The City Steam Jazz Band

Who plays in the band?

The City Steam Jazz Band plays with different musicians to suit the occasion, depending on the wishes of the client and the constraints of the venue. The photos in the Picture Gallery will give you an idea of the range of occasions for which we play, but we will do our best to provide the music the client wants.

Our favourite size of band is the Six Piece. It consists of a front line, made up of trumpet, clarinet/sax and trombone, with a rhythm section of bass, guitar/banjo and drums. This band is ideal for outside events, such as village fetes, or for inside events where there are lots of people who want to dance. We enjoy playing with this line-up since with it we can play the gutsy numbers like Bourbon Street Parade and Bugle Boy March.

The City Steam Hot Four is much more suited to smaller scale engagements. This quartet consists of trumpet / cornet, clarinet / saxophone, guitar / banjo and bass. This band is ideal when the venue is small or the music needs to be quiet - such as at a wedding reception as the guests gather for drinks after the service, or in a private house. We play regularly with this group at the Five Bells at Clyst Hydon. The music is loud enough for them to enjoy but not too loud that it prevents them holding a conversation.

Our regular musicians

Dave Martin Dave has been playing in the band since it was formed in 1985. He plays cornet, trumpet and flugel horn, and has produced the pad of tunes which the band plays. His nick-name is "Whispering Dave" after his style of singing. Dave does much of the administration of the band.
	Pete Bradley Pete plays clarinet and tenor saxophone and has been playing in the band since the 1990s. He is affectionately known as "Professor" since he baffles us with his authoritative knowledge about any subject we discuss.
Ron Hurst Ron plays trombone and delights us all with his wonderful vocals. He moved to the Devon from the Windsor area where he played for many years. He has played with the band occasionally for some years, but we are pleased that he is now our regular trombone player.
	Tim Walker Tim has been on the local music scene for many years and has often played with the band as a dep. We are delighted that he has now joined the band as as a permanent fixture on bass guitar.
Norman Clipson Norman plays drums. He was in the band about ten years ago and we are delighted that he is able to play with us again for most of our gigs. He is a bundle of fun and keeps us all amused. His speciality is "King of the Swingers".
	Pete Miller Pete played with a number of Surrey and Hampshire bands in the 1970s and early 80s, including Al Hogan's Goodtime Band and Jane Gwynne's Hot 6. After nearly 25 years off the circuit he joined us last year as a dep and is now our regular chord player on banjo and tenor banjo. If you use the links to contact the band Pete is the person you'll be dealing with.

Other musicians who play with us

Barry Wass Barry is a fine drummer who plays when Norman can't make it. He often sings, doing an impressive rendition of "All of me" …………. in French and Spanish!
	Mike Dobrijevic Mike is a talented musician who plays guitar and bass. He is known by everyone as "Dobsy" since none of us can pronounce his surname. He played with the band for several years, and now often hellps us when our regulars are away.
Colin Fulcher Colin plays bass and is in demand with many bands in the South West. He did play with the band when it was know as the Gingermen in the 1980s, and we are pleased that he is our regular reserve bass player.

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