| Band Members |
Meet the Band:
Martin Bennett
Well known on the European Scene having spent the last twenty years touring, playing in all the major clubs and festivals from Norway to the Canaries. More recently two tours to Australia, several to Canada and a memorable one to California, have been part of his professional experience. Martin first visited New Orleans in 1966 and got to know, on a personal basis, George Lewis, Jim Robinson, Dede and Billy Pierce, the Humphrey brothers, and then in 1978, met up with Greg Stafford, at that time a very young beginner, but who nowadays is much in demand on the European scene. Medical problems forced him to give up playing trombone, but he has reconstructed his career on the keyboard, keeping vocals as part of the programme. He has put together a band of musicians he is proud to present as the Old Green River Band, a mix of old heads and young blood, all with the shared intention of playing top class music with integrity and passion.
David Copperwaite
Dave has been on the British jazz scene a long time and is a very experienced musician. He has first hand knowledge of the street bands of New Orleans from his regular visits to the Crescent City, where he is on first-name terms with many of the black musicians who are at the forefront of street and club jazz. Filled with a boundless enthusiasm for contemporary New Orleans sounds, Dave has a wide-ranging repertoire matched to a deep routed awareness of the history of New Orleans music. He is a fine trumpet player and vocalist, he matches the band's musical aspirations perfectly.
Stuart Smith
Stuart joined the band while still studying for his music degree at Salford University, immediately travelling with the band on tours to Scotland, Holland and Belgium. He has a technique well in advance of his 25 years, listens to everything, and has a natural swing at any tempo. His exuberant style suits the band's requirements completely. Watch out for his exciting solos.
Jim Swinnerton
One of the young bloods, he started playing clarinet at 8 years old and later, in secondary school, stood in with various local bands in the North West of England. Son of a famous father, Jack Swinnerton, who organised jazz at the legendary Manchester ports Guild, bringing over from America such stalwarts as Henry ‘Red’ Allen. Jim started playing bass at 18, having been inspired by the playing of ‘Pops’ Foster and Al Morgan. Working on the double bass and encouraged parentally to do so, regular sit-ins with the local Lancashire bands brought out a player with a fluent technique and a big tone. An energetic and enthusiastic bass player.
Howard Murray
Howard is a most talented reed player and well established on the Manchester scene, with a solid reputation for inventive solos. His musicianship is of a very high order, and when not engaged on the jazz scene, he is to he found working with young musicians. He has an encyclopaedic knowledge of pre-war, wartime and post-war radio comedy!
Mac Mac Donald
‘Mac’ is another example of the London jazz scene of the fifties, and a friend from those days of John Finch. ‘Mac’ and I met up in the seventies and played a lot of music together. I met up with him again after he had moved down to Devon, and was with him in 1978 when we went to New Orleans in a band run by a guest of the Old Green River Band, John Shillito. ‘Mac’ has an excellent understanding of what New Orleans banjo playing is about, and brings a very rhythmic style, developed over the years.
John Finch
John comes from a deep pool of musicians that came to prominence in the London area over 40 years ago, where he played with every band of worth around at the time. He plays in his own style and can offer sweet solos when required and driving funky solos as well. He's known to make the occasional vocal, and has a very energetic approach to his music, and like Howard, has a lively sense of humour.
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