The Wall City Jazz Band 1952

The Wall City Jazz Band was first formed in 1952 as the resident band on Monday evenings at Clemence's Restaurant in Northgate Street Rows, Chester. The format of the band is Dixieland and Mainstream Jazz but they try to be as versatile as possible. The original line-up was :- Tom Jones (Trumpet), Wally Robertson (Clarinet), He left to join the Royal Canadian Air Force as a bandsman. Replaced by Paul Blake (Clarinet), John Nuttall (Bass), Ian Ashworth (Trombone), Stan Roberts (Piano) and Alan Lewis Drums

Derek Masters and Don Davies promoted the band. Their intention was to provide an inexpensive post-weekend evening for young people. So successful was it that other bands were promoted for these evenings. These included the Freddie Rendar band and the Merseysippi Jazz Band. In 1953, the promoters decided to change the venue to the Stafford Hotel on Friday nights. The Wall City Jazz Band had to turn this down but still played at private gigs and one-nighters. This turned out to be a wise move since the Friday nights finally closed and Derek Masters moved on to promote the Freddie Rendar band.

In 1954, they were approached by Gordon Vickers to be the resident band at his newly opened Wall City Jazz Club at Quaintways, next door to their old venue. It was whilst they played here that their resident vocalist 15year old Pat (Trish) Fields joined them.

Guest artists over the years included Earl Hines, Vic Dickinson, Edmund Hall Bud Freeman and many more. It also became quite normal for the band to play at jazz venues in London, such as George Webb’s Hot Club, the Fishmonger’s arms and Cooks Ferry, as well as concerts at the Shakespeare and Empire theatres in Liverpool. There were also gigs at provincial clubs such as St George’s hall, Blackburn and the Dudley Hippodrome amongst many others.

On 16th January 1957, Alan Sytner featured the Band, along with the Mersysippi Jazz Band and the Ralph Watmough Band at the opening of the Cavern in Liverpool, soon to succumb to skiffle and the Quarrymen.

However, so did the Wall City Jazz Club at Quaintways. Over the 20 years, that the Band played there the scene gradually changed from featuring some of the great British Jazz Bands and American guests such as Earl Hines to a more “Rock” orientated venue. Guests at this time included such bands as Long John Baldry’s “ Steam Packet “ with Judy Driscoll (Vocals),

Elton John (keyboards) and a young Rod Stewart fronting. One foggy night Fleetwood Mac were booked but the evening had very few customers. Quaintways eventually closed only to open again as a nightclub. The Band’s own vocalist succumbed to the new trends and turned professional. Trish Fields left in her twenties for a career with her own band “ Whiskey Mac” After a successful career she has returned to sing with the Band at their new venue.

Gordon Vickers presents the Wall City Jazz Band at his own hotel as the Mill’s resident Monday night band. "It's free to come in and it's free to go out"

Only Paul Blake still plays from the original line-up. Tom Jones is retiring ,and the band are hosting a retirement party for him at THE MILL HOTEL MILTON STREET CHESTER on Monday the 27th.April 2009.All musicians and friends who have played with Tom or the Wall City are cordially invited.

In its fifty years on the road the band has had: 7 trumpet players, 11 trombonists, 13 clarinet/ saxophone players, 10 pianists, 11 bass players, 10 drummers and 5 banjo/guitarists.

At present, the band has a core of original instrumentalists with old and new friends filling in on other instruments.

or
or

Tom Jones
Paul Blake
Billy Buck
Mal Pendry
Brian Jones
Don Lambert
Derek Harrison
John Ruben
Trish Fields
Gordon Vickers
Rob Handford

Trumpet
Clarinet
Drums
Bass Guitar
Keyboards

Keyboards
Piano and Vibes
Vocals … occasionally aided by Gordon Vickers
Washboard
Trombone

As it should be, a party atmosphere prevails with old a new fans mingling in the bar and on the dance floor, many of them old Quaintways’ habitués.