Jazz at the Miners

 

Throughout the year there are regular Jazz Nights, primarily on Mondays

Paul Munnery's Swing Street

Yes, we have re-decorated since this photo was taken!

Paul Munnery

We have had some great Jazz nights and recently had the BBC recording a show with us featuring Mellow Avstreih that has been released as an album called Carefree Together.

 

BELLEVILLE SWING !! - Performed on Sunday 30th August

Pete Nicholson is the lead guitarist from The Gaulois Brothers. The Gaulois Brothers are based in Bath and gig extensively round Britain though they have played as far afield as Hungary and France. Tony Davey. our lead guitarist, is local to the FOD and over a long career has played with a variety of eminent jazz musicians including the great Diz Disley. Ant Johnson has finally settled on the double bass as 'his' instrument after forty-five years ranging from trumpet, piano, guitar and blues bass.

They perform a Gypsy Jazz, the style of music developed almost entirely by Django Reinhardt, the famous French Gypsy guitarist who ‘gypsy jazzed’ virtually the entire jazz catalogue of the 20’s, 30’s and 40’s, from Cole Porter to Duke Ellington. The line up is two ‘Maccaferri’ style guitars and double bass. The music shifts from Jazz Swing, through East European waltz, to Bossanova. The pure Gypsy stuff is fast and furious with more than a passing nod to Hungarian fast-dance style. It’s a style rarely played in Britain up until about five years ago when its infectious rhythm and almost unique lead guitar method started a keener interest.