Mike Durham’s International Jazz Party: What a Blast!

At 4 am on a Monday last year, I ambled down the front steps of the Village Hotel, humming “Clap Yo’ Hands” from Michael McQuaid’s Roger Wolfe Kahn set. That was my first time at Whitley Bay, and I was a convert by the end of day one. “I’m coming back next year,” I said to the wind and the birds.

Walking back into the lobby this year, I felt like I had never left. It’s that of familiarity, of anticipation; “Cheer Up, Good Times Are Comin’,” and I could feel it. Mike Durham’s International Classic Jazz Party is a festival, a reunion, a party, and then some. Between the front desk and the elevator, I caught a glimpse of some of the musicians already hard at work. It was during rehearsal time, and one session had just let out. I kept my hellos brief, partly to stay out of their way, and partly because I’ve been awake for some 30 hours by then.

Two meals and a long nap later, I made it to the welcome concert. The music started right as I got to the bar, and Enrico Tomasso was already hitting high Cs before I finished the first pint, giving an exciting preview of the Hot Fives set he would lead. It was a joy catching up with friends from both sides of the pond, some I haven’t seen since last year’s fest. The musicians were particularly excited about what was to come. “The Earl Hines rehearsal sounded really good!” “Oh, you’re gonna like the Ramblers set!” “I’ve got a surprise for you…”

Organizers Patti Durham and Jonathan Holmes opened the festival on the first day with words of welcome to the attendees and warm remembrance of the many past greats of the festival, including, of course, Mike Durham, Claus Jacobi, and Keith Nichols. The pair presented this year’s Young Talent Award to trombonist, arranger, and fellow Chicagoan Steve Osorio; I’ll be sure to catch his gigs back home.

Reedman David Horniblow kicked off the music with the Oliver Naylor set, and we’re off to the races! Natalie Scharf led a set paying tribute to tenor saxophonists in the 1930s, including Lester Young, Benny Carter, Bud Freeman, Coleman Hawkins, and others. Lorenzo Baldasso performed a set of music from Artie Shaw’s Orchestra on the last day and was the talk of dinnertime that night!

Mike Davis led a set of rare Trumbauer recordings, recreating some of my favorite Bix tunes like “Krazy Kat” and emulating both Bix on cornet and Tram on vocals. Michael McQuaid portrayed Tram on C-melody and expertly tackled tunes like “Trumbology.” Mike Davis later led a King Oliver set with vocals by Nicolle Rochelle, who throughout the festival beautifully portrayed a wide array of singers on this and many other sets, including Billie Holiday, May Alix, Ivie Anderson, Eva Taylor, Cleo Brown, Ethel Waters, and many more.

In the strings section, Harry Evans demonstrated his slap bass on his Thelma Terry set. He also led a Kansas City Six set, featuring an electrified (gasp!) guitar, true to the 1938 recordings with Eddie Durham portrayed by Curtis Volp. Curtis also led a set of guitarist Teddy Bunn’s music. Martin Wheatley led a set featuring string bands, playing guitar and banjo with Thomas “Spats” Langham, mandolin with Curtis, upright bass with Malcolm Sked, and violin with Emma Fisk. Martin affixed a kazoo on Spats for the tune “Salty Dog,” and it was quite the visual! Spats later led a set on Nick Lucas. Guitarist Félix Hunot led a set of Irving Berlin tunes.

Nick Ball performed some incredible acrobatics on his Joe Daniels “Drumnasticks” set, and he led a Washboard Empires set featuring South Side Chicago washboard groups. Josh Duffee led a set on Cleo Brown and a set on Phil Napoleon’s music. On top of providing percussion on many sets, Josh also wowed us with his cat vocals on Napoleon’s “The Cat.” That was not the only animal sighting this year; at the final jam session, Josh, Andy, TJ, and Nick Ball performed a duck call quartet! Later that same session, there was also a drum trio featuring Nick Ball, Nick Ward, and Josh, all playing on a single drum set!

Trumpeter and first-timer Joe Boga of New York led a set of Ellington’s small groups. Multi-instrumentalist and also first-timer TJ Müller led a set of music featuring the Arcadia bands of St. Louis, where he now resides and leads the great Arcadia Dance Orchestra. Ana Quintana of New York sang a beautiful rendition of Sophie Tucker’s “I’ve Got A Cross-Eyed Papa” on that set.

Each evening session began with piano solo sets, this year featuring Andy Schumm, Andrew Oliver, and Martin Litton. Andy performed a mix of jazz and jazz adjacent pieces, including Bix’s “In The Dark” and selections from Eastwood Lane’s “Adirondack Sketches.” Mostly playing cornet on others’ sets, Andy led his fiery Earl Hines Orchestra set from the piano, with Lewis Taylor and Joe Boga on horn. Andrew Oliver played a selection of rags and jazz tunes, as well as a beautiful tango piece titled “Maldita.” Andrew also led a set of Willard Robison tunes and a set of Harry Dial’s music. Martin Litton performed one of my favorites, Duke Ellington’s “Black Beauty,” and, continuing the jazz-adjacent genre, some Cyril Scott pieces. Martin also led the Ivie Anderson set with Nicolle. David Boeddinghaus was plenty busy, providing expert piano accompaniment and solos throughout the festival on many of my favorite sets.

Colin Hancock, in his Whitley Bay debut as both bandleader and music director, started with a set featuring the music of Andy Preer and Harry Cooper, an Ethel Waters set, and a Jimmie Joy set, during which fellow music director Michael McQuaid played two clarinets at once on “St. Louis Blues”. In addition to all the organizing work and playing and singing on many others’ sets, Michael himself led a set of Sidney Bechet-Muggsy Spanier music, a set of Richard M. Jones’ music, a California Ramblers set, and the closing Dorsey Brothers set.

I could write individual essays on the fine music of each of the thirty-ish sets and the quality playing of each of the thirty-ish musicians, but I’d rather say “You had to be there” and “You should go next year”. The penultimate tune of the festival was the Dorseys’ “Fine and Dandy,” and that certainly described how I felt about the whole weekend. I enjoyed the wonderful music, and especially enjoyed seeing how much fun the musicians are having on and off stage. Months and months of hard work go into these transcriptions and arrangements, and then finally putting them together with such top talent (and their friends) in one place for an audience that actually understands and appreciates it must be such a rewarding feeling. In the closing remarks, Jonathan asked how many attendees were there for the first time, and about two-thirds of the room raised their hands!

I left at a more reasonable time this time and bid many farewells after breakfast. Descending the front steps of the hotel once again, this time I was humming “Beau Koo Jack” from Andy’s Earl Hines set. Patti, Russell, Jonathan, Colin, and Michael put together another amazing festival this year, and I wish it weren’t already Monday.

“I’m coming back next year.”