Jazz on a Sunday – The Wall City Jazzmen with Irene Martin

The Wall City Jazzmen with Irene Martin

A first and, sadly as it transpires, final visit to Jazz On A Sunday by The Wall City Jazzmen was to provide an entertaining finale for a band founded back in 1954.

Led by Alan Jeffs on guitar, a selection of standards featuring Irene Martin on vocals together with some jazz classics brightened up an icy evening for this band from Chester.

‘Bye Bye Blackbird’, ‘Georgia On My Mind’, ‘Baby Face’, ‘Pennies From Heaven’, ‘Irene's Blues’, ‘Deed I Do’, ‘In A Mellow Tone’, and ‘Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey?’ brought out the full range of Irene's voice.

Classics ‘Bourbon Street Parade’, ‘China Boy’, ‘Jazz Me Blues’, ‘Shine’ and ‘Rosetta’ gave the front row of John Critchley (trumpet), Geoff Parker (reeds) and Andrew Mackenzie (trombone) tightly backed by Jeffs, Tim Pike (bass guitar) and Bill Buck (drums) every opportunity to display their talents.

A mix of 23 numbers including ‘My Blue Heaven’, ‘Everybody Loves My Baby’, ‘Ain't She Sweet?’, ‘Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone’ plus ‘Bei Mir  Bist Du Schein’ created an eclectic mix on a night when nostalgia met jazz and a band of long standing kept right on to the end of the road.