50th Anniversary Tour Concert Review: The Anvil, Basingstoke, June 11, 2003
By Julian Purser
The Anvil, Basingstoke, is a new town modern concert hall, and on the 11th of June played host to The Big Chris Barber Band during the band's current 50th Anniversary tour (the 50th Anniversary continues probably till next year; The Ken Colyer Band was formed in March 1953 on Ken's return from New Orleans).

As this review is the first of an occasional series (hopefully) I should introduce the musicians! Chris and Pat have been there forever! (Pat in fact joined in December 1952, but played only briefly before returning to his studies to become a chemist; however, as is well known, he returned for good on 31 May 1954.) John Slaughter joined in the summer of 1964, being recommend by John Mayall, and apart from a break in the 1980s and 1990s is still playing rhythm and blues guitar. Vic Pitt is from a musical family (his brother, Tony, is an excellent banjo/guitartist who has played with bands such as Acker Bilk, Alex Welsh, and Kenny Ball). Vic started in skiffle groups, and joined Kenny Ball in 1959, staying eighteen years before joining Chris on double bass in 1977. Paul Sealey (banjo/guitar), before joining Chris in the summer of 1994, was freelancing and playing with Humphrey Lyttelton, Keith Nichols, and many others; he is still much in demand in band breaks for recording, etc. John Defferary (clarinet, basset horn, tenor sax) has spent a lot of his career abroad: USA (where he was taught by both Barney Bigard and Albert Nicholas) and Europe, latterly with Papa Bue; he joined Chris after the 1998 summer break. Joining at the same time was Colin Miller (drums), who had been playing with Brian White's Magna Jazz Band.

The Big Chris Barber Band came into being officially in November 2001, when three members of the Bob Hunt Ellingtonians joined as full-time band personnel. During the previous couple of years, they had guested on many occasions, and as this was popular and good for the band, Chris took the next step and the band became an 'Eleven Piece.'

Bob Hunt (trombone, arranger) has played with Sid Lawrence, the Pasadena Roof Orchestra, and many others, before leading his own Ellington Orchestra. With an eleven piece band the arrangements are very important, and with Bob, Chris has an excellent arranger, and of course he is an Ellington specialist. Mike 'Magic' Henry (trumpet) started playing with classical groups, brass bands, doing session work; in 1978 he joined the Pasadena Roof Orchestra for some 12 years, and since then has freelanced, working for Keith Nichols, The Grahamaphones, Midnite Follies, and many others, not forgetting the Bob Hunt Ellingtonians. Tony Carter (clarinet, alto sax, baritone sax, and flute) was in BBC Midland Radio Orchestra, Harry Strutters Hot Rhythm Orchestra (so are Mike and Bob!) when time permits, and also in Bob Hunt's Ellingtonians. The latest recruit to the band, Trevor Whiting (clarinet, alto sax, tenor sax, and soprano sax) has played with John Petters Band, Hefty Jazz, and also made an album under his own name (Flamingo on Rose Records).

So there is the line up for this concert, which opens with the Band's signature tune Bourbon Street Parade (there was a period when I Never Shall Forget took over this role for a while). This is an ensemble piece, but has a good solo by Paul, and a wonderful duet by the two trombones. We then move on to the first Bob-arranged Ellington piece, Misty Mornin'/Jungle Nights in Harlem, lively numbers with solos all round. (Chris first recorded Misty Morning in October 1951! reissued on Lake LACD158 - The Great Revival Traditional Jazz 1951-57). Next we have a 1930 Dorsey Brothers tune, Spell of the Blues. Bob Hunt plays the Tommy Dorsey 1st Trombone part, and as Chris himself stated he plays the easier 2nd trombone part (Glen Miller was the Dorsey Brothers' other trombonist). A wonderful old 1920 popular song Alice Blue Gown (Bob Hunt arrangement) comes next. (On the First Eleven CD [Timeless] I play this track time after time, it fairly romps along, with the band building to a great climax, and then repeating it.) One would not normally expect a Miles Davis number from Chris; however Miles understood the blues as well as anyone, and All Blues is a workout for the reeds (no trumpets or trombones), with Tony Carter soloing on flute: wonderful stuff. Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee wrote Cornbread, Peas and Black Molasses and introduced the band to the number on their tour in 1958; Chris and Pat provide vocal, and again the reeds are featured with Tony on baritone and John and Trevor swopping choruses on tenors: very bluesy. I remember listening to Devaluation Blues back in 1975 -- at the time the title was self explanatory! It is a good tune, and John Slaughter is showcased. One of the current highlights of the band's concerts is the Vic's and Colin's workout on The Bob Crosby Band original Big Noise From Winetka (Timeless TDD628); it is one number that needs to be watched as well as listened to, as Colin leaves the drums and uses his sticks everywhere, ending on the bass strings! This is followed by another Crosby Band original, South Rampart Street Parade -- ensemble playing throughout, bringing the first part of the show to a roaring climax.

Chris starts the second half with a humorous resume of how the band started, and then introduces the current 'Six Piece' playing the spiritual Precious Lord and one of Wilbur De Paris's well known Island Tunes, The Martinique (all these islands started with an M (Malta, Madeira, etc.); this is another of my favourite tunes first recorded in 1954 and released by Decca on New Orleans Joys (reissued on Lake LACD141/142). The full band returns with another segued version of two Duke Ellington numbers, Black and Tan Fantasy/The Mooche, very atmospheric, lots of clarinets, and John Defferary playing the basset horn to vary the sound (again Bob Hunt arrangements). Black and Tan was first recorded in 1955, while The Mooche was first played and recorded while the band was touring with two ex-Ellington sidemen, Wild Bill Davis (piano) and Russell Procope (clarinet and alto sax) in 1976: wonderful concerts (Timeless TTD 556/557). Jubilee Stomp, first recorded by Duke in 1927/28, is an up-tempo romp, after which the band need a break, so Chris takes his solo number Sweet Georgia Brown with nice changes of tempo; also soloing are Vic and Paul. Monty Sunshine (who was rather ill recently, but is now in better health) has retired and the band is again playing Petite Fleur as a Tony Carter feature, with full band backing, and Paul playing the guitar solo. This leaves just time for a good workout on The Saints. Everyone gets to solo, and the version is far from hackneyed.

As can be seen the programme is varied: all the band are featured and can be seen to be enjoying themselves, and their playing sounds fresh. There are, I am sure, more new arrangements and tunes to come. If you have not seen the band recently then I would urge you to go if they are anywhere near you. As Chris says, "If you last saw us in 1958, don't leave it so long again, or it will be too late!"

First Half:

The Big Chris Barber Band

Pat Halcox, Mike 'Magic' Henry (tps)
Chris Barber, Bob Hunt (tbs)
John Defferary (cl-1; ts-2; cl/basset horn-3; cl/ts-4)
Tony Carter (cl-5; as-6; bar-7; as/cl-8; flute-9; as/cl/bar-10)
Trevor Whiting (cl-11; as-12; ts-13; as/cl-14)
Paul Sealey (bj-15; g-16)
John Slaughter (g)
Vic Pitt (sbs)
Colin Miller (d)

Bourbon Street Parade (CB, PH; 2, 6, 11, 15)
Misty Mornin'/Jungle Nights In Harlem (4, 8, 14, 15)
Spell Of The Blues (4, 8, 14, 15)
Alice Blue Gown (2, 5, 11, 15)
All Blues (omit PH, MH, CB, BH) (2, 9, 11, 16)
Cornbread, Peas and Black Molasses (CB, PH vcl only, omit MH, BH, 2, 7, 13, 15)
Devaluation Blues (2, 7, 12, 16)
Big Noise From Winetka (VP/sbs and CM/d only)
South Rampart Street Parade (2, 7, 14, 15)

Second Half:

The 'Six Piece' Chris Barber Band

Pat Halcox (tp)
Chris Barber (tb, sbs/tb-1)
John Defferary (cl)
Paul Sealey (bj)
Vic Pitt (sbs)
Colin Miller (d)

Precious Lord
Martinique

The Big Chris Barber Band

Pat Halcox, Mike 'Magic' Henry (tps)
Chris Barber, Bob Hunt (tbs)
John Defferary (cl-1; ts-2; cl/basset horn-3; cl/ts-4)
Tony Carter (cl-5; as-6; bar-7; as/cl-8; flute-9; as/cl/bar-10)
Trevor Whiting (cl-11; as-12; ts-13; as/cl-14)
Paul Sealey (bj-15; g-16)
John Slaughter (g)
Vic Pitt (sbs)
Colin Miller (d)

Black and Tan Fantasy/The Mooche (3, 8, 14, 15)
Jubilee Stomp (2, 6, 12, 15)
Sweet Georgia Brown (omit MH, TC, BH; 1, 12, 16)
Goin' Home/Chimes Blues (4, 5, 11/13, 15)
Petite Fleur (2, 5, 14,16)
When The Saints Go Marching In (1, 5/7,12, 15)

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