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The WestbrookJazz Moving Picture Show has moved here
Remembering John and Margery Styles, founder members of Smith’s Academy.
12 January 2026
A COOL CODA
No. 96
Some tunes stay with you over the years. In After Smith’s Hotel I included a section called On Duke’s Birthday to commemorate our trip to New York in 1983 which coincided with Ellington’s birthday, April 29th. We played Blake in the Jazz Church, and I had the privilege of playing Billy Strayhorn’s Steinway. In the new piece I included a simple twelve-bar theme, a minor blues with special chord changes.
1984 was the tenth anniversary of Ellington’s death. Two jazz festivals in France, at Amiens and Angoulême, invited me to compose a piece to mark the occasion. I took the opportunity to develop some of the ideas thrown up by After Smith’s Hotel. Taking the blues theme as a starting point, I expanded On Duke’s Birthday into what became an hourlong suite. I adapted another Ellington’s inspired piece, East Stratford Too Doo, and added two new compositions, the opener Checking In at Hotel Le Prieuré and at the end Music Is.
I had written After Smith’s Hotel for a 17-piece band. This being too expensive for the French festivals, I had to re-think the orchestration of On Duke’s Birthday for a smaller line-up. In the process the piece was transformed, became clearer, more focused. Our regular group, the Brass Band, was always the nucleus of any larger ensemble, augmented as necessary. At that time the band consisted of Phil Minton, Kate, Chris Biscoe, Tony Marsh, Danilo Terenzi and me. To add to this I found that I needed particular people, not just whatever instrument they played. I called on Brian Godding, Steve Cook, Georgie Born and a newcomer, violinist Dominique Pifarely. Crucially, I then asked Stuart Brooks to lead us. Stuart was the only one with big band experience. The others were all primarily known as soloists and improvisers. The result was a hugely creative, unorthodox band with a front section consisting of violin, cello and one saxophone.
The premiere in Amiens was one of those occasions when everything comes together. The right people in the right place at the right time playing the right music to the right people. What’s more, the live recording of that first performance was to be released by HatHut records and the beginning of a long and fruitful friendship with Werner Uehlinger.
In 2012 I revived On Duke’s Birthday for The Uncommon Orchestra for an Ellington tribute at Seale Hayne, at that time our base in Devon. I expanded the arrangements to suit the 23-piece line up, and added new material. This formed the basis of the performance at Ronnie Scotts in 2022, with Dominique Pifarely as guest. The minor blues theme still formed part of the composition. However I wrote a different arrangement for it, as a stand-alone piece that we could play in the band’s general repertoire. I dedicated it to the memory of two of the musicians first to play it, Danilo Terenzi and Tony Marsh.** Sadly now we have to add Brian Godding and Stuart Brooks to the list of those we’ve lost.
D.T.T.M. has featured a number of soloists, most memorably the late Lou Gare* and, in Catania in 2018, Dominique Pifarely**. I’ve often played it with Chris Biscoe and Kate in the Trio, as well as on solo concerts. In 2017 I wrote a short arrangement for a spot on Jools Holland’s radio show. His band featured two saxophonists and his own Hammond Organ playing. That arrangement stayed on the shelf until last October when I remembered it, and wondered how it would sound if we played it with the Band of Bands. The answer was ‘as to the manner born‘. A simple, fairly straight-ahead minor blues, at a relaxed tempo, is always an open invitation to jazz musicians however freely they choose to respond to it. You can hear that response in Matt Bourne’s playing.
Torquay was one of those gigs that nobody wants to end. We’ve said pretty well everything that needs to be said, in music, song and improvisation. What’s left? My only thought was a reprise of D.T.T.M. which we’d played in an extended version during the set. There are a few well wrought, time honoured phrases in that short song that are pure gold. I needed to hear them again. Both as an end-of-year signing off and a promise that this special blues will be there next year, and forever.
There was a moment of confusion before Marcus took charge, followed by Matt on keyboard, while Pete and Chris were deciding what should happen next. Then the two altos were joined by Karen’s accordion in that bewitching unison sound which is such a feature of the Band of Bands. Quiet and soulful at first, then with Coach and Marcus slipping effortlessly into gear, and choice fills from Matt, taking the line to its passionate conclusion. Kate and I weren’t playing. Just to be there was enough.
Mike Westbrook
January 2026
January 2026
Band Of Bands
Chris Biscoe Pete Whyman saxophones Matthew Bourne keyboard
Karen Street accordion Marcus Vergette bass Coach York drums
Kate Westbrook voice Mike Westbrook piano
Matthew North sound
D.T.T.M. by Band Of Bands live in Torquay
* Moving Picture Show No18 Lou Gare plays D.T.T.M.
** Moving Picture Show No 5 Dominique Pifarely plays D.T.T.M.
(start the video and select D.T.T.M. using the chapter links)
Tony Marsh, Danilo Terenzi featured on East Stratford Too Doo
(first item in this three part video)
Chris Biscoe Pete Whyman saxophones Matthew Bourne keyboard
Karen Street accordion Marcus Vergette bass Coach York drums
Kate Westbrook voice Mike Westbrook piano
Matthew North sound
D.T.T.M. by Band Of Bands live in Torquay
* Moving Picture Show No18 Lou Gare plays D.T.T.M.
** Moving Picture Show No 5 Dominique Pifarely plays D.T.T.M.
(start the video and select D.T.T.M. using the chapter links)
Tony Marsh, Danilo Terenzi featured on East Stratford Too Doo
(first item in this three part video)
Mike Westbrook Brass Band c.1984
left to right: Phil Minton, Danilo Terenzi, Mike Westbrook, Chris Biscoe, Tony Marsh, Kate Westbrook
left to right: Phil Minton, Danilo Terenzi, Mike Westbrook, Chris Biscoe, Tony Marsh, Kate Westbrook
Kate & Mike Westbrook
