DOCTOR
JAZZ first came together for an impromptu session at the Jazz
Rendezvous, St Helens, in the early part of 1999. We liked the
sound so much that we decided to turn it into a regular band.
Since then, our reputation has grown steadily and we’ve had
great receptions at a range of leading venues from Cheshire to
Cumbria.
Venues
we’ve played include Bolton Cricket Club, the Wilbraham Arms
(Alsager), Jazz At The Wicket (Preston), the Whitewater Hotel
(Newby Bridge), the Outgate Hotel (Ambleside), St Bede’s
Jazz Club (Chorley), The Hesketh Arms (Southport), the Royal
Hotel (Hayfield), St Helens Bowling Club, Hyde Cricket &
Squash Club, Castleton Gabriels (Rochdale) and we appear roughly
once a month at the Jazz Rendezvous, St Helens. We've also
enjoyed appearing at the Marsden, Merseyside and Southport
festivals.
The band
is made up of established musicians with loads of experience,
plus our young singer, Edwina, who has quickly become a favourite
with audiences for her spirited interpretations of a wide range
of material.
Our aim?
To serve up an exhilarating potion of swinging, foot-tapping jazz
in the mould of bands like Chris Barber, Terry Lightfoot and Alex
Welsh.
That’s
Doctor Jazz’s traditional potion. Why not try a draught or
two?
Derek Skepper
(trumpet, flugelhorn)
An
admirer of Bobby Hackett and Ruby Braff, as shown in his
mellow, lyrical trumpet style, Derek spent some years
with Chester’s Phoenix Jazz Band and later with
Razzamajazz. Also known as a purveyor of amusing vocals,
though he sometimes forgets the words.
Eric Brierley
(trombone)
A trombonist much in demand,
Eric has been a member of three of the North-West’s
best-known bands, The Zenith Six, The Smoky City and Mart
Rodger’s Manchester Jazz, also doing a spell on the
national scene with Terry Lightfoot. Turns in some great
Brierley-style vocals and wears some disgracefully loud
shirts.
Terry Perry
(clarinet, saxes)
Formerly lead alto with the
highly-rated 11-piece Harlem, Terry also leads his own
big band, Big Easy. Shades of Jimmy Noone and the early
jazz saxophonists. On the vocal side, he’s a dab
hand at spirituals.
Howard Parr
(banjo/guitar)
A couple of decades ago,
Howard, a member of Manchester’s Panama Jazz Band,
decided to retire from strumming. But in the long run,
the pull was too strong and a couple of years ago, he
dusted down his instruments, sank his life’s savings
in some new strings and a plectrum and rekindled the
lively propulsive playing which is his hallmark.
Keith Allcock
(bass)
Formerly with Razzamajazz,
Keith also spent a couple of years with the Wirral Panama
Jazz Band. Favouring the ‘walking’ bass style,
he tends to get rather wrapped up in the music, with
facial expressions that vary from the ecstatic to the
inane.
Dick Nancarrow
(drums)
Much appreciated for his
swing and versatility, Dick is well known on the
Manchester scene. He has done long stints with bands led
by two fine Mancunian jazzmen, Don Long and Colin
Tompkins, and cut his teeth with the Manchester Panama
Jazz Band. But that was when he had hair!