The ghosts of George Lewis, Kid Thomas, Jim Robinson, Kid Ory, and the other wonderful New Orleans Jazz revivalists happily roam the fields and shires of the UK. The mantle of Ken Colyer, Chris Barber, Humphrey Lyttleton, Alex Welsh, and their cohorts, who were the first Brits to bring the sounds of the trad jazz revival to Britain, has passed down to another generation of British musicians.
Happily, many of that second generation are still with us, now inspiring a third generation. To our good fortune many of them and their proteges were with us this August for the 33rd Bude Jazz Festival.
One of the most striking facts about the Bude Jazz Fest is that it happens. Bude is small town in Cornwall with less than 10,000 population. Yet they, for so many years, they have managed to present one of the best-known Jazz Festivals in the UK. It is an example of what can be achieved with a very dedicated volunteer committee
Thirty-three different bands offered music ranging from blues and ragtime to mainstream and bop with an especially rich choice of traditional New Orleans and classic jazz. The planning was such that one could experience at least two bands in each time period—morning, afternoon, and evening. Another nice feature was the daily 10 am potpourri session on the hotel veranda facing the main area of town. Billed as “Stan Allen & Friends” it was a casual jam-session and
