The WirrOrleans Jazz Band

Andrew MacKenzie - The WirrOrleans Jazz Band

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If when leader John Blackman on drums, along with Andy Henderson (cornet), Dave Dixon (reeds), Andrew MacKenzie (trombone), Dave Fischel (piano), Bert Schroeder (banjo) and Charlie Walkon (bass) arrived at the Newtown National Club in Nixon Street promising “an eclectic mix of jazz with a hint of New Orleans” the audience there knew what to expect it was not just because they understood what eclectic meant but rather that Jazz On A Sunday had welcomed the WirrOrleans Jazz Band before and judging from what was to follow will no doubt be wanting to welcome them again soon.

Their opening set began with all aboard on a ‘Muskrat Ramble’ and with the pitch of the hall established Andrew Mackenzie stepped forward for ‘Deed I Do’. Popular standard ‘Tishomingo Blues’ followed with Andy Henderson’s cornet prominent then Dave Dixon led off on clarinet before taking to the microphone for ‘Sweet Georgia Brown’.

A soaring ‘Skylark’ was the object of a perfectly crafted trombone solo from Mackenzie before the front line reassembled to round off with up tempo renditions of ‘I Got Rhythm’ and ‘Exactly Like You’

The second set swung into life with ‘Honeysuckle Rose’, Henderson was happily not too busy to assume vocal responsibilities for ‘Too Busy’; there followed a wistful and well-received ‘Creole Love Call’ featuring some terrific interplay between him and Dave Dixon on saxophone, there was ‘After You’ve Gone’ with Dixon back on clarinet sounding like Benny Goodman in overdrive, brother Ira Gershwin’s ‘Swonderful’, Bert Schroeder right on song with ‘When You And I Were Young Maggie” and then it was back to the big band sound with “Christopher Columbus”

In the final set Dave Fischel “went Ellington” on us with a masterly ‘Take the A Train’, we had ‘Lady Be Good from the musical of that name, trombonist Mackenzie’s father was “serenaded” on the occasion of his eightieth birthday by the band’s three perspiring songbirds and ‘Old Rocking Chair Got Me’, ‘Bugle Boy March’ was another Henderson cornet tour de force, Blackman entreated for a “Big Butter And Egg Man”, Fischel again saluted the Duke with ‘Satin Doll’ and everybody pledged an undying allegiance to ‘Rosetta’ before they signed off on a thoroughly enjoyable evening with ‘When The Saints Go Marching In’ and the odd bar or two of ‘Basin Street Blues.

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