Wed 6th Jan 1960 --- First jazz session of the year with ‘Le Vieux Carre’ New Orleans Jazz Band at the ‘Cobden Arms’, Arundel Street.
Mon 11th Jan 1960 --- Chicago and Dixieland Jazz at The ‘Star Inn’.
Wed 20th Jan 1960 --- New Orleans jazz at The Cobden. Bass player helped the session to really go!!
Sat 23rd Jan 1960 --- New jazz club (‘Dr Jazz!!’) at Fareham. Firs session played by ‘Vieux Carre Jazz Band’. Good attendance and a rousing time had by all.
Mon 25th Jan 1960 --- Ear splitting session at ‘The Star’ with three drummers, two trombones etc.; plus Nigel Carter from SYO Dean Band on trumpet.
Wed 27th Jan 1960 --- Resident band at Southampton, DEP. Crescent City Band
Sat 30th Jan 1960 --- Rousing New Orleans session at Dr Jazz Cub, Fareham with guest clarinet.
Wed 3rd Feb 1960 --- Jazz at The Cobden with resident ‘Vieux Carre’ band plus Brighton bass player.
Sat 6th Feb 1960 --- Trip to Fareham jazz club, very good session. Fellow tried taping the ‘Vieux Carre’.
Tues 9th Feb 1960 --- Sent mum and Graham to see Lonnie Donegan at The Kings Theatre.
Wed 10th Feb 1960 --- ‘Vieux Carre’ good session with Brighton bass player.
Sat 13th Feb 1960 --- Session at Fareham Jazz Club with Frank Hurlock on tuba. ‘Vieux Carre’ minus clarinet, bass.
Wed 17th Feb 1960 --- Session at The Cobden with ‘Vieux Carre’. Brighton clarinet and bass.
Mon 22nd Feb 1960 --- Session of Chicago-style jazz at ‘The Star’. Band played well but poor attendance.
Wed 24th Feb 1960 --- New Orleans jazz, My Favourite Meat, with ‘Vieux Carre’ at The Cobden.
Sat 27th Feb 1960 --- Trip to Fareham disappointing owing to resident band being away.
Wed 2nd Mar 1960 --- New Orleans jazz at The Cobden
Sat 5th Mar 1960 --- ‘Dr Jazz Club’ at Fareham with ‘Vieux Carre’ in residence once more.
Wed 16th Mar 1960 --- Session with the ‘Vieux Carre ‘ jazz band at The Star.
Mon 21st Mar 1960 --- Jack Elliott, ‘Vieux Carre’ jazz band and folk group (3 Waistcoats) in a good session at ‘The Star’.
Wed 23rd Mar 1960 --- Stereophonic jazz session at The Cobden Arms. Good records heard also ‘3 Waistcoats’.
Wed 30th Mar 1960 --- Session at The Cobden with ‘Vieux Carre’.
Wed 6th Apr 1960 --- Sesssion at The Cobden with ‘Vieux Carre’.
Wed Apr 13th 1960 --- Session at The Cobden with ‘Vieux Carre’ minus bass player.
Wed 20th April 1960 --- Session with Vieux Carre at The Cobden. Guest clarinettist and Dereque Adye on bass.
Wed 27th Apr 1960 --- Session at The Cobden with the ‘Vieux Caare’
Wed 4th Apr 1960 --- ‘Vieux Carre’ in good form at The Cobden. F. Hurlock on tuba. Club open till 10.30pm Club extensions to 10.30pm. Summer opening hours.
Mon 9th May 1960 --- Went to Summa Cum Laude jazz club. Band played well. Poor crowd. Folk group with F. Hurlock also played.
Wed 11th May 1960 --- Jazz at The Cobden ‘Vieux Carre’ in good form. F. Hurlock tuba.
Mon 16th May 1960 --- Summa Cum Laude club. Poor crowd. Band played well.
Wed 18th May 1960 --- Last night with ‘Vieux Carre’ at ‘The Cobden’, Arundel St. Move talked of to ‘Star’, Lake Rd.
Mon 23rd May 1960 --- Last night of ‘Summa Cum Laude’ club. Band played well, also guests featured.
Wed 1st June 1960 --- Pedrian Club move to ‘Star’, Lake Road. Band played well.
Sat 4th June 1960 --- Special jazz session at Fareham with Vieux Carre in fine form.
Wed 8th June 1960 --- ‘Vieux Carre’ at ‘The Star’. Played very well with Ted Owen on alto sax.
Wed 15th June 1960 --- Fine session at the ‘Pedrian Club’ with the ‘Vieux Carre’. Fine clarinet player in Lewis style from Edinburgh also guest banjo.
Thurs 16th June 1960 --- Tried the ‘Ballads and Blues’ club, new Hurlock venture and heard some goodish folk music.
Wed 22nd June 1960 --- Session at The Star . No clarinet in Vieux Carre group.
Thurs 23rd June 1960 --- Recording session for Vieux Carre with Ted Owen clarinet, Graham Patterson piano. Very good session at The Star Inn.
Fri 24th June 1960 --- Vieux Carre entered ‘Jazz in June’ competition at Brighton and came first. Judged by Sam Charters, Bill Colyer etc.
Wed 29th June 1960 --- Last session with ‘Vieux Carre’ at The Star before they left for Holland.
Thurs 30th June 1960 --- Went to ‘Ballads and Blues’ club at The Star.
Wed 6th July 1960 --- Mixed group at Pedrian Jazz Club with some of S.C. L. Band.
Thurs 7th July 1960 --- Ballads and Blues Club. Couple of good guitarists featured.
Mon 11th July 1960 --- Had a blow with Frank and Paul (banjo) also played washboard.
Wed 13th July 1960 --- Summa Cum Laud band at Pedrian club. Played very well.
Thurs 14th July 1960 --- ‘Ballads and Blues’ club with Frank playing piano, boogie style.
Wed 20th July 1960 --- ‘Le Vieux Carre’ back at the ‘Star’ in a good session. Ted Owen clarinet, Kenny Robinson guested.
Wed 3rd Aug 1960 --- Jazz at the ‘Star Inn’ Le Vieux Carre with Ted Owen alto.
Sat 6th Aug 1960 --- Opening of new jazz club ‘The Rendezvous’ with Kenny Robinson jazz band. Also ‘Le Vieux Carre’. Very good session.
Wed 10th Aug 1960 --- Le Vieux Carre with Ted Owen on alto. Good session. No bass player. Frank on tuba.
Sat 13th Aug 1960 --- Le Vieux Carre at ‘The Rendezvous’.
Wed 17th Aug 1960 --- At The Star with Le Vieux Carre. 2 sax and clarinet featured.
Thurs 18th Aug 1960 --- Ballads and Blues at The Star. Heard some good Josh White records.
Fri 19th Aug 1960 --- Saw ‘Jazz on a Summer’s Day’, Very good. (Odeon North End)
Sat 20th Aug 1960 --- Solent City Jazz Band at The Rendezvous Club plus Le Vieux Carre.
Wed 24th Aug 1960 --- Le Vieux Carre at The Star, new bass player.
Thurs 25th Aug 1960 --- Ballads and Blues club.
Sat 27th Aug 1960 --- A good night at The Rendezvous Club with ‘Le Vieux Carre’.
Sun 28th Aug 1960 --- On the shuffle boat ‘The Ferry Belle’. A good time had by all with Le Vieux Carre jazz band.
Wed 31st Aug 1960 --- Session at the ‘Pedrian Club’ Le Vieux Carre with guest bass player.
Sat 3rd Sept 1960 --- At the ‘Rendezvous’ with Pedro Harris Pine City Stompers and Le Vieux Carre.
Wed 7th Sept 1960 --- Le Vieux Carre at The Star. Good session.
Sat 10th Sept 1960 --- Rendezvous Club with Le Vieux Carre and Ballads and Blues group.
Wed 14th Sept 1960 --- At the ‘Star Inn’ with Le Vieux Carre. Very good session.
Sat 17th Sept 1960 --- At the Rendezvous. Ian Mac Lean’s Kansa City Jazz Band. Disappointing.
Wed 21st Sept 1960 --- Le Vieux Carre at The Star played well.
Sat 1st Oct 1960 --- The ‘Rendezvous Club’ not so good...Crescent City depping for regular band.
Sun 2nd Oct 1960 --- Concert at the Guildhall with the bands of ‘Kenny Ball’ and Sims-Wheeler Vintage Band. Good in parts.
Wed 5th Oct 1960 --- At the ‘Star’ with Le Vieux Carre in good form. Earlier closing in force 10pm.
Sat 8th Oct 1960 --- Heard ‘Gerry Brown Jazzmen’ at the Rendezvous. One of the best sessions yet. Probably last week Stu Morrison plays with Vieux Carre. Leaving to join Pete Ridge Band.
Tues 11th Oct 1960 --- Ernest Wyatt Stereo concert at the Guildhall. Enjoyed first half but 2nd part too heavy going with Julius Kitchen.
Wed 12th Oct 1960 --- At ‘The Star’. Vieux Carre didn’t play so record session instead.
Sat 15th Oct 1960 --- Rendezvous Club with Kenny Robinson Band. Better than previous session.
Sat 22nd Oct 1960 --- Rendezvous night with Pedro Harris Stompers. Better than previous visit.
Sat 29th Oct 1960 --- Halloween at the ‘Rendezvous’ with Pedro Harris Stompers. Plenty of fancy dress in evidence. Record crowd.
Wed 2nd Nov At the ‘Pedrian’ club with Le Vieux Carre back in action with guitarist.
Sat 5th Nov 1960 --- At The Rendezvous Preston Scott band after German tour.
Sat 12th Nov The return of ‘Le Vieux Carre’ to the Rendezvous club. Good session. Last session of ‘Vieux Carre’ as they decide not to continue.
Wed 16th Nov 1960 --- Pedrian Club closed for time being. After record session ‘Le Vieux Carre’ disband.
Sat 19th Nov 1960 --- Kenny Robinson Band at ‘The Rendezvous’. Very loud drumming spoilt it somewhat.
Tues 22nd Nov 1960 --- Try out with remnants of ‘Vieux Carre’ group. Tunes attempted ‘Sometimes my Burden’ etc at The Star. Had first try with group. Mick Farrier (trombone), Ken Saunders (drums), Ken clarinet, banjo (not known). (agree to meet later)
Sat 26th Nov 1960 --- In the evening saw Papa Blue’s Viking Jazz Band. Very good in parts, spoilt by too many long solo spots.
Tues 29th Nov 1960 --- Practice at The Star 7.30. Banjo player didn’t turn up. Some numbers sounded O.K.
Tues 6th Dec 1960 --- Practise at ‘The Star’ 7.30. Frank Hurlock took up most of evening with his group.
Sat 10th Dec 1960 --- Best session yet at the Rendezvous Club with Kid Martyn’s Ragtime Band’ with Cuff Billett trumpet, one time local leader of the ‘Vieux Carre’ New Orleans Jazz Band, now disbanded.
Tues 13th Dec 1960 --- Practise at ‘The Star’ 7.30. Only 3 turned up, no trombone or banjo.
Wed 14th Dec 1960 --- Heard ‘Climax Band’. Nick Farrier, Ken Saunders, Johnny Keene, no banjo though Bob Ferguson, guitar, sat in.
Tues 20th Dec 1960 --- Practice night at ‘The Star’. Clarinet Ken, Banjo John Lillywhite.
1962 April 26th Thorngate Downbeat Club Pete Robins Jazzmen
1962 May 3rd Bo Wallis’ Storyville Jazzmen
1962 August 30th Thorngate Downbeat Club Dereque Adye’s Jazz Band
1962 September 12th Thorngate Downbeat Club Dereque Adye’s Jazz Band
1962 September 13th Thorngate Downbeat Club Bob Wallis
1963 May 15th Thorngate Downbeat Club Dereque Adye’s Jazz Band
1962 July 26th Railway Hotel Mick Ferrier trombone and Dereque Adye’s Jazz Band
1962 August 2nd Railway Hotel Dereque Adye’s Jazz Band
1962 August 9th Railway Hotel Dereque Adye’s Jazz Band
1962 August 16th Railway Hotel Cuff Billett trumpet and Dereque Adye’s “drums” Jazz Band
1962 August 23rd Ken Sunders drums and Dereque Adye’s Jazz Band
1962 August 30th Railway Hotel Dereque Adye’s Jazz Band
1962 September 6th Railway Hotel Keith Ancsellclarinet and Dereque Adye’s Jazz Band
1962 September 13th Railway Hotel Dereque Adye’s Jazz Band
1962 September 16th Solent City Jazzmen
1962 October 4th Railway Hotel Ian Anscsell and Dereque Adye’s Jazz Band
1962 October 19th The “Prof” piano and Dereque Adye’s Jazz Band
1962 November 9th Railway Hotel Solent City Jazzmen
1962 November 16th Railway Hoytel Solent City Jazzmen
1962 November 23rd Railway Hotel Dereque Adye’s Jazz Band
1962 December 7th Railway Hotel Ted Owen’s New Orleans Rhythm Boys
1962 December 14th Railway Hotel Dereque Adye’s Jazz Band
1962 December 21st Railway Hotel Ian Anscsell and Dereque Adye’s Jazz Band
1962 December 28th Railway Hotel Dereque Adye’s Jazz Band
1963 February 15th Railway Hotel Dereque Adye’s Jazz Band
1963 February 22nd Railway Hotel Cuff Billett and Dereque Adye’s Jazz Band Jon Isherwood
1963 March 22nd Railway Hotel Dereque Adye’s Jazz Band
1963 April 30th Tuesday Fok Artistes WednesyCrescent City JazzmenThusday Josephine Collinson and the Boubon Street Six Friday Dereque Adye’s Jazz Band Saturday Keith Smith’s Climax Jazzband
1963 Thursdays Railway Hotel Josephine Collinson and the Boubon Street Six
1963 Fridays Railway Hotel Frank Hurlock and Dereque Adye’s Jazz Band
1963 May 8th Railway Hotel Jazz/Folk/Blues Association Cresent City Jazzband
1963 May 9th Railway Hotel Jazz/Folk/Blues Association Josephine Collinson and the Boubon Street Six
1963 May 10th Railway Hotel Jazz/Folk/Blues Association Dereque Adye’s’s Okeefenokee Jazzband
1962 November 9th Hilsea Lido Back of town Syncopators plus Dereque Adye’s’s Swamp Band
1962 December 8th Melgrade Hall Fareham Dereque Adye’s’s Jazz Band
1962 November 16th Dolphin Hotyel Botley Dereque Adye’s Jazz Band
1962 December 27th Dolphin Hotyel Botley Dereque Adye’s Jazz Band
1968 August 11th lunchtime Frank Hurlock and Dereque Adye’s Jazz Band evening Ray E,mber trio and Teddy Layton
1963 March 23rd Cormorant Portchester Dereque Adye’s Jazz Band
1963 April 27th Railway Hotel Forton Rd Gosport Dereque Adye’s Jazz Band
1963 June 1st Railway Hotel Forton Rd Gosport Dereque Adye’s Jazz Band
1963 June 26th Father Adams Jazz Club Railway Hotel Forton Rd Gosport Dereque Adye’s Jazz Band
1962 August 2nd Rendezvous Club St Pauls Sq Portsmouth Dereque Adye’s Jazz Band
1963 June 14th Portchester Parish Hall Dereque Adye’s Jazz Band
1965 March 16th Doctor Jazz Clure, The Pure Drop Middle Street Dereque Adye’s Jazz Band
1962 December 3rd Savoy Ballroom New Orleans Jazzband Llew Hird Jazzmen with Pamela trumpet, Crescent City Jazzmen Benny Freedman and his Orchestra
January 26, 2019
Ted Two
The Commodore Jazz Band began doing “real sessions” and Ted recalled gigs at a variety of local venues, including the Community Centre and Greyhound in Leigh Park,Drayton Community Hall, Portchester Sea Scouts Centre, a Works Social at the Winchester Arms and then a couple of notable venues, the Railway Hotel behind Fratton Station, and ‘Tina’s’ in Hampshire Terrace which would become the Bottle in the Wall, the Indigo Vat, Scandals etc.
He remembered other gigs at the Rock Gardens Pavilion, a school hall in Kent Road (?), the Cormorant in Portchester, and Fisher’s Club in Marmion Road. There were rehearsals at Cosham’s ‘Old House at Home’, and sessions sitting in with bands at the Star, Lake Road and the Cobden Arms in Arundel Street where Cuff Billet’s Vieux Carre band played every week.
24/1/2019 At 2.05pm today (Tuesday) we'll be remembering Ted Laker, mostly in his own words. Ted died of cancer on 13th January. He was 85. Ted produced a total of 450 programmes for Angel Radio ..... 246 'Ted Laker Presents' ..... 206 'Best in Country' shows. Ted's funeral is at 3.15pm on 31st January at Portchester Crematorium.
January 23, 2019
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Ted Laker’s Jazz Memories
Ted passed notes and memories of the old jazz days around Pompey to brother Graham. He was a modest man despite appearing in local print and on radio, but Graham is happy to share these memories with us and they will appear in parts over the next few days. Here’s the first part:
Ted’s interest in jazz was aroused listening to players like Bix Beiderbecke (cornet), Joe Venuti (violin) and Eddie Lang (guitar) backing Bing Crosby on his early records. In the mid-1950s, Ted bought a trumpet from ‘Foreman’s Second Hand Dealers’ in Lake Road, and took lessons in Southsea from Stan Emptage, who played in the local Benny Freedman’s Orchestra (also included Jock Shulman father of the Simon Dupree brothers).
Ted bought a better instrument from Courtney & Walker’s, in those days in Arundel Street, and spotted an item in the local Evening News seeking players for a forthcoming ‘New Orleans’ band (I’m assuming then following the UK example of Ken Colyer’s Bands).
He began rehearsing with them which went well, and they met regularly in the Winchester Arms (Copnor) and after six months played their first gig there, followed by one at a Copnor Church Hall then at St Mary’s Hospital Social Club and a Hilsea Church Hall. The notes don’t say, but I think this is the Commodore Jazz Band (see below).
Graham's brother Ted, a most interesting, informative man, died recently. Graham has sent this tribute:
"My brother Ted, at the age of 85, finally lost his brave battle with cancer on the 13th January.
You and some of your bloggers may well remember his regular letters in The Portsmouth News. He was always quick to fire off a few paragraphs to inform readers of the death of an old cowboy star, an anniversary of the publication of a certain Sherlock Holmes story or even the birthday of Mickey Mouse. He was also a good cartoonist with many reproduced in the same newspaper.
In the early sixties he joined and played trumpet in The Commodore New Orleans Jazz Band playing around the many local jazz venues of the time - The Winchester Arms, Railway Hotel, Fishers Club etc etc. He also became a friend of Ken Colyer who paid many visits to Portsmouth.
In his seventies, he became a broadcaster for Angel Radio and made some 400 x 45 minute shows featuring some of his favourite musicians (Bunk Johnson, Gus Cannon's Jug Stompers, The Boswell Sisters etc etc) plus over 700 shows featuring Country Music, he wanted none of his heroes to be forgotten or unappreciated. All these shows were painstakingly scripted in longhand and timed to perfection. They are still being broadcast at 4pm every Monday.
He was probably one of the last of the old jazz men from this area, his knowledge of the cinema and music (at least up to 1959) was second to none. Even in his last days, I would ask him if he could still remember the names of The Marx Brothers or the date when Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five recorded 'West End Blues', which he could, without hesitation.
There is a saying that when an old man dies, a library burns down - never truer than in Ted's case. His funeral will be at Portchester Crematorium on the 31st January at 3.15pm. Anyone wishing to attend, would be very welcome. No flowers, please, contributions to Cancer Research.
Photos of
Graham's brother Ted, a most interesting, informative man, died recently. Graham has sent this tribute:
"My brother Ted, at the age of 85, finally lost his brave battle with cancer on the 13th January.
You and some of your bloggers may well remember his regular letters in The Portsmouth News. He was always quick to fire off a few paragraphs to inform readers of the death of an old cowboy star, an anniversary of the publication of a certain Sherlock Holmes story or even the birthday of Mickey Mouse. He was also a good cartoonist with many reproduced in the same newspaper.
In the early sixties he joined and played trumpet in The Commodore New Orleans Jazz Band playing around the many local jazz venues of the time - The Winchester Arms, Railway Hotel, Fishers Club etc etc. He also became a friend of Ken Colyer who paid many visits to Portsmouth.
In his seventies, he became a broadcaster for Angel Radio and made some 400 x 45 minute shows featuring some of his favourite musicians (Bunk Johnson, Gus Cannon's Jug Stompers, The Boswell Sisters etc etc) plus over 700 shows featuring Country Music, he wanted none of his heroes to be forgotten or unappreciated. All these shows were painstakingly scripted in longhand and timed to perfection. They are still being broadcast at 4pm every Monday.
He was probably one of the last of the old jazz men from this area, his knowledge of the cinema and music (at least up to 1959) was second to none. Even in his last days, I would ask him if he could still remember the names of The Marx Brothers or the date when Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five recorded 'West End Blues', which he could, without hesitation.
There is a saying that when an old man dies, a library burns down - never truer than in Ted's case. His funeral will be at Portchester Crematorium on the 31st January at 3.15pm. Anyone wishing to attend, would be very welcome. No flowers, please, contributions to Cancer Research.
Photos of Ted and the Commodore Jazz Band
Ted Laker at Angel Radio
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