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In
1975, a group of scientists at the National Vegetable Research
Station - now Horticulture Research International - at Wellesbourne
embarked on a musical venture which few of them - if indeed
any - anticipated would still be going strong 28 years later.
A common enthusiasm for traditional jazz led to the formation
of the Dene River Jazzmen, a 7-piece band who gave their first
public performance at the NVRS New Year Party in January 1976.
By this time the band had established weekly practice sessions
which were to continue for many years and which established
the comprehensive repertoire which the band still maintains
today.
From the start, the objective was to play - and enjoy playing
- as broad a range of jazz as possible. Classical New Orleans
compositions by Jellyroll Morton, Joe Oliver, Louis Armstrong
and many others were augmented by marches, rags, stomps, blues
and gospel numbers from countless sources and the repertoire
- currently some 350-400 tunes - has always featured a large
proportion of vocals. The list of numbers is probably only slightly
longer than the list of venues played by the band over 28 years!
Wellesbourne itself has always featured strongly, most memorably
at the Kings Head where the band played on alternate Fridays
for almost 10 years from the mid-70s to the mid-80s. Until recently
they were playing regularly at the Stags Head while their occasional
concerts at St. Peters church have always attracted considerable
support.
As well as presenting annual jazz concerts for the National
Trust at Packwood House and Upton House for many years, they
travelled regularly to Berkshire to play at Royal Ascot.
They were one of the first local jazz bands to travel to France,
playing several gigs at the annual Flower Festival in Warwick's
twin town of Saumur in 1982.
There have inevitably been many changes in personnel over these
28 years. Since the retirement from the band of pianist Harold
Roberts (a Wellesbourne resident for many years) in the late
1980s, the band has remained a 6-piece outfit with David Suett
(cornet) the only remaining member of the original band.
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