The photo was taken at Haigh Hall, Wigan by Hayley Green using Pete's camera
The photo was taken at Haigh Hall,
Wigan by Hayley Green using Pete's camera
Following a decade of playing in brass
bands formed for particular events, musicians from the Preston
area, aided by others from West Yorkshire, formed the Red Rose
Brass Band in 1969. Since then this New Orleans style brass band
has been heard regularly at carnivals and festivals throughout
Lancashire and the surrounding Counties. In recent years the band
has traveled to London to play on demonstrations, has been a
frequent visitor to Birmingham to play there at The Jazz Festival
and has traveled North to Edinburgh to try to prevent a local
brewery from closing! Amongst the more memorable outings the band
has had, was a day playing for the National Bathtub Racing
Championships, several visits to Donnington Park and much closer
to home, the three parades at the 1992 Preston Guild... we are
hoping for a return booking on the latter but as it is not until
the year 2012, we shall have to wait and see! The band usually
consists of eight players plus a Grand Marshal, but it can be
enlarged to eleven players on special occasions, or reduced to
six players if that is what the event demands. Weddings,
Funerals, market openings, Christmas shopping have all been on
the bands engagements lists over the years, but the band is most
frequently seen leading the processions on field days, gals and
demonstrations. The style of music played by the band can be
compared to that of the brass bands of New Orleans, Louisiana and
consists of a mixture of marches, rags, spirituals and both
traditional and popular songs from past and present times.
"All the colours and cacophony of the New Orleans Parade
played by one of Britain's leading exponents" - (Birmingham
International Jazz Festival Programmed 1993.)
The Silver Bell Jazz Band was formed in
the mid 1960's. With a break of about a year, the band has enjoyed at least one
weekly residency throughout. In the recent past they have enjoyed a 14 year
residency at The Lamb Hotel, in Church Street, Preston. More recently the band
has enjoyed long runs at the Rickshaw Restaurant at Charnock Richard, Paul
Heathcote's Brasserie, and The Unicorn at Preston where they played for some seven years on the first and third Thursday of the month. The band is resident at The Bitter Suite, Fylde Road, Preston on the second Thursday in the month.
At the time in the late 1970's and early 1980's when there
was a stream of regular visiting musicians from the U.S.A the band played host
to many New Orleans instrumentalists such as Wingy Manone, Alton Purnell, Kid
Thomas Valentine and Thomas Jefferson. The number of musicians in the band is
usually five or six, string bass/sousaphone, banjo, drums, clarinet/alto saxophone and
trumpet. The band is happy to play in almost any
situation and has played in many of the Preston and District venues for events such as shop openings, and most social occasions including anniversaries, birthdays,
christenings, weddings and funerals. On occasion they have traveled as far away as
North Wales and deepest Yorkshire and Humberside. As there is little dependence
on amplification and most members play several instruments, the band is mobile
and able to function outdoors just as easily as playing in a reception room. The
music played is a mixture of jazz standards and older pop-songs with a few
spirituals and marches for good measure. Whilst clearly enjoying a common
heritage with the English "Trad" bands, members of the Silver Bell
Band have sought to avoid the excesses of such bands, preferring to use the
dance bands and small swing bands of New Orleans as their inspiration. The aim
of the band has always been to provide an atmosphere in which both young and old
can relax.
Current Band line-up is Band Manager Pete Vickers (bass), John Rothwell (drums),
Roy Freeman (trumpet) Brian Legan (reeds) and Keith Taylor (banjo).