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

It should have been the Jim Wilkes Stompers, but dear Jim had been called to accompany the strains of the celestial chorus and a huge crowd gathered for a tribute concert by the Tame Valley Stompers who included three guest musicians due to other prior commitments.

Reeds player and member of both bands, Paul Broomhead, led the evening and they all played their hearts out ‘for the lad.’

Band leader, Drummer Norman Pennington, had recruited Trumpeter Roger Wimpenny, Trombonist, Dave Crossley and Bass player, Derek Brown to augment the talents of Broomhead and Pianist Noel Broadgate and their enthusiastic renderings almost required the referee’s whistle to remind them of the intervals and that the hotel staff had ‘homes to go to!’

A long first set full of variation brought vocals from Wimpenny in “All Of Me” and “You Meet The Nicest People”, Crossley with “Summertime”, and Broomhead letting go with “Old Rugged Cross”, “When I Grow Too Old To Dream” and “Hello Central Get Me Dr Jazz”, whilst prominent with a collection of Saxophones with cool solo in “Rosetta”.

Broadgate’s Piano shone in the second set, accompanying Broomhead’s vocal of “Just a Closer Walk With Thee” – A Jim Wilkes favourite – A Latin style duo with Crossley’s Trombone in an unusual “Strutting With Some Barbeque”, and a blending rhythm section to back Wimpenny’s vocal of “I Can’t Get Started.”

Brown’s Bass accompanied his singing of “Stars Fell On Alabama” – another Wilkes regular – Wimpenny’s Trumpet led the way with “Wolverine Blues” and the set finished with the superb Clarinet of Broomhead, giving the full treatment to “Burgundy Street Blues”.

There was very little time for a third set, but four numbers were squeezed in with a little bit of ‘extra time’. Wimpenny’s vocal and Trumpet solo with Dean Martin’s “Little Ole Wine Drinker Me”, Crossley flying out with vocal in “Running Wild” and Broomhead leading the outro in “Goin’ Home”.

Jim Wilkes would have had a ball, and I’m sure I heard some distant cheering above my head.

Jim Wilkes Tribute by the Tame Valley Stompers
The Broadfield Hotel
Sunday 27 August 2006