Band Members
Dave Boxold ( Guitar & Banjo)
It was the likes of the Shadows with Cliff Richard that first inspired Dave to buy a second hand guitar and form a 5-piece combo, known as The Farinas, playing lead guitar taking the vocals and emulating the popular music of the day. More work followed with a group from Wolverhampton, called The Likely Lads. This was a time when Dave was also dabbling on keyboard as well as lead guitar.During the 1970s due to work and family commitments Dave took a break from playing in public and became resigned to listening to recorded music by some of the greats such as Sinatra, and Nat Cole.By the early 80’s Dave had developed a keen interest in jazz, and also became actively involved in Barber Shop Quartet work. It was in this latter mode that Dave had reasonable success when his Quartet broadcast several times on the BBC and at many Social Functions. In 1985 Dave joined the Bank Street Syncopators, playing traditional jazz, firstly on bass guitar and then string bass, whilst still occasionally freelancing on jazz guitar with other bands. over the past twenty years he has played bass or guiar with the Martinique Jazz Band and accompanied top line musicians Digby Fairweather, Kenny Ball , Bruce Adams and Roy Williams.
Tony Billingsley Trumpet
Tony’s was first inspired to play Jazz at the age if 17 by visits to a Jazz club in Walsall. Local musician Murray Smith first instructed him on improvisations based in chord structures. The Tame River Jazz band was formed with the help of some local guys and performed successfully for a number of years. Tony then moved briefly on to the Saratoga Band followed by the Phoenix Jazz Band run by pianist Bill Bickerton. The band played regular gigs at Wolverhampton’s Town Hall Hotel, and the March Hares Jazz Club. At the age of 21 he played with Birmingham based Central City Jazz Band and for a short period ran his own outfit. For several year Tony moved into Dance Band music with the Ross Allan Show Band In 1976 he returned to the Jazz scene and joined the Dixieland Stompers. During the early Eighties, He had the opportunity to play with some of the great names in Jazz like Kenny Devine and Yank Lawson. The Nineties saw Tony with first class Midland band like the Doctors of Jazz. In more recent years Tony has travelled extensively with the Antique Six both in the UK and Holland. Over the years there have been some memorable events while playing with some of the famous names such as Humphrey Littleton, Bob Wallis, George Melly, Avo Aveson. Tony recalls some of the early days when, while playing on a Canal Boat a policeman asked “Is that you playing trumpet sonny?” “Yes” says Tony awaiting a complimentary remark. The policeman then retorts” If you don’t shut up I will ram it down your ******* throat”. Fortunately for us Tony went on to become the excellent performer that he is today.Cormac Loane (Alto & Clarinet)
Cormac started his musical career as a schoolboy in the North-East of England in the 1970s, playing in bands alongside bass player Gordon Sumner, who later changed his name to Sting! After a spell of playing in dance bands “on the boats” and in Blackpool’s Winter Gardens, Cormac started his long career in music education in 1980. In the 1990s, whilst Deputy Head of Birmingham Music Service, he formed the Birmingham Schools’ Jazz Ensemble, which performed regularly in Birmingham’s Town Hall and Symphony Hall, accompanying leading British jazz musicians, including Humphrey Lyttelton, John Dankworth and Georgie Fame. In 2013 Cormac retired from full-time teaching, in order to devote more time to playing jazz – with the Chase Jazzmen as well as other bands in the West Midlands.
