Jazz Club

1952

The Jazz Club was founded in March, 1952, by its joint presidents, R.J.Beecham and A.Taylor. Meeting on Monday evenings, members listen to records by famous jazz musicians. So far the club has concentrated on the New Orleans style. For the first few meetings, when the music of "Jelly Roll" Morton, "King" Oliver and Louis Armstrong was discussed, there was a reasonably large attendance, but afterwards membership declined.
We are sorry to see that there is such a small number of boys in the School seriously interested in jazz. However, more than twenty attended the final meeting of the summer term.
We do not know what will happen to the club next term since one of the presidents (with half the record supply) is leaving. If there is enough support the club will endeavour to keep going

The Monoux Jazz Band

1959

P. J. Middleton (trombone)
J. Hubbard (trumpet)
M. G. Bates (clarinet)
M. J. Shepherd (drums)
A. J. Hall (banjo)

It is many years since the School has had a Jazz Band for any length of time. The present group however, under the name of The Monoux Jazz Band, has been playing a great deal since it formed somewhere around May or June 1959, when Hubbard acquired a trumpet and joined the "embryo" band which played at the 1958 Rag Concert (with somewhat painful results, let it be admitted). By September 1959 we had all much improved and we were beginning to sound more like a jazz band.

We played at our first dance (in Chingford) during October and we were quite well received by the large crowd of dancers. Our second engagement raised us to the very peak of prestige, for we were asked to play at that " Holy of Holies," Woodford County High School for Girls. This boosted our morale considerably, which was most fortunate, for, on the 18th of December we were due to play before the most discerning audience in Britain; the Monoux Rag Concert audience. Much to our relief we were greeted, not with demoniacal laughter and derision as on the previous occasions, but with wild applause.

At the time of writing we have a few more engagements in the offing, but after Easter certain members of the band will have to start thinking of revision for examinations. We shall attempt to remain as " The Monoux Jazz Band " until the end of the summer term, when only Hubbard will be left at school. Middleton hopes to go to Exeter University to form a jazz band there (and study German). Shepherd is also hoping to play drums at University, Bates is taking up the double-bass and Hall is already at work. We shall still occasionally meet, however, in order to revive very happy memories of an interesting and most enjoyable partnership.