HEARD IN THE BREAK: DAVE POGSON
Courtesy of Andrew Liddle and Just Jazz Magazine, September 2014 edition

Trumpeter Dave Pogson has been a stalwart of Jazz on both sides of the Pennines for many years. He is equally adept at blowing hot and fiery or smooth and mellow, and for the last seven years has been fronting Spirit of New Orleans, a band for all seasons. Just Jazz caught up with him at one of the band's regular Friday gigs at the Band Club, Delph, a pretty village situated on the Lancashire- Yorkshire border.

You started in brass bands, I believe. How did the transition to Jazz come about?

No, actually, I started trying to play jazz with a band formed mainly from workmates, called the Imperial Jazz Band. I was sacked and replaced by a more experienced player, a certain Chris Mercer. That was quite a blow, at the time, so it was then I decided to get lessons - and the only way I could do that was to get in touch with a brass band. I think I was about 17 or 18 at the time. I had a good teacher and he got me to the point where I had to decide on either brass bands or Jazz. I chose Jazz.

Who were your earliest Jazz influences?

Not what you might think! I can remember listening to the radio quite a lot and two pieces of music stopped me in my tracks. The first was Louis Armstrong's Basin Street Blues and the second was Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. I was hooked on Jazz and Classical Music and went out and bought Basin Street on a 78. Unfortunately, it got damaged and the needle stuck on the drum solo.

First of all, it might be good to establish which bands you've actually played for because there have been a fair few.

If you want them in some sort of chronological order, they are: Imperial Jazz Band (1956-57); Jeff Milner's Jass Men (1963 -1969)

The (first) Magnolia Band (1972 -1990); Mally Kaye Jump Band (1990 -1992); Le Harpe Street Jazz Band (1991 -1999); The Harmony Hounds (1988-1993); The (second) Magnolia Band (1997-2007); The Dave Brennan Jubilee Jazz Band (1998-2009); The Dave Donohoe Band (1998-2007); The Spirit of New Orleans (2007 to the present).

Do you remember your first gig?

My first gig was with The Imperial Jazz Band at Meltham Hall, near Huddersfield, at a Sunday night concert. We possibly only knew about 6 tunes but it seemed to go down well and it felt great. We were a 7-piece band all under 20 years old, then came the sack and we all split up - but two of the members Bob Blake and Terry Mellor went on to form the Savannah Jazz band.

Did it take long to get back into Jazz after The Imperial came to an end?

A bit of a musical gap followed when I joined a youth club and was involved with the club Football and Cricket team, then came my National service where I spent over two years in Belgium - and was at the same camp as Roy Williams. After demob I got a telephone call from trombonist, Jeff Milner, asking if I could I come for a practice at a local pub as their trumpet player was leaving and I had been recommended. I was working on nights at the time at a local engineering factory but we finished at 7. 30 on a Friday evening and I could be there by eight. I can remember looking up at the pub and seeing 6 faces looking out of the window at me. I later learned that one of the lads, clarinettist, Rod Chambers, wasn't impressed with my appearance. Apparently, he said, 'Bloody Hell, he just looks like Kenny Ball!' I think they were hoping I looked more like Kid Howard! However, fortunately, they liked my playing and I was immediately hired and stayed with the band for about 6 years.

Correct me if I'm wrong, Dave, but I seem to remember you as an out-and-out New Orleans player at the time.

Jeff was really only interested in the revival period and the George Lewis band was the band we should all use as our influence along with some Bunk Johnson and Kid Thomas. The only British band which was recommended was the Ken Colyer Band. At the time we were all happy with that and the band did well with musicians like Jeff, Rod Chambers, Barry Wood, on drums, Pete Beaumont, on piano, and myself . Then my son was born and I resigned from the band and concentrated on work and family life for a few years. I think this is what you describe as my out-and-out New Orleans period.

So how did you get back into Jazz again and did your style change?

I was wanting to start playing again so I went to a local Jeff Milner gig to see Dan Pawson, who was guesting with the band. At the concert was trombonist, Dave Donohoe, and Jeff kindly asked if the two of us would like a sit in. After the gig Dave asked me if I would like to play with his band in Ashton-under-Lyne and that was the start of a different approach to New Orleans' Jazz. I must admit I was ready for the change and Dave gave his musicians a lot of freedom in what to play and how to play. The only rule was it does not matter what tune you play as long as you play it in the New Orleans' style. I found this approach just what I was looking for and also met some new musicians on the same wave length. It seemed the Manchester/ Lancashire approach to jazz differed from the Leeds /Yorkshire type jazz scene. I was now playing mostly alongside musicians from the Lancashire area.

Yet pretty soon after that you were back in Yorkshire with Magnolia. How did that come about?

I was then asked to join a band run by Les Moore , on banjo, alongside Dennis Browne, clarinet, and Jack Jenkinson, trombone. I think due to pressure of work Jack and myself could not fully commit to the band's workload and so Jack and I left and decided to form another band with a less demanding schedule. I was responsible for including my old friends from the Jeff Milner band, Pete Beaumont, Barry Wood and Roger Kenworthy, on bass. On reeds we had Gerry Owen. So actually, The Magnolia was a Yorkshire- Lancashire line-up and we actually started off in Oldham, a mid-way point for the Lancashire and Yorkshire musicians with regard to travel. We played in various pubs in Oldham mainly on a Monday night. We also had a two-weekly residency in Prestwich on Thursday night alternating with the French Quarter Band. By this time Gerry had left the band and we had Gabe Essien on clarinet.

And when did Le Harpe Street start?

This was quite a busy period because as well as the Magnolia I was involved with the Mally Kaye Jump Band which was an out-and- out Mainstream band. Also around this time Taff Lloyd whoplayed guitar in the Jump band decided to form a New Orleans' band with himself on drums and this became the Le Harpe Street Jazz band with a residency at Gildersome Lodge, near Leeds, every Tuesday. In between these bands I joined the Harmony Hounds a four-piece band who played Twenties-style jazz. This was when my brass band tuition played off due to the number of arrangements we had to read.

I seem to remember you also playing reeds at the time and a long residency at Gildersome Lodge.

It was at this point I took up clarinet and alto sax and included them on Harmony gigs. I played very simple arrangements on clarinet but was more experimental on sax. Then I also got the residency every Thursday night at Gildersome Lodge with the re-formed five- piece Magnolia band. Finally, around this time I also joined the Dave Brennan Jubilee Jazz Band.

Do you still play reeds? I've not heard you for a long time?

I still practise reeds just in case I may get a call. I find the alto sax much the easier instrument and try to play melodies Johnny Hodges' style and New Orleans' up-tempo Captain John Handy style. I do emphasise TRY to play.

You mentioned earlier feeling liberated by Dave Donohoe's approach to Jazz. When did your association with his band begin.

One Thursday evening during a session at Gildersome, Dave Donohoe came and asked if he could sit in. He later joined Magnolia which now became a standard six-piece. When Dave got a residency at Delph, in Lancashire, he asked myself, Pete Beaumont and clarinettist, John Brunton, to join the band along with by Mal Horne, on banjo, Howard Maud, drums, and Keith Shone, bass, to form the Dave Donohoe Band. When Dave left to live in Scotland we became the Spirit of New Orleans, a name which John Brunton suggested. The current line-up consists of myself and John Brunton; on trombone Mike Taylor or Mike Pembroke; Mal Horne, banjo and guitar; Bill Evans drums; Pete Beaumont or Frank Cooke on piano; and Jim Swinnerton or John Muskett on bass.

This brings us nicely up to date. Tell me about running Spirit of New Orleans.

It's a very easy band to run because we are all on the same wave length, music-wise and we share the work load. I front the band and work out the music programme while Mal arranges the guest musicians. Bill does the bookings for the gigs we do .We tend to play at all our local Jazz clubs including Leeds, Boston Spa, Barnsley, Dunscar, Bolton and Unwin Road. We will be going to Darlington and Burton-on-Trent this year but it is band policy to keep travel to a minimum. I suppose it would be nice to get a weekend gig occasionally.

You have a Friday residence in a small, quite remote village, Delph, in an area synonymous with Brass bands - yet, year after year, you play to full houses. How do you manage that?

I don't think we always play to full houses. We have a core of regular followers which helps. I hope we attract additional followers due to the quality and variety of the music we play. We also have had wonderful support of the Delph Band Club committee both past and present.

Tell me about some of the guest musicians you attract.

We have about 10 musicians who make up the core of the band, the guests we have had have been really good and include James Evans, Tom Kincaid, Amy Roberts and Sammy Rimington. I include Jim Swinnerton, Mike Pembroke and Mike Taylor in our core musicians, so we are lucky to attract such high quality musicians.

The band plays the whole gamut of styles from Classic Jazz, through Revival, to something approaching Mainstream and including Blues and elements of C&W. Is variety one of the secrets of your success?

I think and also hope that it is, when you play at the same places every week you need to keep the audience interested and also stop the band from being bored. It also helps to keep the musicians keen and on their toes. I also think it improves your playing. A compliment we are often given after a session is how much they enjoyed the variety of programme.

And do you have a personal preference for any of these (above-mentioned) styles.

I don't have any particular preference although I do like tunes with a good melody. Obviously all New Orleans' music and I am a big fan of Duke Ellington and his musicians.

You seem blessed with an unusual number of good singers in the band. Is this another secret of your success?

I think I would put that another way, we have members in the band who like to sing but are not necessarily good singers. I always joke that we are good singers with lousy voices.

Tell me about your interest in Harry 'Sweets' Edison and any other favourites you might have.

I came upon Sweets watching a Jazz programme on television. It was a small group and Lester Young was on tenor. They were just playing a simple blues but the tone and simplicity was perfect. I then got two CDs, Back to Back and Side by Side, featuring a Duke Ellington small group with Sweets and Johnny Hodges taking the lead. Again just perfect beautiful tones and simple melody with minimum amount of notes. I prefer this style to the Bebop style I know Sweets is capable of.

How can anybody wanting to buy your CD with James Evans go about it?

No problem, all they have to do is just ask me at one of our gigs.

Finally, do you have any further musical ambitions personally or for Spirit of New Orleans?

No, I think to just keep playing with a good group of musicians and friends, to still get asked to play by clubs and other bands, and to know that we can still make people happy as a band playing the music we love.

Andrew Liddle
October 2014

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