The Nova Scotia Jazz Band

For its final concert of the season, the Arran Music Society is delighted to present this classic Dixieland jazz quartet. On Saturday 17th March in Brodick Hall, the Nova Scotia Jazz Band concert will be at 7.30 pm, reverting to an evening time rather than the afternoon sessions offered during the darkest winter months.

The Nova Scotia Jazz Band comprises John Burgess on clarinet and various saxophones, Mike Daly on cornet, Duncan Findlay on banjo and guitar, and the wonderful Roy Percy on string bass. This multi-instrumental combination provides a wide range of varied sound, and although such numbers as At the Jazz Band Ball and Royal Garden Blues are rooted firmly in the New Orleans tradition, there is much invention and freshness. The four talented players bring the classic jazz themes into our own time and present them as newly enchanting and lively, which is why the old favourites remain so enduringly addictive.

These Edinburgh-based players are relaxed, easy, and utterly expert. There is a constantly varying pattern of solo work and duetting, with a rhythm section that takes an equal part in presenting inventive improvisations. If you have loved the old tunes in the hands of such masters as Bix Beiderbecke, Muggsy Spanier and Alex Welsh, here they are again, newly fresh and lively. Samples of the Nova Scotia Jazz Band abound on the Internet, so Google them if you’d like a foretaste of the delights that will be ours on March 17th.

The Music Society was very sorry that ferry disruption prevented the Cartha Trio from reaching us for last month’s concert, but will re-book them for next year’s season. Watch out, too, for extra concerts that may become available during the summer.