QUATTRO MCJAZZ
The
story of a new band with combined experience of 175 years !
In
late 2007 a new band appeared comprising Forrie Cairns on clarinet, Alastair
McDonald on banjo and vocals, Lennie Herd on trumpet and Roy Percy on bass. The
philosophy was simple: - hot Dixieland jazz classics, spiced
with some gospel and blues. The goal:- to re-create the kind of exciting jazz
music which appealed to educated youngsters in the late 50’s and early 60’s
Why
a 4-piece Dixieland band?
Lennie
Herd explains: “We had been experimenting for some time with a four man
line-up. With the right four guys, it produces a very clean swinging sound,
ideal for traditional jazz classics. It’s also logistically very attractive;
no piano to worry about and no drums to carry!”
Both
Alastair and Lennie had been on Forrie’s radar back in the 1960’s but the
three never managed to get together at that time. It was Forrie’s idea to
experiment with this line-up in late 2007 and finding a one-man percussion
section in Roy Percy made the concept totally viable. Audience response has been
outstanding. Packed houses and multiple encores have characterised the bands
only 3 outings in 2007. The first three dates in the diary for 2008 are return
visits to these same venues, with arrangements already underway to increase
capacity in anticipation of high demand.
Why
the unusual name?
The
band is made up of 4 internationally acclaimed jazz players from