Pete Long visited the Blue Vanguard Jazz Club on February 27th 2020.

He recorded this conversation and tunes with Craig, Coach and for one night only Jim Rintoul and bass.

Pete’s career began fairly inauspiciously at the age of 18 deep within the bowels of the Nat West bank in Marble Arch putting bank statements into envelopes. An unfortunate incident involving a picture of a lady and a horse being accidentally sent to the Convent of the Sacred Heart along with their financial records led to a re-think and a few days later, Pete had enrolled at the Royal London College Of Music. After a couple of years of hard study, ruthless self-denial and curry, Pete was out on the road with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, and during his time there, got to play all five saxophone parts, the solo flute part, the bass guitar, and on one rather messy occasion, the fourth trumpet. Having the unusual inclination to play modern jazz on the rather “old-fashioned” clarinet led to several works for clarinet and big band being commissioned during his stay, and established a tradition of clarinet solos in NYJO which has plagued the saxophone section ever since.

After the apprenticeship had been served, fame and endless riches were only around the corner in the form of the John Simons Rhumba Showband on the QE2, and Pete’s orange frilly flamenco shirtsleeves and sassy sombrero became one of the familiar sights in the bars, clubs and clinics around the ports of the Caribbean Sea. At this time, Pete acquired the knack of bandleading, assembling ad-hoc ensembles on the ship for various passenger and crew functions. Serious playing work followed on the return to Blighty, as the award winning Sax Quartet Itchy Fingers had a job going on Alto Sax. Pete passed the audition, and toured Brazil, Venezuela, North Africa, Russia and Europe during his three year stay there, working with, amongst others, Dizzy Gillespie, John Scofield, Chick Corea and Supersax.

Due to an inspired bit of orchestral management by “a friend”, The bulk of Pete’s work for the next six years was in and around the West End theatres, where his versatility on many different woodwind instruments stood him in good stead, most notably on the notorious Clarinet solo in the closing sequences of the hit show Oliver. In recent years, Pete has returned to bandleading at the head of an organisation called the Echoes Of Ellington. This is a 21 piece band which sets out to re-create the Duke Ellington sound by using original manuscripts from the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC, and has achieved great critical acclaim and commercial success. Recently, Pete’s skills developed as front man for the Echoes Of Ellington have led him to presenting Big Band Special, the weekly magazine show for big band buffs on BBC Radio 2, and talking on the early morning news review on GLR.

Pete was recently involved in live and studio work with Jools Holland’s Rhythm and Blues Orchestra, the BBC Radio Big Band, arranging for and directing the poll-winning 9;20 De-Luxe. 10-piece swing band and re-creating the music of Dizzy Gillespie in quintet and big band formats. In the course of playing with Jools, Pete has worked with a diversity of popular icons from Vinnie Jones to Lionel Richie and The Blind Boys Of Alabama to Sting. Working with Jools Holland has also enabled Pete to arrange music for Sir Paul McCartney, Chrissie Hinde, Jane Horrocks, Ray Davies and the unique talents of Marianne Faithfull! The famous oboe intro on "Handbags and Gladrags" by the Stereophonics is also Pete’s work, and a recent high was playing solo baritone saxophone in Dr John’s UK band.

In his spare time, he makes Airfix planes in his garden shed and is restoring an old Karmann Ghia.

Thank you to Yamaha UK for the above 

Recorded before the concert on 24th October 2019 at Blue Vanguard Jazz Club, Gypsy Hill Hotel, Exeter with saxophonist Fliss Gorst with Lauren Bush on vocals.

Recorded on the 19th September 2019 at The Blue Vanguard Jazz Club, Gypsy Hill Hotel, Exeter with Superb Trombonist Mark Bassey.

The Blue Vanguard Jazz Club was very pleased to welcome Byron Wallen on August 22nd August 2019, here Byron and Craig talk about Byron's life and work and play with Coach and Al on 3 songs before the concert.

We hope you enjoy.

Jazz Conversations with Craig Milverton Special Guest Mike Hatchard recorded live at The Blue Vanguard Jazz Club Exeter

Featuring the Craig Milverton Trio, with Coach York with Al Swainger.

For only the second time the club hosted 2 pianos, this podcast is a real treat not only with 2 of the UK's finest pianists but also Mike Hatchard's openness and great humour.

We hope you enjoy the podcast.

Mike Hatchard has had an extraordinarily diverse career as a musician. He began as the pianist for the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, and studied piano under Peter Wallfisch and composition with Philip Cannon at the Royal College of Music (winning the composer’s prize). Subsequently he toured America as Cleo Laine’s accompanist as a member of the John Dankworth Quintet and became Matt Monro’s youngest ever musical director. However, a penchant for cartooning and comedy made his career take some unexpected turns. He invented a character ‘Marvin Hanglider’, and for many years performed at the Edinburgh Festival, described in the Scotsman as a ‘fringe staple.’ This led to cabaret on many of the world’s top cruise liners and tours of India and Europe. Having composed literally thousands of songs over the years, often appearing on BBC Local Radio making up songs on the spot for people who phone in, he is delighted to at last have some of his work published by Kevin Mayhew.  

Mike drew cartoons for Carlton TV’s ‘After the News’ and made his own chat show for CTV. He toured as musical director for comedienne Pamela Stephenson, and co-wrote songs with Frankie Howerd and Spike Milligan. For many years he was closely associated with Herbie Flowers (of Sky fame) which included all sorts of work in prisons, in schools and at the Southbank (Mike has also performed his one man show twice at the Purcell Rooms) and in disabled centres.

He has also worked with David Essex, the Pasadena Roof Orchestra, Barbara Thompson’s Paraphernalia, the Syd Lawrence Orchestra, Julia Migenes Johnson, Liane Carroll, Alan Barnes, George Martin and Tina May.

Recently his career went  full circle when he was asked to compere Cleo Laine’s eighty-fifth birthday concert at Wavendon, and also appeared alongside Cleo in the celebrated Christmas Shows to packed audiences. As well as being in demand as a jazz musician and raconteur, Mike plays a good deal of classical music. He regularly does educational and community projects for the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and is resident pianist with the Chamber Ensemble of London. He has taught at Trinity College Summer School and Dartington International Summer School as well as at Worth Abbey.

Mike recently went back to something he did a lot of in his youth – painting – and has had a few exhibitions mainly on the South Coast. Thanks to Kevin Mayhew for the bio.

Craig Milverton http://www.craigmilverton.co.uk 

Coach York http://www.gyork.co.uk/coachyork.htm

Al Swainger https://www.alswainger.com