The Howard Allen Dixie Landers

Led by Burt Allen on vocals and intros, The Howard Allen Dixie Landers play ‘easy jazz’ with an ‘unrushed’ style, but the musicians are all ‘heavy-weights’ of their instruments, reedsman Howard Murray switching from baritone, alto and tenor saxes to clarinet, Billy Edwards at 80 playing trumpet better than ever and mad cap trombonist Terry Brunt guesting and fitting in like the last piece of a jigsaw, making a powerful front line.

A lively start with “At The Jazz Band Ball” was followed by a slow almost mainstream version of “Tishamingo Blues” featuring Pete Smith’s bass guitar. Allen’s vocals with “Bourbon Street Parade” and “Baby Won’t You Please Come Home” featured Murray’s 'saxaphony’ in great profusion.

Finishing the first set with two ‘opposites’ a superb version of “That Da Da Strain” had the brass power complemented with a Smith solo, Alf Kernaghan’s solid piano and the stick drumming of Moe Green, then contrasted with Ellington’s “Satin Roll”- plaintive sax, soft trumpet tone, piano solo, brush drumming and the nuances of Brunt’s trombone.

Woody Herman’s “Woodchoppers Ball” set the gig back in motion, before a guest trumpet appearance of John Percival in “Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone”, and “China Boy” with power play added with sax touches and bass guitar interlude. Murray’s solo sax interpretation of Hogey Carmichael's “Stardust” was the ‘smoothy’ of the evening.

Allen’s vocal of “Exactly Like You” driven by Brunt’s trombone, brought an interval drum solo by Moe Green, one of the best in the business –‘drumtastic’.

Into the last stretch with “Tin Roof Blues” featuring Kernaghan’s piano, and the front line driving “That’s A Plenty”. Armstrong’s “Give Me A Kiss To Build A Dream On” featured Edwards' fine trumpet solo. Brunts ‘trombonia’ backed Allen’s vocal in “China Town, My China Town”, then took control of “When You And I Were Young Maggie” with prominent piano, guitar and drums, before Allen and the gang played out with “I Double Dare You” with applause in abundance.