The Jelly Roll Jazz Band

Short Description

We take the 'modern' out of modern jazz.

The Jelly Roll Jazz Band is a traditional (‘Dixieland’) jazz trio, originally based in the North East of England but now working regularly across the U.K. They play a mixture of 1920s standards (e.g. ‘When You’re Smiling’, ‘Sweet Georgia Brown’), classic swing tunes (‘Autumn Leaves’, ‘Fly Me To the Moon’), and more modern songs in a trad. jazz style – ‘...Baby One More Time’ never sounded so good! Their influences include jazz greats like Louis Armstrong and Fats Waller, as well as more eccentric interpreters such as The Temperance Seven and The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. The musicians are drawn from a pool of 8 regular players, depending on availability and type of event. Typically the line-up consists of clarinet, banjo or guitar, and double bass or sousaphone (with maybe an occasional duck whistle or pair of spoons thrown in for good measure). The band is also completely acoustic, making it ideal for outdoor and walkaround events. They perform at all sorts of occasions, including weddings, parties, festivals and agricultural shows. Recent engagements have included the Tour de Yorkshire, the Royal Bath & West Show, and Sunday lunches in Pickering’s Forest & Vale Hotel.

What to expect

The Jelly Roll Jazz Band usually takes the form of a trio, with clarinet, banjo (or guitar) and double bass (or sousaphone). The band draws its musicians from a pool of around seven regular members depending on who is available, and this fluidity creates a constant stream of fresh inspiration and ideas. One of the band’s greatest strengths is its flexibility. Much of the music is improvised around a core melody and chord progression, and therefore it is very easy to change or add instruments depending on the occasion and which players are free. The musicians all originate from Scarborough, and the band still performs regularly in this area. However many of the members now live further afield, and they are available for bookings across the country. Recent performances have taken them as far afield as London, Darlington and Warwick. The style of music they play is traditional (‘Dixieland’) jazz, and they have a repertoire of around 100 songs so are able to play for hours without repeating themselves. Furthermore, they are capable of playing for hours without repeating themselves. They cover a range of standards from the 1900s to the 1930s, including such favourites as ‘Down By the Riverside’, ‘When the Saints’ and ‘The Sheik of Araby’. Their repertoire also features more recent hits like ‘The Bare Necessities’ and ‘Moon River’, and they have even branched out into ‘90s pop with versions of ‘My Heart Will Go On’ and ‘…Baby One More Time’. Their influences include jazz greats such as Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller, Jelly Roll Morton and Chris Barber. The eccentric humour of The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band plays a big part in their performance style as well, often lending a slightly surreal edge to proceedings. The band plays regularly at a wide range of events and occasions, for example: Wedding receptions Wedding anniversaries Birthday parties Great Gatsby-themed parties Cheese and wine evenings Funerals Village fayres Agricultural shows Exhibition openings Restaurants Open-top bus rides They are available for concert performances as well, where their lively style and natural rapport with an audience ensures a highly entertaining evening for all involved. The band is very compact, and can easily squeeze into the corner of a room if space is limited. In the past this has allowed them to perform in tight spaces such as the area at the front of an open-top bus, and even someone’s living room! Furthermore, they are capable of playing for hours without repeating themselves. They usually perform completely acoustically, and therefore do not need a power supply of any sort. This makes them ideal for outdoor occasions, and events that involve a lot of moving around. If amplification is required, however, they can include that at no additional cost. Another feature of the band is their ability to walk around whilst playing, depending on the combination of instruments (it’s much easier to do with a sousaphone than a double bass!). This is especially useful for outdoor events such as fayres and rallies, and can lend a really dynamic feel whilst enabling the musicians to cover a much wider area.

FAQ

Q: How long does setup take? A: Around 15 minutes, although we do of course aim to arrive considerably earlier!
Q: What are your space and power requirements? A: The band is very compact, and can easily squeeze into the corner of a room if space is limited. In the past this has allowed them to perform in tight spaces such as the area at the front of an open-top bus, and even someone’s living room! Furthermore, they are capable of playing for hours without repeating themselves. They usually perform completely acoustically, and therefore do not need a power supply of any sort. This makes them ideal for outdoor occasions, and events that involve a lot of moving around. If amplification is required, however, they can include that at no additional cost.
Q: Do you take requests? A: We certainly do. If you have a particular song or piece of music you’d like to hear at your event, let us know and we’ll add it to the set list. However, if the piece is not already in our repertoire we may need to charge an additional £5 (per request) to cover the additional cost of obtaining, arranging and rehearsing the music.

We take the 'modern' out of modern jazz.

Q: How long does setup take?

A: Around 15 minutes, although we do of course aim to arrive considerably earlier!

Q: What are your space and power requirements?

A: The band is very compact, and can easily squeeze into the corner of a room if space is limited. In the past this has allowed them to perform in tight spaces such as the area at the front of an open-top bus, and even someone’s living room! Furthermore, they are capable of playing for hours without repeating themselves. They usually perform completely acoustically, and therefore do not need a power supply of any sort. This makes them ideal for outdoor occasions, and events that involve a lot of moving around. If amplification is required, however, they can include that at no additional cost.

Q: Do you take requests?

A: We certainly do. If you have a particular song or piece of music you’d like to hear at your event, let us know and we’ll add it to the set list. However, if the piece is not already in our repertoire we may need to charge an additional £5 (per request) to cover the additional cost of obtaining, arranging and rehearsing the music.

We take the 'modern' out of modern jazz. View More

Jazz and Swing Bands, Live Bands, Party and Function Bands based in Manchester

Book directly with Michael Grant member since 24/10/2019

Book directly with Michael Grant member since 24/10/2019

Short Description

Act Introduction

What to expect

FAQ

Find

Plan

Help & Info