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Photo - Danny Riley, 7th April 2003
Band leader Cyril Wroe passed away on 24th
November 2021
Pianist Adrian Ridgeway passed away on 19th Feb 2021
This
seven piece band was originally formed in January 1974 when a
group of enthusiastic jazz musicians got together and started to
practise in the back room of the Queen's Hotel, Poulton Le Fylde
near Blackpool. Now, more than twenty years later, this group of
semi- professional musicians under the leadership of founder
member Cyril Wroe are still playing on the Fylde coast when asked, although not
with all the musicians shown in the picture.
With their extensive
repertoire of traditional jazz and mainstream music the band
comprises clarinet/tenor sax, trumpet, trombone, piano, bass,
banjo/guitar and drums. To celebrate their 21st birthday the band
made a live recording at Uncle Tom's cabin, Blackpool, their
weekly Wednesday night venue at the time and followed this with a
second recording at Blakeys Cafe Bar in 1997. The tapes were well received by Jazz F.M. Manchester who frequently broadcasted
selected tracks on their Sunday programme. The band has also
broadcast live on Radio Lancashire and featured in the
prestigious magazine Lancashire life.
The Band at Blakeys 4th March 2002 - Photo Fred
Burnett
An early achievement was in
reaching the semi-final of the Holstein/Jazz Journal National
Jazz Band Competition, at the same time winning several awards
for outstanding individual musicianship. With steadily widening
popularity they have played venues further afield including, the
Isle of Man; East Anglia; the LLangollen Jazz Festival; Blakeys
cafe bar at Blackburn, Bolton Cricket Club, the Hesketh Arms,
Southport, a selective, jazz orientated pub; Jim Bowen's Redwell
Inn; the Outgate, Hawkshead; on the Lake Windermere steamer and
as guests in the Mayor's parlour, Blackpool Town Hall. Some of
the country's leading jazz musicians have been featured as guest
soloists with the band, and these include Roy Williams, John Barnes, Digby Fairweather, Dave
Shepherd, Ben Cohen, Martin Taylor, Tommy Burton, Keith and
Marcia Pendlebury.
The band
has played to
packed audiences at various venues throughout Blackpool and the
Fylde Area. The style of music is orientated towards Dixieland,
with the occasional mainstream number included in the programme.
The band line-up consisted of the leader Cyril Wroe (clarinet,
tenor sax & vocals), Cyril Lyons (Trombone), Adrian Ridgway
(Piano), Ron Strachan (Banjo, Guitar), Gerry Clayton (Bass),
Geoff Gallagher (Drums). Ron Hancock (Trumpet).
Cyril Lyons died July 2010
Festival Jazzmen Tape/CD
:-
The Festival Jazzmen Live
Volume 1 - Recorded at Uncle Tom's Cabin
Lady be Good : Big Butter
& Egg Man : Bugle Boy March : New Orleans : Canal St. Blues :
At The Jazz Band Ball : Bourbon St. Parade : Black & Blue :
Blue Monk : China Boy : Night Train Blues.
The Festival Jazzmen Live
Volume 2 - Recorded at Blakeys Jazz Bar, Blackburn
Wolverine Blues : Sister
Kate : High Society : Honky Tonk Train Blues : Tishomingo Blues :
Georgia Camp Meeting : Nagasaki : Panama Rag : My Merry
Oldsmobile : Trouble In Mind : Washington And Lee March : Just A
Closer Walk With Thee.
The Festival Jazzmen Live
Volume 3 - Recorded at The Royal Oak, Poulton-le-Fylde
Algiers Strut : Davenport Blues : Milenburg Joys : Coney
Island Washboard : West End Blues : Hiawatha Rag : Dippermouth
Blues : Panama Rag : Muscrat Ramble : Da Da Strain : Bugle Boy
March : Ponchartrain Blues : Kid Ory's Creole Trombone : Black
Cat on The Fence : Original Dixieland One-Step : I'll Be Glad
When You're Dead
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