Cayenne

It started back in 1977 and after R.C. the co-owner of a music shop in Hampstead was asked to play for a party. The first band consisted of Robert Greenfield and Eddy Chin, bass player from Annie Lennox and Dave Stewarts' band The TOURISTS, percussionist, Gary Griffiths and Italian Alberta Negroni (from Italian aperitif Grappe, Pippa Trentino.)

The first name was Spaghetti and Rice, I cannot think why! At the party, Dave Rudland the owner of newly opened Brahms and Liszt in Covent Garden asked the band to play in the bar. The music the band created became the foundation of the present bands repertoire, an eclectic mixture of Jazz and Latin fusion.

The band was then asked to play at a bigger party and the band was expanded to include Glen le Fleu, Roy Davies from Gonzales, Percussion provided by Chin Fletcher, Rob Bums on bass, John Eldridge on guitar. This combination was then asked to perform at the newly opened recreation club at R.F.M., and the sax / flute of Bud Beadle was added along side Paul Newmans' trombone and Ron Cartly's trumpet.

After playing various gigs around town in 1979 the band recorded their first demo at the aptly named "Slum Studios" in Fleet Road in NW3. One evening Robert saw on the T.V. Jean Palmer a seventy year old mother of a Jazz-Funk artist Chris Palmer and owner of Groove Records in Greek Street, who said how much she loved the new music from America, i.e. Jazz Funk and Latin fusion.

The next day Robert took the demo into Jean and after listening to it, Jean thought it would prove successful.

On his return, Chris Palmer agreed that an album would be made and the first album was recorded at the original Decca Tollington Road Studio and featured on drums Geoff Stopardie/Geoff Dunn; on bass John Mackenzie, Cho cho Menchaw on double bass, Roy Davies (deceased), Davy Schrogen clarinet, Bud Badle etc. plus Jim Mullen solo, and Gary and Chris.

Throughout the following decade Chris played at clubs, festivals, and radio, featuring hundreds of musicians all eager to play with the band and gave a platform for the massive Latin scene now in London.

One night at a gig, a latino, speaking very little English, appeared and emerged from the crowd, and moved towards the timbale. Just to be polite, Roberto intuitively allowed him to play and Roberto Pla had his first play in London staying for a couple of years before starting his own band.

The band’s versatility is reflected in the various venues at which it appears: frequent seasons at the Ronnie Scott Club and Camden’s Jazz Café contrast with regular appearances at the more established rock clubs.

The band has performed at many festivals throughout Britain and Europe. It is used regularly for live sessions by BBC and Capital Radio and has appeared on ITV’s Entertainment UK. Tracks from Cayenne albums have been used as incidental music for television: Grandstand "World Cup 1986", Comic Strip’s "A Fistful of Travellers Cheques" and frequent play on the Landscape Channel being the most notable. Tracks from the albums have also been used on in-flight music channels by various airlines including Virgin.

Dr Jazz & the Cheshire Cats

Dr Jazz and the Cheshire Cats is a big band based in Lymm, just outside Warrington in Cheshire, and consists of talented musicians from across the North West. The band is rapidly establishing a profile in the region and performs regularly for weddings, parties, balls and functions. In addition, the band has a reputation for innovative programming, and in particular for performing new works and reviving historical performance styles.

The band was formed in 2002 by musical director Catherine Tackley, currently a lecturer in music at the Open University, and features a number of players from the nationally acclaimed North Cheshire Wind Orchestra. Whilst the majority of the members come from the Warrington area, other travel from as far afield as Bolton, Chester, Crewe, Liverpool, Macclesfield, Manchester, Preston and North Wales.

The band continues to go from strength to strength, and has an increasingly busy schedule of gigs and concerts throughout the North West, covering Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire and North Wales. The band operates as a co-operative, non-profit making organisation. As such, all income received is retained by the band and is used develop the skills of both the band and its individual members.

Dr Jazz and the Cheshire Cats is available for hire to perform at selected events.