Thanks for visiting!
We hope you can find everything you need.
We are a six piece band playing the great Jazz tunes from New Orleans and some of the best tunes of the Swing era. We do not pretend to be copying any particular band or musical era, but we do like the 'loose', 'Chicago style' Jazz made famous by Eddie Condon and his bands. When asked what style his band played, he replied, " We call it music". Good answer. We just like to play, entertain, bring a smile to our audiences faces and enjoy this fun music - jazz and swing!
You can see more photos and the band performing on video by clicking on the 'About Us' page. If you need any further information, please contact us.
JAZZ HISTORY:
Jazz changed direction in 1917 with the forming of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band by Nick La Rocca and his fellow musicians. Jazz had made the journey from New Orleans to Chicago, then on to New York. Its jorney didn't stop there. In 1919, the ODJB became the first Jazz Band to play in Europe - The Palladium, London.
Nick La Rocca called himself the 'Creator of Jazz'. This caused huge contoversy. Indeed, that accolade had already been assigned to himself by Ferdinand 'Jelly Roll' Morton, in 1908. Now you can hear the personal story from Nicks son, Jimmy La Rocca. Jimmy tells us about his father and his musical ideas on a 1.5 hour video presentation with includes footage from the Rimini Dixieland and Swing Festival, Italy. This concert footage has Jimmy La Rocca on trumpet, playing some of the music made famous by the ODJB. Find it here: www.tradjazzonline.com
As a clarinet player, I greatly admire all of those great Jazz players from the past: George Lewis, Johnny Dodds, Irving Fazola, Benny Goodman, Peanuts Hucko, etc., but also applaud the new generation of players. Me - I just try my best and have fun.
Jeff Matthews
Leader and Clarinet: The Chicago Swing Katz.
We are a band based in the UK.
We hope to see you again! Check back later for new updates to our website. There's much more to come!
