Les Herbert's Jazz Band - "It's Tight Like That"

Les Herbert's Jazz Band
"It's Tight Like That"
Bill Bowden: Trumpet and Flugelhorn
Dick Smith: Clarinet
Martin Rawbone: Trombone
Robin Day: Drums
Vernon Kennard: Bass
Bob Hilditch: Guitar and Banjo
John Walters: Piano
Side 1
00:01 Tight Like That (vocal - John Walters)
02:28 Sidewalk Blues
05:43 You Took Advantage Of Me (vocal - Bill Bowden)
09:04 Jazz Me Blues
12:28 Buddy Bolden's Blues (vocal - Bob Hilditch)
14:55 Louisiana (vocal - Bill Bowden)
17:54 Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives To Me (vocal - John Walters, Vernon Kennard)
20:04 Doctor Jazz (vocal - Dick Smith)
Side 2
24:22 Gatemouth
27:41 I've Got What It Takes (vocal - Betty Renz)
30:08 Sweet Georgia Brown (vocal - Bill Bowden)
33:48 Saratoga Swing
36:53 Fidgety Feet
41:09 Sweet Lorraine (vocal Bill Bowden)
44:50 That's A Plenty
47:32 Tight Like That (vocal - John Walters)
The Les Herberts Story:
Over a decade ago, two strangers met, one foggy winter night on the London train. As it struggled home to Thanet, they exchanged reminiscences and discovered a mutual musical background which spanned the skiffle fad and the trad jazz boom of the 1950's. One played the piano, the other played the banjo and there it stopped. However, as in all good stories, the two players discussed their acquaintance elsewhere and the tiny seaside town of Broadstairs, Kent produced five other musicians, all exactly right for a jazz band. Someone else found a 'gig' and with only one practice and six tunes in the repertoire, the band set out on its road to minor fame. In its early days the band rarely played under the same name twice running, which was just as well, but one night, after offering the name 'Les Herberts' as a French pun, they found that an entrepreneur had billed them as ' Les Herbert and his Vaudeville Jazz Band'. The name stuck, but the band often receive messages for Les from people who distinctly remember playing with him, knew him as a mate in the army or claim he owes them money. Jazz has taken the Herberts into all kinds of places apart from night clubs and pubs, and they have shared the bizarre experiences that are common to musicians everywhere. There was the night when they played 'on ice' and the piano froze, the night when they unintentionally kept 200 pilgrims awake in Canterbury and the afternoon on which they welcomed Father Christmas to a department store. The band has appeared on stage on numerous occasions, in company with such eminent jazz figures as George Melly, Alex Welch and Chris Barber, but most of all, they have played in Thanet and East Kent, turning out 'jazz' to appreciative audiences, especially in Margate's own jazz pub, "The King's Head". During the Herbert's story, the personnel have changed from time to time, but the band has played on through the swinging 60's and in and out of Punk Rock without faltering.
The music on this record is a good cross section of the bands repertoire. "Tight like that" is a popular favourite everywhere the Herberts play, as are other old standards such as "Dr. Jazz" and "That's a plenty". However, this recording has given them a chance to do some "studio" tunes, the old Jelly Roll Morton composition "Sidewalk Blues" being one of these. Les Herbert's jazz has never been totally for the purist, but tunes like "Gatemouth" and "Buddy Bolden's Blues" are authentic enough to satisfy those who want both nostalgia and entertainment.
This record is dedicated to the band's many followers and supporters and, who knows, may introduce a new
audience to some very old songs. During its making, the musicians consumed at least 40 bottles of a well known brown ale, several pints of vicious home brew, 2 gallons of coffee, 4 lbs of cheese and a lot of biscuits. Three members of the orchestra now have new neighbours and all of the band are now speaking to their wives once more. Wout Steenhuis went quite pale at the 10th take of "Sidewalk" but looks all right now. Thanks Wout.
The Herberts " March 1978
This Lp recorded in 1978 and produced on the Jelmer Label no 'JELMER STERIO JS 102/78' it hales from the engineering stable in Broadstairs of local maestro Wout Steenhuis who, as well as being a brilliant musician himself handled recordings of the Wedgwoods and organist Tony Savage's sing - along shows at Margate's Lido.