Can
you remember the time when there was a Band Concert every Sunday evening at the Hippodrome
in Coventry in the winter and at the Jephson Gardens Pavilion in Leamington in the summer?
The days of Ted Heath and his music, the Geraldo Orchestra, Jack Parnell and his Music
Makers, Ken McIntosh and his Band? Nowadays only a few professional Big Bands exist; the
BBC Big Band and the Syd Lawrence Orchestra are the only two that are well known.
This seems a great shame, because the standard of musicianship required is very high
indeed and many of the world's greatest jazz performers learnt their craft in the Big
Bands.
Fortunately the music is still hugely popular and the music of the orchestras of people
like Glenn Miller lives on. Several other famous US orchestras are still working, like
those of Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Maynard Ferguson and the library of some who have
passed on, Stan Kenton, Woody Herman, Les Brown and Buddy Rich, which are still played,
sounds as fresh today as when they were first heard.
New bands continue to contribute to the treasure chest which is the Big Band
experience. Rob McConnell, Bob Florence and our own National Youth Jazz Orchestra are
constantly publishing new arrangements and compositions.
Well what's happening in Chapelfields, you ask? On the last Sunday of every month a
band of professional musicians gets together to organise a Concert of Big Band Music in
the upstairs lounge of the Maudslay Hotel in Allesley Old Road, Coventry. The band
"Don's Atomic Big Band" plays music from the library of all the bands
mentioned above.
One of the features of the Big Bands has always been the featured vocalist and Bill
Butcher, who has many TV appearances to his credit, fulfils that role with Don's
Atomic Big Band. The classic Big Band vocals from the likes of Frank Sinatra, Joe
Williams, Bing Crosby and Andy Williams are always in the programme.
The band is organised by Maureen and Don Mather. Don is a veteran of the Barry Pheips
Orchestra; he played with the Ricky Gerngros Orchestra at the Rialto Casino and with the
Charlie Barlow Band at the Tower Ballroom in Blackpool. He is currently joint leader of
the well known Five A Side, a small jazz outfit, and the Astoria Dixieland Band.
Don's Atomic Big Band is a 20 piece orchestra dedicated to
keeping Big Band music, played to a professional standard, alive in the city of Coventry.
Frequent guest stars bring variety to the band's programme, and famous trumpet player
Bruce Adams will be the guest at the April session. Previous sessions have featured Mark
Nightingale, Guy Barker, Brenda Scott, Gary Cox and American visitors - guitarist Randy
Johnson and tenor saxophone and clarinetist, Frank Griffiths.
The band would welcome support for these monthly concerts. Up coming dates are 28 March
and 25 April commencing at 8pm. An evening of quality music is promised for a
modest price of £3.00 admission.
