Blue Note Jazz Band featuring Hannah Wedlock
Geoff Nichols (t, flg) Hugh Roberts (reeds) Ron Brown (tr) Geoff Roberts (p) Cass Caswell (b) Eddie John (d) Hannah Wedlock (voc)
The Blue Notes band began life as The Blue Note Jazz Band in 1955, at the height of the revival of interest in Traditional Jazz in Europe. Thousands of young people took up playing trumpets, trombones, clarinets etc., listened to records of Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton and King Oliver, and attempted to re-create their sound.
The Blue Notes still play jazz to enthusiastic audiences, and have developed their own style and repertoire, widening their jazz horizons to accommodate Swing and Mainstream. They even include more “popular” forms - (listen to their version of Van Morrison`s Moondance on their recent C.D.)
For most of their history, the Blue Notes were led by Local Radio Presenter Roger Bennett, an extremely talented Soprano Sax player, who sadly died in 2005. Since then, Geoff Nichols (trumpet-playing leader of the Avon Cities band for the previous 50 years) has fronted the band, flanked by some of the top jazz musicians in the West Country. Together they constitute a formidable Traditional/Mainstream/Swing band, with the added attraction of singer Hannah Wedlock, a vocal and visual hit wherever she appears. They have a residency at the Undercroft Jazz Club in the heart of Bristol, and regularly play Festivals and Clubs around the West Country.
Their latest C.D. – “Live – at the Undercroft” demonstrates their Versatility, Virtuosity, Variety and Vigour!
Abbreviations: as alto sax; b acoustic bass ; bjo banjo; bsax bass sax; cl clarinet, ct cornet; d drums; eb electric bass; eg electric guitar; fl flute; flg flugel horn; g guitar; org organ; p piano : sousa sousaphone; t = trumpet; tr trombone; ts tenor sax; viol violin; voc voice.