Reporter: Tony Sheldon
Date online: 24/06/2008

Liverpool’s Blue Magnolia Jass Orchestra is celebrating 40 years of entertainment in 2008 but this annual visit was not one of their best.

Having to call on two deputies didn’t dilute the quality of the musicians, but a late arrival and start and a significant lack of cohesion was all too noticeable and it was really only in the third set that the band were playing as a ‘team’ and not just individuals.

I felt more sorrow than anger for this well respected band now led by banjoist Dennis Harrison, an integral frontline player joining the likes of reedsman and vocalist Harold Troughton, trombonist Arthur Pedder and guest trumpeter Stan Williams whose power and tone were formidable.

Keyboards man Bob Hayward has excellent touches with a real boogie’ feel whilst his rhythm colleagues; veteran drummer Fred Boggan and deputy Colin Turner’s sousaphone kept things ticking along.

Unfortunately, first impressions set the tone, and after a flawed beginning many of the audience couldn’t "get their crankshafts to fire", even though there was quite a lot to enjoy.

Troughton’s sax and clarinet were always prominent with neat clarinet solo “Si Vous Voir Ma Mere” backed by Harrison’s banjo and vocals with “Bye Bye Blackbird”, “Basin Street Blues” and “Hello Central, Give Me Doctor Jazz”, Pedder’s trombone leading the way with a fine arrangement of “Sweet Georgia Brown” and the superb Stan Williams' powerful trumpet in “Jazz Me Blues”, “Royal Garden Blues” plus telling vocals with “Shine” and “Sunny Side of the Street”, before really grabbing the audience with a solo flugelhorn and muted trumpet in “Crocodile Dundee” – magnificent.

Well as the song says – ‘it was just one of those things’