The Vintage Hot Five
The Vintage Hot Five, who regularly play at Maxims in Eastbourne on Sunday evenings, have released a new CD. Recorded in Clair Hall, Haywards Heath and at Maxims, Eastbourne, it features live recording from December 2003.
The band stars...
- Andy Woon (cornet, vocals)
- Brian Hills (clarinet, saxophone, vocals)
- Wild Bill Parsons (banjo, guitar, vocals)
- Allan 'Doc' Sokell (brass bass)
- Johnny Muxlow (drums, vocals)
The track listing on the CD is...
- Wa Da Da
- Shine
- I'm Not Rough
- Bouncing Around
- Crazy 'Bout My Gal
- Got Butter On It
- I've Lost My Heart In Dixieland
- Alligator Crawl
- I Can't Dance
- How Come You Do Me Like You Do?
- Two Dueces
- No-One Knows What It's All About
- Gee Baby, Ain'tI Good To You
- Potato Head Blues
- Maxim Stomp
- My Melancholy Baby
- Why Can't You Behave?
- Wa Wa Wa
- Meet Me Tonight In Dreamland
- Willie The Weeper
- After You've Gone
So just who are The Vintage Hot Five? Well here's the inset from their CD.
It's stretching the point slightly to say that "The VINTAGE HOT FIVE
was formed eleven years ago". The last bit is correct, but wether the band
was ever actualled formed is open to discussion. It sort of tottered
into existence, almost by accident at MAXIMS in South Street, Eastbourne, in
April 1993, and is still going strong all this time later, to it's own manifest
surprise. Originally (and, thank goodness, briefly) known as the "The Jazzaholics"
- a name which at least had the merit of neatly implying the band's two main
preoccupations - The VHF's huge repertoire of over 700 numbers reflects its
affection for the recorded output of the American small jazz groups of the middle
to late 1920s and early 1930s. These include the Louis Armstrong Hot Fives, Jelly
Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers, Bix & His Gang, King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band
and Red Nichols' variously-named recording groups. But the mix also includes some
ragtime; English dance-bands; Eddie Condon-style Dixieland; and one or two originals.
Musically blinkers The VINTAGE HOT FIVE is not, and therein lies its perennial
freshness and vitality.
If you have a 3GP player you can see a short clip of the Vintage Hot Five in Maxims (72kb).
Remember, this band features the near legendary Johnny Muxlow on drums and anything with the old sleazemeister in is worth catching. The book the Vintage Hot Five, or to order the CD, give Andy Woon a call on 01903 773473.
Update: Feb 2006
Brian Hills has been in touch to say the Offical Vintage Hot Five Website has just gone live. Check it out for more information on the band, and to order the CD.