Stompin’ wouldn’t be Stompin’ without The Taverners Big Band.  They started it and they end it… every year.  We welcome them back to the Bandstand for another two sets of the best of swing. And we’ve no doubt MD Ben Dwyer has one or two surprises up his sleeve.

The Taverners’ music may have been conceived a couple of lifetimes ago, but in spite of all kinds of ‘progress’ you really can’t beat the sounds and styles of Basie, Ellington, Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller, especially when played by a well-honed band of passionate and professional musicians.

Their special guest this year is singer Freddie Benedict who first cut his teeth as the lead singer of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. He has performed at Ronnie Scott’s, The Carnegie Hall and the Royal Festival Hall, to name but a few.  Once again, we can’t wait!

Musical Director - Ben Dwyer

Trumpets - Kevin Wiles, Austin Carroll, Dan Gray, Jason Hayter 

Saxes - Sarah Bolter, Beccy Wing, Dan Lockheart, Phil Clark

Trombones - Chris Ricketts, Bobi Francis, Colin Francis

Rhythm Section - Adrian Dwyer, Jack Whitton, Toby Carswell, Andy Mills

Originally formed just over two decades ago as a side project while working with Ray Gelato the Jazz Dynamos are back! They worked with a number of different vocalists before Lucy Randell joined ten years ago and they haven’t looked back since. 
They specialise in creating jazz re-arrangements of songs by an eclectic mix of 
artists such as The Police, David Bowie, and Dolly Parton, to name just a few, but to call them “covers” would be to do them a woeful disservice. Far more than that, these are artistic re-imaginings of songs, and the breadth of the extensive repertoire is staggering. 
The arrangements themselves, by Mark Adelman on keyboard are as exquisite as they are surprising, many of which include seamless mergers of seemingly 
incompatible songs. A favourite of which includes a version of Pure Imagination with sections of Bowie’s Starman and musical motifs that shouldn’t work, but they do. Their arrangement takes ownership of the songs in such a way that refresh the original versions.

Lucy Randell: Vocals ; Stewart Curtis: Saxes; Mark Adelman: Keyboards; Anders Janes: Double Bass, Dominique Metz: Drums.

FNUK have been a notable feature on the Bournemouth and Poole scene for some years with a rotating cast of top quality musicians recreating the Jazz Fusion of renowned artists like Steps Ahead, Billy Cobham and Herbie Hancock.  Under the leadership of Peter Case, the band features the powerhouse drumming of Jeremy Stacey who toured the USA last year with King Crimson and the equally powerful guitar of his brother Paul Stacey whose credits include Oasis, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and The Black Crowes.  They are joined by the wonderfully inventive saxes of Ian Ellis and renowned bass player Chris Atwell.  Rock meets funk meets jazz.  Hold on tight for an exciting ride.

Ian Ellis: Saxophones; Paul Stacey: Guitar; Pete Case: Keyboards; Chris Atwell: Bass; Jeremy Stacey: Drums

The six piece Soldoro emerged last year like a breath of fresh air.  Picking up on many much-loved Latin tunes, they bring a fresh sound and feel to the world of jazz.  Expect to hear great Latin-oriented tunes by Stevie Wonder, Joao Gilberto  and Sergio Mendes and Brasil ’66 amongst others.

Sara Harris: Vocals | Tobie Muir: Saxophone; Ray Shea: Piano | Simon Collins: Double Bass; Danny Speller: Drums | Barry Limburn: Percussion

Poised somewhere between small band swing, 40s and 50s Rhythm and Blues and early Rock and Roll, The Boogie Bumpers are bound to get you moving and grooving.  They recreate the eras of the 1930s, 40s and 50s with their energetic dance music,  bringing the jump blues flavour of Louis Prima and Louis Jordan, as well as the swing of Sinatra. Fun, energetic, professional, classy and experienced – isn’t that what we should all expect from a band? 

Kristian Lees-Bell – Vocals; Chris Dawe – Trumpet; James Rawlinson - Tenor Sax; Andrew Blee - Baritone Sax; Natalie Dolton – Keyboards; David Vincent – Bass; David Waller: Drums

It’s great to welcome the ebullient Sound of Blue Note back to Stompin’. They opened Stompin’ in 2018 and five years on they are stronger than ever.  As their name suggests the band perform music made famous by the iconic BlueNote records of the 50’s and 60’s.  This is a nostalgic swinging tribute to musicians like Art Blakey, Horace Silver, Jimmy Smith and Hank Mobley who forged this inimitable style which still sounds so exciting sixty years on.  They are bound to get the 2023 Stompin’ On The Quomps off to a swinging start.

Andy Urquhart: Trumpet | Terry Quinney: Tenor Sax | Mark Nightingale: Trombone  Phil Doyle: Piano | Ben Taylor: Bass | Andy Chapman: Drums