not sure.

Vic Lewis had recorded with two or three bands in the U.S prior to him having the Kenton influenced band we were used to in England. Can anyone else remember their first jazz concert at the City?

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I don't remember the first concert, but obviously I saw Vic Lewis a few times over the years and remember all the musicians that you mentioned Texas. It seems to me that Pete Coleman drummer, married the female singer with the band at the time, can't recall her name but I believe she sang with a June Christie influence.

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  • 3 weeks later...

On the 'Rifftides' site, htt://www,artsjournal.com/rifftides/ there's a masterpiece of a video showing Johnny Hodges' alto being disassembled and then assembled again all to the track of 'Wabash Blues' and 'Day Dream'. Fascinating stuff to one who couldn't take apart a bicycle pump! The octave key head depicted a serpent with diamond chips for eyes, beautiful! Give it a go!

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  • 1 month later...

hi texas i am doing a bit of research on behalf of my cousin who lives in australia. she came across an article you and fleetwood were having back in 2010 about a ron wooding. My cousins dad was of this name and he was my uncle. you mention he was a fantastic dancer and dresser always in fashion and you were wondering what has happened to him. also later on you and jazzman were discussing a jazzband called the rotherham jazz hounds who played at the cross keys in rotherham,and they were led by a duncon banentyne who was a top doctor, well my uncle ron was in this band as he was a great fan of jazz, he played the drums. now my cousin is in a bit of shock to be reading this article of yours because uncle ron passed away some years ago in australia. they emigrated out there in the early to mid 60s . she would love for me to get more info of her dad as i am going out to see her in january 2014. do you think it could be the same person we are talking about, i do have photos of my uncle ron when he was in the band and when he was dressed up for his nights out. my mum also said that he was always a snappy dresser and loved his jazz music. could you please let me know if you think it is the same ron wooding we are both talking about. many thanks jean

 

---------- Post added 09-11-2013 at 09:49 ----------

 

Hi Boofie

As I am one of the last of the Stompers, I can tell you that as far as I can remember.we made two recordings. Both were made at Curtis Studio on London Rd. There may be somebody who taped us but I think that is highly unlikely.

Who are you?

 

hi jazzman, i am trying to find out more about my uncle who was in a jazzband called the Rotherham jazz hounds i think from the late 50s early 60s. his name was Ron wooding and i know that a Dr banatyne was also in the band. i have got this infomation from my mum, i also have had a message from my cousin in australia who has found a blogg on the sheffield forum about a Ron Wooding by a fleetwood and a texas discussing how he was a great dancer and a very sharp dresser. i have sent both these people a message and as you have mentioned the rotherham jazz hounds i felt i needed to contact you also. if you have any more info i would be very greatfull as my cousin is so excited to find out if this is indeed her late father. many thanks jean[color="Silver

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Edited by jubs
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Hi jubs - I'm sure you have made 'Texas' and myself very proud by reading our meanderings down memory lane on the 'jazz' and the 'Ron Wooding' threads. I have some information from 'hillsbro' given to me a couple of years ago, which naturally I have misplaced, somehow I don't think we are talking about the same person but I could be wrong. I am going to gather my thoughts together and do some hunting and will reply on the 'Wooding' thread in due course, maybe we will all find something new out and be surprised. fleetwood

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Hi jubs - I'm sure you have made 'Texas' and myself very proud by reading our meanderings down memory lane on the 'jazz' and the 'Ron Wooding' threads. I have some information from 'hillsbro' given to me a couple of years ago, which naturally I have misplaced, somehow I don't think we are talking about the same person but I could be wrong. I am going to gather my thoughts together and do some hunting and will reply on the 'Wooding' thread in due course, maybe we will all find something new out and be surprised. fleetwood

 

Thanks ever so much for getting back to me about Ron wooding I do hope it is the very same person . it would mean so much to my cousin and also myself if it was. I would be very greatful to you for anything you can find out for me, as I say he was in the Rotherham jazz hounds band back in the 50s/60s as my mum has confirmed to me. jean

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Hello jubs. First I'm going to say I'm with Fleetwood on the subject of Ron Wooding being a relation, simply by the fact that the Ron Wooding of Fleetwood's and my own acquaintance was a 'bopper'. That is to say that back in the days we were relating to there were two schools of jazz fans, traditional and modern and the Ron Wooding I knew was very definitely of the latter school of fan. But on saying that, it was quite possible he was a 'closet' fan of the older type of jazz. I know I was, but I never admitted it.

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Thank you so much for getting back to me about this subject I do appreciate it .I will still try and get some info about my uncle as I know someone somewhere will be able to tell me about my uncle rons early days in the jazz band thank you again. Jean

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  • 2 weeks later...

Many years ago Radio Sheffield had a jazz programme one night a week during which Dave Brennan who ran the show, interviewed some of the musicians who played in Sheffield at that time. After much searching I found amongst my tapes an interview with Phil Wade who was the drummer with the Jazz Hounds. He tells of the Rotherham Jazz Hounds starting to play at the Cross Keys in 1949 In that year a group of chaps got together at the home of Duncan Ballantyne to play for their own amazement. Within a short time they had moved to the Cross Keys and before you knew it the place was heaving. I do seem to think that I heard that the band started before the war but I cannot find any proof of that. In 1949 the band members were Duncan clt, Colin Marner tpt, Kenny Blakemore tmbn, Don Waterhouse pno, Mat Hoople bnjo, Ellis Devine tuba Phil Wade drums. The band did have changes as time went by. Andy Walker, Mal Bramley,Tiny Smith, Dave Howitt came in as others left.

I hope that this recollection might help in your search.

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