MEET THE BAND
As a team we nurture both individual expression and collective excellence - developing confident soloists, strong section players and a cohesive ensemble, while striving for high standards of musicianship.
But above all we love having the opportunity to play great music together and have fun doing it!
Rhythm Section
John Smith (Percussion), Dave Gale (Piano), Ray Clarke (Bass), Rob Cox (Guitar)
Trumpet Section
Ray Montague, Tom Lucas, Geoff Rose, Mark Probert
Trombone Section
James Orme, Sally Organ, Patrick Slade, Wes Cox
Saxophone Section
Andy Tyrrell, Kim Heath, Terry Marsh, Chris Romans, John Steinhart, Bill Waddington, Sophie Garrett, Dan Melville-Young, Paul Howard
Vocals
Fiona O’Connor, Tracey Stock, Ray Montague
SOME STORIES FROM THE BAND
SALLY ORGAN - TROMBONE
In the 20-odd years I’ve been playing with the band I’ve evolved from a sax swinging engineering academic to a trombone tooting retiree – a transition I would recommend to anyone! I love the wide range of music that we play, the supportive atmosphere that encourages everyone to try to improve and the different personalities that make up the band. Performing to an appreciative audience while raising money for good causes is a joy, and I feel privileged to have played alongside some really fine musicians.
If I had a band-themed magic lamp then my three wishes would be: more women (and more diversity generally), more trombonists (you can never have enough trombonists) and some sort of AI bot that would allow me to practise while asleep, as despite retirement there just doesn’t seem to be enough time in the day. Maybe Tom can help with that.
TOM LUCAS - TRUMPET
I joined the band with an invite from a fellow band member (Terry) of a local concert band "Worle Wind Band" where I was then playing bass guitar. I had been teaching myself trumpet for 10 years or more (never too late to learn a new instrument) and felt it was time to find a band to play it in.
I found an inclusive friendly band with a fair amount of banter and playing some fun pieces. Fairly soon I was asked if I wanted to try improvising a solo. Since I was used to noodling around when practising at home, I gave it a go. It's quite addictive! It is quite freeing and expressive musically. It doesn't always work out, but often feels pretty good and if you can feel ok to bash something out and therefore have a chance to improve, it's great. I even got invited to another smaller jazz group Magna Jazz, which has been a lot of fun, with even more soloing and gigs.
Another highlight is the yearly trip to a comfortable sprawling old mash up of hotels in Torquay (relatively inexpensive) where the band can really get to know each other, have a laugh and deeper conversations, as well as more intensive playing with new pieces and making memories.
Another thing to add is that it is a band where everyone mucks in with tasks towards the running of the band.
DAN MELVILL-YOUNG - SAXOPHONE
I’ve always loved music, even from an early age. Starting with clarinet, I also picked up the tenor sax in my teenage years. A stint with the Cheshire Youth Big Band introduced me to jazz and swing music, which I quickly took to. I unfortunately lapsed musically after university and didn’t really play for around 15 years. But, after moving to Somerset I decided to dust off my instruments and start playing again. I found Mendip Swing through some of the existing players, and quickly settled in. It’s great because it’s a low-pressure environment, but I still get the opportunity to tackle complex pieces with talented players.
DAVE GALE - KEYBOARD
Becoming familiarised with the structured informality of jazz and contributing to the rhythm section of a 17 piece big band can be challenging for an amateur adjusting from reading manuscript ‘dots’ to recognising jazz chords, interpreting new rhythms and ‘comping’ (ie accompanying) - but for me, it’s helped unearth some hitherto undiscovered brain cells!
Meanwhile, the diverse genre interests of band members means that I’ve been exposed to so many musical gems that I might otherwise have overlooked.
Which all goes to show that you’re never too old to learn - every day’s a school day!
FIONA O’CONNOR - VOCALS
I was invited to perform a couple of numbers with Mendip Swing Big Band over ten years ago and here I still am!
Still having fun singing solo or with my Sister- In- Song Tracey.
Our vocal repertoire has expanded greatly over the years and we love
to sing old and new swing and jazz tunes – adding our own harmonies where
we can.
It’s a real privilege to perform live with a Big Band and I hope that our enjoyment comes across to our audiences because we are having a blast
and want you to do the same!