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Doctor Jazz The Black Cat Jazz Band
DOCTOR JAZZ AT THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON
BRIEF HISTORY
The Band, Doctor Jazz, was formed out of the original Terry Treagus Jazz
Sounds. Terry’s Band
originated in
the 1950’s at the Medway College of Art and three members of that first
Band, Terry
Treagus,
Keith Blundell and Bill Stotesbury, regrouped in 1972, joined by Alan
Robinson, Colin
Martin and
Ralph Hayward. Weekly sessions started at The New Ash Tree,
Gillingham. In November
1973 the residency
at The Duke of Wellington, Ryarsh started and in 2008 the Band celebrated a
35 year run, broken
only by a 3 months period when one of the ‘landlords’ locked himself in (and
everyone else out)
following a dispute over finances with the owners.
TERRY TREAGUS JAZZMEN (1954-1958)
The Jazzmen played
at numerous College functions. From left to right are:
Tony Richards (clt), Terry Treagus (crt), Keith Blundell (tbn),
Dave Ross (dms), Mick Wallis (wshbd) and Bill Stotesbury (bjo).
The Terry Treagus Jazzmen played in several emerging Jazz Clubs in
Maidstone in the 1950’s most notably at Highfield House where they were
the first resident Saturday evening Band.
Tony Richards, Terry Treagus and Keith Blundell at Highfield House.
In the years following 1958, after the break up of The Terry Treagus
Jazzmen,
most of the band went their different ways, starting working careers,
marrying
and starting families. Not many carried on playing.
THE TERRY TREAGUS JAZZ SOUNDS (1972-1978)
After 14
years ‘layoff’ Terry and Keith came together again through their work
as architects and the old jazz bug bit again when they contacted Bill with
an idea
to form another band.
Two young musicians, Alan Robinson and Colin Martin, joined them and,
after a short period with Dave Straker on sousaphone, Ralph Hayward, who had
been playing string bass with Tony Pink, joined to make up the band. For
some
time the band did not have a drummer, initially because of scarcity, later
from choice.
THE LONG
RESIDENCY
The Terry Treagus Jazz Sounds started with regular Wednesday evenings at
The Old Ash Tree, Gillingham. Bill Stotesbury used to work a milk round
alongside
his Graphic Design Practice and in1973, while collecting milk money from the
landlord of The Duke of Wellington at Ryarsh, they discussed the band and
the
landlord decided to give it a trial on Thursday evenings.
Alan Robinson (clarinet)
Keith Blundell (trombone) Bill Stotesbury (banjo)
Colin Martin (piano) Terry Treagus (trumpet/leader) Ralph Hayward (bass)
Barry Fisher vocals and Jill Martin vocals
click here for the Jill Martin now Jill Grant story
Other jazz musicians
who played as deps with the band during those
early years at the Duke of Wellington included:
Dave Straker and John Morphew on sousaphone
Robin Beams, Pete Lay on drums and George Murray on washboard
Eric Webster, Nobby Willett and Alan Bundy on banjo
Humph Mayes, Dave Gray and Barnie Smith on bass
Allan ‘Lord Arsenal’ Bradley on piano
The style of the Terry Treagus Jazz Sounds was fairly strictly ‘New
Orleans’.
Terry knew exactly what sound he wanted and the repertoire was very much
of that genre. Colin Martin still uses the original chord book which
includes
programmes set out by Terry for some of the more notable gigs.
DOCTOR JAZZ
(1978 - still going)
In 1978 Terry Treagus stopped playing and left the Band which was then
joined by Dave Kedge on trumpet, cornet and flugel horn. Dave had been
with The Thameside Stompers since 1975 and had been the regular dep
for Terry, he was the obvious replacement. The band needed a new name
and, following an ill-fated tour of Germany, where playing in a Dusseldorf
Jazz Club called Doctor Jazz kept our finances and spirits going, there was
the inspiration for the band name. It was at this time that the familiar
logo also
came into use.
Bill Stotesbury spent several years with Ken Colyer’s Band and
Doctor Jazz was joined, firstly by Nobby Willett and then by Eric Webster on
banjo
and Fred Hoare took over on string bass after Ralph Hayward moved away to
Devon. The band continued for some time without a permanent drummer until
Bert Logronio was introduced to us by his father-in-law. Bert had been a
Rock
and Pop drummer in the nightclubs of
Hong Kong and
Singapore, had met and
married an English girl and came to
England.
In the 1960’s Graham Buttenshaw played clarinet and saxaphone
professionally for a couple of years with the Rod Foster Band from Northern
Ireland and toured the ‘A’ Circuit alongside the Barber, Ball, Bilk and
Lightfoot
bands. Following the demise of many Jazz Clubs and Concert Tours the Rod
Foster Band returned to Ireland and Graham joined the Thames City Jazzmen
until he founded a
London
advertising agency in 1967, and played no more jazz
for 16 years. In 1983 he was persuaded to sit in with the band Jazz Music
run by
Janet Francis, sister of Doctor Jazz’s Colin Martin. In 1988 Alan Robinson
left
Doctor Jazz to move north and Graham, after being ‘dep’ on a couple of gigs,
found himself the regular stand in on Thursday evenings at the Duke of
Wellington.
Four years later, following a meeting of the band, Graham was told they
would like
him to join them permanently.
Eric Webster left the band to take up a more professional role on
banjo and was replaced by Nobby Willett.. Following Ken’s death Bill
Stotesbury
ran the Ken Colyer Trust and the Trust Band for some time, but eventually
returned
to Doctor Jazz where he continues to share the banjo role with Nobby
Willett.
Fred Hoare’s health was deteriorating and, when he decided to retire
in 1993, the band was joined by Terry Sullivan, a regular follower and
occasional
singer with the band. Terry initially used Fred’s old string bass, but later
changed
over to electric bass.
Don York is a regular trombonist with the band, deputising for Keith
Blundell and, over the past 16 years, the pair have featured in trombone
duets
during many Thursday evening sessions. Don was trombonist with the Crescent
City Jazzmen, Johnny Martin’s Jazzmen and George Wooding’s Jazzmen through
the 1950’s, with Tony Pink’s Jazzmen from 1957 to 1979 and the Thameside
Stompers from 1975 to 2000, where he played alongside Dave Kedge.
The regular singer with Doctor Jazz, especially on gigs, is Lyn Falvey,
who always brings a touch of class to the proceedings with her unique,
powerful
style and wide ranging repertoire
Bert Logronio died tragically and suddenly in 2005. Alberto Encarnacion
Logronio’s gravestone bears the inscription “Born a Filipino, Died an
Englishman,
Drummed his way to Glory”. The band was then joined by John Cottis on drums.
DEPS
The ‘deps’ list of Jazz Musicians who have helped Doctor Jazz over the past
three
decades reads like a ‘who’s who’ of Kent Jazzmen.
It is sincerely hoped that, in the following list, no-one has been missed.
Dave Link (cornet)
Mick Stansell (trumpet) Tom Brady (trumpet/vocals)
Tony O’Sullivan (trumpet) Malcolm Walton (trumpet) and Roger Ely (trumpet)
Pete Curtis (clarinet) Dave Stone (clarinet/soprano sax)
Terry Giles (clarinet/saxophones) Dennis Lear (clarinet)
Eric Webster, Burt Butler, Alan Bundy and Andy Maynard (banjo)
Ian Rogers (bass) Chris Yelf (brass bass)
Ronnie Hoare, Mike Jefferson and Jonathan Vinton (piano)
Robin Beams, Graham Rogers, Miles Wilson, Laurie Palmer and John Elmer
(drums)
Viv Rogers (singer) and Peter Baker (singer).
The Duke of Wellington Ryarsh
The present house was built in the reign of Henry VIII but the original, an
old chapel,
dated back to the days of William the Conqueror. The beer house was
originally named
the 'Cock and Coney', then between 1815 and 1818 the 'Wellington' to honour
the Duke's
victory at Waterloo, and thereafter the present name.
It also featured in the Whitbread Innsigns, No 28 of the second series
issued in 1950
as the picture below:
ATMOSPHERE
From a
watercolour by visiting Australian artist Brian Harris, a relative of a
friend
of Colin Martin’s. He trained as an architect and went to Oz in 1966 where
he is
a well established water colourist of marine subjects.
Below are movie clips of Dr Jazz's 19th Anniversary at the 'Duke of
Wellington' Ryarsh
19th November 1992 - also a great feel of the atmosphere
The band:
Dave Kedge
cornet
Graham Buttonshaw
clarinet/alto sax
Keith Blundell
trombone
Colin Martin
piano
Nobby Willett
banjo
Bert Logronio
drums
Fred Hoare
electric bass
with guests: Ronnie Hoare on piano track 1 and Terry Sullivan vocalising on track 2
click on pictures to watch
1
Running Wild
2 After Youv'e Gone
with Ronnie Hoare on Piano vocal : Terry Sullivan
vocal : Don York
THE CURRENT BAND
Dave
Kedge Graham Buttenshaw
Keith Blundell
Cornet and Flugelhorn
Clarinet and Alto Sax
Trombone
Colin
Martin Bill
Stotesbury
Terry Sullivan
Piano
Banjo
Electric Bass
Don
York Nobby
Willett
John Cottis
Trombone and Vocals
Banjo
Drums
Lynn Falvey
Vocals
BOOKINGS
Doctor Jazz is available for any occasion or ailment, large or small.
The band size and composition is variable to suit all situations.
For a consultation, prescription or quotation please call COLIN MARTIN
T. 01622 746164.
RECORDINGS
There are audio recordings of the band on CDs and a rare film of a full
session at The Duke of Wellington is available on DVD.
“When I’m trouble-bound and mixed, he’s the guy that gets me fixed”
DOCTOR JAZZ
March 2009/KB
The Black Cat Jazz Band
The Black Cat Jazz Band was formed by
Ian Turner from 1997 - 2000, band members being
Malcolm Walton tpt, Ian Turner clt/leader, Tony Cardwell tmb, Andy Maynard
bjo,
Roger Link double bass and Mick Lay drms.
Here are videos taken at St Margaret's Church, St Margaret's Bay, Kent
recorded Saturday 17th May 1997 - The Black Cat Jazz Band trio
Andy Maynard banjo Roger Link double bass Ian Turner clarinet
playing: click on to the titles below to watch
Old Rugged Cross Darkness On The Delta Curly Headed Baby
What A Friend We Have in Jesus Solace