sees guitarist Diz Disley bucking the trend, a ‘SKINTS BALL’ with Cy Laurie, Mike Daniels’ Delta Jazzband, and Terry Lightfoot’s Jazz Band, as well as a ‘JERKS JUMP’ featuring Bill Brunskill’s Jazzband as well as The Riversiders. In between, Kid Shillito, Micky Ashman, Mr Acker Bilk, Bob Wallis’ Storyville Jazzmen, Alex Welsh, Kenny Ball, and Dick Charlesworth and His City Gents are on show ..

Sat. Feb 7 ^th  –  Micky Ashman

Sun. Feb 8 ^th  –  Dis  [sic]  Disley

Described by George Melly as “having the face of a satyr, en route to a cheerful orgy”, Diz Disley was a comparative rarity, being a jazz guitarist in these times of trumpet, trombone and clarinet. Inspired by Django Reinhardt, he continued his fruitful career long after tonight, playing with such diverse musicians as Stephane Grappelli, Dave Swarbrick and Nigel Kennedy (must be something about violinists)

Sat. Feb 17 ^th  –  Graham Stewart

Sun. Feb 18 ^th  –  Dis Disley

Sat. Feb 21 ^st  –  Crane River Jazz Band

Sun. Feb 22 ^nd  –  Dis Disley

Sat. Feb 28 ^th  –  Bruce Turner

Sun. Mar 1 ^st  –  Dis Disley

Sat. Mar 7 ^th  –  Micky Ashman

Sun. Mar 8 ^th  –  Dis Disley

Sat. Mar 14 ^th  –  Sandy Brown

Sun. Mar 15 ^th  –  Dis Disley

Sat. Mar 21 ^st  –  Mick Mulligan

Sun. Mar 22 ^nd  –  Dis Disley

Sat. Mar 28 ^th  –  Graham Stewart

Fri. Apr 3 ^rd  –  Ken Colyer & Neil Millett (Celebration Dance)

Sat. Apr 4 ^th  –  Crane River Jazz Band

Sat. Apr 11 ^th  –  Micky Ashman

Sat. Apr 18 ^th  –  Brian Woolley

Sat. Apr 25 ^th  –  Mike Daniels

Sat. May 2 ^nd  –  Terry Lightfoot

From this point (unless otherwise stated), the following entries are largely from contracts, together with the agreed fee, though it has been pointed out that during the purely jazz phase of Eelpiland, there was inevitably a skiffle act that would typically play during the main band’s break between sets, and of course these skifflers would be neither contracted nor advertised at all:  they would quite often be members of the main band anyway.

Sat. May 9 ^th  –  The Graham Stewart Seven  (£25)

Fri. May 15 ^th  – Terry Lightfoot’s Jazz Band

Fri. May 15 ^th  – Mike Daniel’s Delta Jazzmen

Fri. May 15 ^th  –  Cy Laurie

All the above for this night appeared under the banner “SKINTS BALL”, whatever that was meant to mean, according to the flyer

Sat. May 16 ^th  –  Bill Brunskill’s Jazzband  (£10)

Trumpeter Bill Brunskill first played with Cy Laurie, and up until the late 90s was still leading his band, usually at The Lord Napier in Thornton Heath. Back in 1957, in a date on the Island that I’ve been unable to trace, he was supported by the mighty First Molesey Skiffling Scouts, who featured a 13-year old Mick Avory on drums, who went on to the even mightier Kinks. In 1995, Bill was the subject of a TV documentary, “ Whatever Happened To Bill Brunskill? ” , presented by George Melly

Sat. May 16 ^th  –  The Kid Shillito Jazz Band  (£15)

Sounding like a middleweight boxing contender, Kid Shillito is still tooting his trumpet in John Shillito’s Select 4, or Select 6, all over the shop – mainly Devon –  even now. Later in the year he would join Micky Ashman’s band, who have a number of credits here, both before and after tonight

Fri. May 22 ^nd  –  Bob Wallis’ Storyville Jazzmen  (£15)

Fri. May 22 ^nd  –  Mr.   Acker Bilk’s Paramount Jazz Band  (£25)

There is a clause on Bob Wallis’ contract (above) for tonight stating that “This is a shared session with Acker Bilk (Club Anniversary)” with Mr Bilk starting at 7:30 and Bob to start playing at “9:00 prompt” .  This was the 3rd anniversary of the club, and advertised as such on the flyer

Sat. May 23 ^rd  –  Brian Woolley’s Jazzmen  (£25)

Sat. May 30 ^th  –  Micky Ashman and his band  (£25)

Sat. Jun 6 ^th  –  The Kid Shillito Jazzband  (£25)

Sat. Jun 13 ^th  –  Terry Lightfoot’s New Orleans Jazzmen  (£25)

Sat. Jun 20 ^th  –  Alex Welsh and his band  (£25)

Fri. Jun 26 ^th  –  Ken Colyer’s Jazzmen   (£25) (Celebration Dance)

Fri. Jun 26 ^th  –  The Kid Shillito Jazzband  (£15)(Celebration Dance)

Sat. Jun 27 ^th  –  Micky Ashman and his Jazzband  (£25)

Sat. Jul 4 ^th  –  Mike Daniels’ Delta Jazzmen featuring Doreen Beatty  (£25)

Sat. Jul 11 ^th  –  The Graham Stewart Seven  (£25)

Sat. Jul 18 ^th  –  Al Fairweather / Sandy Brown All Stars Band  (£25)

Fri. Jul 24 ^th  –  Ian Bell’s Jazzmen  (£25)

Fri. Jul 24 ^th  –  Bob Wallis’ Storyville Jazzmen  (£25)

“Parade from Twickenham Green to Eel Pie Island”, with the club session starting at 8pm

Sat. Jul 25 ^th  –  Micky Ashman and his Jazzband  (£25)

Sat. Aug 1 ^st  –  Dick Charlesworth and his City Gents  (£25)

Sat. Aug 8 ^th  –  Mr Acker Bilk’s Paramount Jazz Band  (£25)

Sat. Aug 15 ^th  –  The Kenny Ball Jazzmen  (£25)

Kenny Ball appears in his own right, having had previous with both Charlie Galbraith and Terry Lightfoot, both familiar to Eel Pie Island, and still two years away from his massive “Midnight In Moscow” hit

Sat. Aug 22 ^nd  –  Graham Stewart’s Jazz Band  (£25)

Sat. Aug 29 ^th  –  Micky Ashman and his Jazz Band  (£25)

Sat. Sep 5 ^th  –  Alex Welsh and his Band  (£25)

Sat. Sep 12 ^th  –  Al Fairweather / Sandy Brown All Stars Band  (£25)

Sat. Sep 19 ^th  –  Terry Lightfoot’s New Orleans Jazzmen  (£25)

Sat. Sep 26 ^th  –  Mr Acker Bilk’s Paramount Jazz Band  (£25)

Fri. Oct 2 ^nd  –  Bill Brunskill and his Band  (£17)

Sat. Oct 3 ^rd  –  Mike Daniels’ Delta Jazzmen featuring Doreen Beatty  (£25)

Sat. Oct 10 ^th  –  Ian Bell’s Jazzmen  (£25)

Sat. Oct 17 ^th  –  Brian Woolley’s Jazzmen  (£25)

Sat. Oct 24 ^th  –  The Storyville Jazz Band  (£25)

Sat. Oct 31 ^st  –  Micky Ashman and his Band  (£25)

Sat. Nov 7 ^th  –  Micky Ashman and his Band  (£25)

Sat. Nov 14 ^th  –  Kenny Ball’s Jazzmen  (£25)

Thu. Nov 19 ^th  –  ‘Jerks Jump’ 

“Dancing to four popular jazz bands, including  The Bill Brunskill Group , and  The Riversiders ”, according to a flyer, the event having been organised by Kingston & District Student Charities Committee, hence the Thursday

Sat. Nov 21 ^st  –  Mr Acker Bilk’s Paramount Jazz Band  (£25)

Sat. Nov 28 ^th  –  Sonny Morris and his Jazzmen  (£25)

Sat. Dec 5 ^th  –  Bill Brunskill and his Band  (£25)

Sat. Dec 12 ^th  –  The Storyville Jazz Band  (£25)

Sat. Dec 19 ^th  –  Dick Charlesworth and his City Gents  (£25)

Thu. Dec 24 ^th  –  Dave Nelson’s Marlborough Jazzband  (£15)

According to the contract, this was a shared session, with Dave’s boys doing sets 1 and 3. Who played the second set?

Sat. Dec 26 ^th  –  Kenny Ball’s Jazzmen  (£25)

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