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 Sept 2006    40 years and still going


 May 2007     Customs House welcomes Ray

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The Ray Chester Big Band
The Customs House, South Shields  (May 23rd 2008)
There's something about the sound of a big band that makes my spine tingle - I love it! Add the dulcet tones of an exquisite female vocalist and the music and lyrics of George and Ira Gershwin and, in my opinion, you're in for a pretty spectacular evening.
Last night, The Customs House welcomed back The Ray Chester Big Band and Mia Webb to provide just that. After opening up with Strike Up The Band, Mia stepped into the limelight and wowed the audience with her renditions of The Man I Love and A Foggy Day (In London Town). Her consummate delivery of the lyrics combined with the precision of the band went together as well as strawberries and cream.
In a corner of my mind, I was transported back in time to an old 'speakeasy' in Prohibition-era New York. Perhaps I was born in the wrong place and time?
The evening continued with Mia Webb singing classics such as I Got Rhythm, Soon, Embraceable You, Somebody Loves Me, They Can't Take That Away From Me, Nice Work If You Can Get It and How Long Has This Been Going On? The band were in excellent form with Lady Be Good, Rhapsody In Blue and S'Wonderful.
The first part of the show was brought to a lively close as special guests The Fenner Sisters performed Bei Mir Bist Du Schon, Straighten Up And Fly Right and I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter. They obviously had a number of fans in the audience who cheered and wolf-whistled their appreciation enthusiastically.
The second part of he show continued in very much the same style as the first. The music included But Not For Me, Someone To Watch Over Me and Walking The Dog. The Fenner Sisters returned to sing Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy From Company B and In The Mood and Mia Webb returned to the stage to perform again. The evening was rounded off with the band playing a selection of numbers from Porgy And Bess, including a sophisticated, sultry arrangement of Summertime.
After two delightful hours of wonderful musical entertainment the audience, and this reviewer, left the theatre and entered into the dusky night air humming those fabulous tunes.
Steve Burbridge.
The
Customs House Theatre
May 13th 2009

If ever a night promised you nostalgia ...this is  it. It doesn't matter which band you heard or followed, it was the unmistakable sound of brass and woodwind coupled with great swing arrangements of yesteryear that got your feet tapping. Speaking of arrangements, Ray will guide you through the nostalgic years of playing and writing music for over 60 years. Tunes like "The nearness of you" (he arranged this for Al Flush and his band....great tunes from some of the top bands...... Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, Ted Heath. As it is 70 years since the outbreak of WW2......listen for an exciting  arrangement of the Dam Busters March.....

Tickets £10...Conc. £8    from the Customs House Theatre Box Office (0191 4541234)
LATEST NEWS
CD release: With Ray approaching Octogenarian status it seems appropriate that a new Cd is on the horizon with a release date in March.
The disc contains many standards ...."Foggy Day"," Embraceable you"
"Someone to watch over me" etc..... most of the tracks being Rays own arrangements.
Superbly recorded and mixed by Dave Connolly

CD costs £10
St. Benedict's CHARITY GIG  26th March 2009 (Mill View Club)
The RCBB gig  on the date above is to raise funds for St. Benedict's Hospice in Monkwearmouth, Sunderland. Ray's wife, Joan, was looked after extremely well there during the last week of her life and the band has played a number of fundraising concerts and dances since then.
Our new all-Gershwin CD will be on sale at the concert at a price of £10, £2 of which will go to the hospice.
Mill View Club is in Station Road, Fulwell, Sunderland, about 100 yards from Seaburn Station (Metro) and very close to the Blue Bell pub. They have a very nice concert room and have been generous in allowing us to use it for the concert and rehearsals.

 Ray fights on despite health problems
Ray is making slow progress in recovering from a fall at home at the beginning of February, 2008, which resulted in a dislocated right shoulder with damage to nerves and tendons. At first he had very little use in the arm but has recently been able to start playing the trombone again - at home - gigs will hopefully come a little later. The piano is coming along and there is the encouragement of real, if slow, improvement. Happily he is able to 'front' the band though trombone solos are not possible yet.