Burt Butlers

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            News Letters      1  2    3  

                         Index Page

                                                                                       Click on below for

            Appreciation Letters/Photos Weddings and Venues etc       Dave Stradwick trip to Brittany 2014      Alans 80th at the Marine Hotel

               Yerba Buena Stompers

 

               

      This page is Burties "Blog page" of  diff band gigs and photos etc

         

                                                                          
                                                          
                       Broadstairs Bandstand 25th Aug 2012 - a rather gusty session - winds up to 30 / 40 mph

              Band members :

      Dave Stone clt / sop,   Tom Brady tpt,   John Finch tmb, Chris Thompson double bass, Laurie Palmer drms and Burtie bnj

                                                          
                                         Barbara , Eileen  and Len                            Betty, Helen  and Judy

                                                           photos with the complements of TJ

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        One Superb Wedding / Blessing held at the Romney & Hythe and Dymchurch Light Railway
                                                              Saturday 1st September 2012

                                    
                                      The Loco and Wedding Crowd                                 The couples name on the train Emily and Adam
                                                                                                                                   a nice touch I thought

                              
                                      The Northern Chief one superb Loco                                                       The Harbour Side Five:
                                                                                                                           Trevor 'fingers' William  double bass,   John Sheppard  tpt,
                                                                                                                  Dave Robinson drums, Burtie Butler bnjo   and Geoff Foster clarinet / leader

                                                     
                                                         Click here or on Picture
                                                 for a video of the Bride and Groom and guests arriving by train playing Bugle Boy March

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                                        Photo's and Letters of appreciation from different Weddings and Venues

                   

                                    The Wedding the Jazz Pilgrims played at, and what a superb venue:

                                                                     Lynn & John Fitzpatrick wedding
                                                                     27th May 2012
                                                                     Oakwood House
                                                                     Oakwood Park,
                                                                     Maidstone, Kent. ME16 8AE           

                                       

          LR: Don York tmb,Chris Thompson bass, Dave Ware tpt, Burtie bnj  Lynn & John Fitzpatrick  Laurie Palmer drms and Dave Corsby sax

    Hi Burtie    
     Sorry about the delay in thanking you for making our day so special.   The music you and the pilgrims provided was truly exceptional and had
     everybody's toes tapping.   Many of our guests wanted us to pass on their appreciation of your performance it certainly made for a memorable evening.
     We would highly recommend the Jazz Pilgrims for anyone considering live music at an event.    With best wishes      John & Lynn Fitzpatrick
                     
                                                                                       
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                                                           Wedding the Jazz Pilgrims played at, at the brides home:

                                                                        Rachel & Paul Kelly wedding
                                                                                11th June 2011
                                                                              Chainhurst Oast
                                                                              Chainhurst, Kent

                                         

                        Don York tmb, Tom Brady tpt, Pete Rose clt                     Rachel & Paul at the church
                         Chris Thompson bass, Laurie Palmer dms
                                       and Burtie Butler bnj

                                                          
                                                                   and a wonderful thank you note

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                                 My self and Pete Rose on clarinet had a minstrels gig ( a 70th house party in Canterbury )  on Friday 19th Oct -
                                                                                 a first for me - and it went well
                                      
                                                                             

                        

                       Where we played in the hallway to the guests      -----------------------------     and mine host David sporting the I'm 70 badge                        

----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, October 21, 2012 1:11 PM
Subject: Minstrels

Dear Burtie
Thank you so much for the music on Friday night.  You and Pete cheered up the evening in a big way and all our guests thought you were  terrific.  I hope you managed to enjoy yourselves in spite of the crowded situation.
All the very best to both of you.
David

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      Some of the wonderful e-mails that I receive, this from the Saratoga Seven
                                                                                                   Brunswick / Germany

                                                                                                   and visit their website

                                                                                 
                                                                                          www.saratoga-seven.de
            
 
                          Hallo dear Burtie Butler,
 
                          my english is not so perfect. Accidental i have seen your Web-Site...I like this site.
                          We are a Dixieland-Jazzband in Brunswick / Germany. We have a great pleasure to make
                          Oldtime-Jazz. Our Band has in the next year the 40. Band-anniversary. We are all old Musicians
                          of  70 - 75 years, only three younger musicians. But our music is good for our health...!
                          Your "Unreal Book" with Chords of Dixieland-Titels is brillant. Thank you very much for this
                          diligence-work...? Some chords we want to change, but that is no problem.
 
                          We wish you and your other musicians good health and many fun with the best hobby of
                          the world - our Jazz
 
                          greetings for your friends of the the  Jazz-Pilgrims
 
                          of the SARATOGA SEVEN
                          and the clarinet-player
 
                         Pops

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                                  Our trip to San Diego Jazz Festival  Nov 21st - 25th   2012

         On arising at 4am on Tuesday Morning me and the wife arrived at the Town and Country Resort in San Diego

         at 8pm local time, hopefully after a couple of beers in Kelly's Bar ( 30 second walk from our lodge ) and a good

         nights sleep we both should be in good shape for catching up with old friends Sally and Cork Billings, whom

        I might add, are mighty fine drinking partners,  and their friends John and Claudia.  Cork is a great cornet player.

        The Jazz Festival features some of the best American and Canadian bands.   Also I am in the San Fernando Valley

       Banjo Band run by George and Mary Yellich, very good friends of ours of whom we met on a Jazz Sea cruise with fellow

       banjo player and wife John and Shirley Leone.  I also did a lot of playing with Dick Williams Jazz Sea Jams.  We have been

        good friends with Dick and his wife Kathy over the last five years.

          

                 
                       Playing Big Butter and Egg Man                                      playing Nobody's Sweetheart Now

                                  click on the above pictures to get a feel of the sound and fun of the Jam sessions

     Here I am with Dick Williams Jammers and its great fun, and my mate Cork Billings from Boulder, Colorado on cornet, 
     and with musicians that have been playing their instruments for under 4/5 years and others that have been classically trained,
     but have never improvised with jazz tunes, and others that have been playing professionally all their lives, so all in all
     quite a mixed bunch. In the left hand set we have Katrina Rivett on  clarinet and Isaac Ungerwiess on banjo from the
     Mission Bay High School which  has always been the home of great young musical talent.

           

                     

      This has to be my favourite band the 'Yerba Buena Stompers' with their two lead trumpets Leon Oakley (ex Turk Murphy),
      Duke HeitgerOrange Kellin clt,   Tom Bartlett tnb,  Conal Fowlkes piano, Clint Baker tuba, Kevin Dorn drums and last but
      not least my favourite banjo player of all times, of whom I first met in Cajuns (a jazz bar in New York now closed - so sad)
      John Gill banjo / leader (ex Turk Murphy) one great singer and player.

        

                                              
                                                    South Burgundy St Jazz Band playing    'Panama'

                Here's another great band, with my mate Dick Williams making up the two trumpet lead and what a great
                sound they made - The 'South Burgundy St. Jazz Band' playing 'Panama' - click on the picture for the video.

               Band members:   Mike Olson reeds/ldr, Corey Gemme cornet, Robert Butler tmb, Randy Woltz piano,
                                        Dick Serocki bnj, C.J.Sams tuba and guesting on trumpet Dick Williams.

                This interview gives a great feeling of what the San Diego Jazz festival is about, and I am in it !!
     

                                

                The 'San Fernando Valley Banjo Band' is the banjo band I play in when at the San Diego JF, unfortunately
                the photos and videos we took, have disappeared into thin air, but John Leone emailed me this photo.

                   

               This was taken on the Friday night session at the              On Monday afternoon George took us back to their home.
               Festival.      Band members above are:                             What a lovely house, looking out over the Pacific,
                 John Leone       George Yellich      Fred Dodd                 and here we are playing 'Carolina in Morning'
                                                                                                            click here or picture to watch on YouTube
                                                                                                   

                                                                                                     L/R      Me,    Fred Dodd   and    George our host.
                    Click here to listen to John singing
                  Its Hard To Be Humble last year 2011                           Also playing Swannee with the verse click here
                                                                                                  
                                                                        

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                  We had a superb gig last Saturday 2nd Nov 2013 celebrating Maureen's 80th birthday surprise party - with the hard work of her
               two daughters Sue and Jane - here is the thankyou email's and pics from Sue and Jane:

                                                      

                     
-                                  ---- Original Message -----
                                   From: Sue Hill-Merrick
                                    To: Burtie
                                    Sent: Monday, November 04, 2013 10:51 AM
                                    Subject: Mums Birthday Party

 
                                   Hello Burtie,

 

                                 I just wanted to say a "BIG THANK YOU" for the absolutely wonderful music and entertainment you and the rest of your band provided us with on saturday

                                You might not have observed that, given most of the age group, there was'nt much activity above waist level but there was certainly a lot of toe tapping going on under the tables!!!!!

                                 Many remarked what a fantastic band you were, the best they had heard and wanted to know where I had found you!!!   Although our own children are not into Jazz,
                                 they remarked also what a brilliant band you were!

                               More importantly, the "Birthday Girl" herself was absolutely thrilled with your music and now wants to plan another party so she can book you again!!!!
                                have promised to take her to Whitstable to listen to you at the Harbour Cafe or at some of you other venues.

                               I'm sorry I did'nt get to speak to you properly before you left, it was such a busy evening for Jane and I.  I hope the ladies in the kitchen kept you all well fed and watered. 

                               If you want me to leave feedback for you anywhere let me know.
                               Finally, please convey our thanks to the rest of the band.
                               You truly are wonderful musicians and entertainers.
                               Thank you
                               Kindest regards
                               Sue
 

               

                             ----- Original Message -----
                             From: Jane Scourfield
                            To: robinbutler1940@talktalk.net
                            Sent: Tuesday, November 05, 2013 10:12 PM
                            Subject: thankyou

                          Hello Burtie & your band

                          I also want to say thankyou so much for making a special evening an extra special one! Everyone said what a brilliant band you are. My regret was that as we were so busy & overwhelmed
                          we forgot to have photos taken of Mum with you all. I intend to rectify that one day!

                          Regards
                          Jane

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                                                                                                                 Friday 30th May 2014

                                                                     

                                               Band members:
                                     John Finch tmb, John Sheppard tpt, Burtie Butler bnj, Pete Rose clt, 
                                                           Laurie Palmer (drms but only one kit a join in two photos),  Mike Porter - Ward double bass.

                                               Friday 30th May 2014 at the United Masonic Club Sheerness our yearly session

                      here, organised by Colin and Mavis Corder whom I have known since our Sheerness Tech days

                                           and always a full house -
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               Fame at Last - our local paper - 9th August 2014 - Whitstable Harbour Day

                     

                                                                            KM  Whitstable Gazette August 14th

                                                                             

                    

                     Band members:

                     Burtie Butler bnj, Sean Maple tmb, Laurie Palmer drms, Peter Leonard tpt,

                                                                                    Mike Porter - Ward double bass and Pete Rose Alto/clt

                                                                         A GREAT DAY HAD BY ALL

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                          Jazz On Brittany's "Breton Riviera"

                     with the Dave Stradwick's Sussex Jazz Kings

                                                                                          5th Oct - 10th Oct 2014

                        What a cracking time - a coach full of dedicated jazzers and the Sussex Jazz Kings led by
                     
                                           Dave Stradwick, a legend in his own right - band members are:

           Dave Stradwick crnt / ldr,  Bernard Stutt clt,  Len Baldwin tmb, Peter Clancy string bass and sousaphone

                                                       Burtie Butler bnj and Bill Traxler drms.

 

                                                  

                     A leg-stretching stop at Josselin, on the way to Concarneau, where we stay for three nights in the

                      Hotel de L'Océan - Under the brolly are Paul our driver and Bernard and the missus Eileen

                                      

                          Our first night at the Hotel playing 'Bugle Boy March'   click on pic or title to watch

                                    

                                   'Baby Wont You Please Come Home'    with Gaye Thompson on vocals
                                                             
                                                                   click on pic or title to watch

                   
                             On Wednesday the day trip to  'Ville de Vannes'

                             

                                                  Ville de Vannes - the wonderful gardens and buildings

                             

                                           

                              This painting of Louis on the outside wall of an Art Shop took us all by surprise

                                   L/R    Dave Stradwick     Bernard Stutt     Peter Clancy    Burtie Butler

                                          

                               On the Ferry back home from St Malo to Portsmouth,  a little on the rolling side

                  L/R   Len Baldwin, Peter Clancy, Dave Stradwick, Bernard Stutt, Bill Traxler and Burtie Butler

                                         playing     'Over The Waves'   -  click on picture or title to watch

                     Every year Dave and the lads do a six-day trip to Spain in May,

                 and Brittany in October - click on to Dave's website to book

              your place    Dave Stradwick's Sussex Jazz Kings 

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               Alan Turners surprise 80th at the Marine Hotel, Tankerton

                                  Saturday 31st January 2015     
  

                                   

                    Alan's wife Ann made his 80th party at the Marine Hotel a complete surprise,

                 inviting friends and family from the far corners of the UK, without Alan having

                an inkling of what was happening - a great evening and top marks to Ann.

               

               band members:

                  Sean Maple tmb, Lisa Pentacost bass, Dave Ware tpt, Laurie Palmer drms, Pete Rose clarinet,

                        Burtie Butler banjo and one of the family friends Christelle Aldridge on alto sax and very competent.
                

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               Some wonderful letters of appreciation

     

                              

                     This was passed to us on our Thursday Harbour gig in June 2015 by a very attractive young lady

 

                                             

                            An appreciation letter from one of our young-at-heart fans, Rosemarie, for
                                     our concert at the Whitstable Playhouse 26th July 2015

 

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