Reporter: Tony Sheldon
Date online: 12/06/2008

The thunder and lightening polka, ‘Jazzed Up’ would have been the appropriate theme for the visit of the Yorkshire stompers, when a late afternoon storm of intensity flooded roads and dissuaded many regulars from occupying their usual chairs!

Led by trumpeter Tony Smith, whom I have never heard play better, the band were in great mood and the inclusion of ‘two substitutes from the bench’ far from detracting from the performance, adding a different element to the presentation which was enthusiastically applauded.

Stalwarts Dave Donohue and Frank Broker were plying their trade ‘At a Swiss Festival’, and Cheshire based Reed man Dave Rossiter and York trombonist Andy Hillier blended well into a ‘Team Success’.

Hilliers’ style of individualism led me to believe he had played with a jazz ‘Fun Band’, and he confirmed that he plays with the Pasadena Roof Orchestra, and he was given the opportunity for a solo interpretation of ‘Saint Louis Blues’. With Smith adding the vocal whilst adding his own vocal and nuances in the popular number ‘Shine’ well supported by the rhythm section!

The powerful trumpet of Smith had the room buzzing with his added vocals on numbers ‘Once In A While’, ‘Butter Egg Man’, ‘Give Me A Kiss To Build A Dream On’, ‘Black And Blue’, ‘Buono Sera’, And ‘I Double Dare You’. In which Rossiter's Alto-sax, and a neat duo of Hillier and bass player extraordinaire Annie Hawkins had the audience gasping for more.

An unusual mix featuring Smith and Richard Speight on Guitar, Terry Binns on drums and a Hawkins ‘Bow Bass Solo’ gave an exciting interpretation of ‘Breezy’

Hawkins supremacy was given great opportunity with solo interludes on ‘At Sundown’ and ‘When Somebody Thinks Your Wonderful’ – Slap bass style at its best!

Rossiter's Alto-sax led the way with ‘Sweet Georgia Brown’ accompanied by Speight’s Banjo and they all upped the tempo on ‘Dan’ama Rag’.

Drummer Binns' party piece of a Yorkshire dialect vocal of ‘Sunny Side Of The Street’, always amuses and the band blasted out with ‘Clarinet Marmalade’. Breathtaking!

The Yorkshire Stompers
The Broadfield Hotel
02/07/2006