Long Biog
Are a band led by the remarkable harmonica of Ted Crum. Ted has been a stalwart of the scene for over 30 years first with Somerville Gents and then Peeping Tom.Originals Andrew Sharpe (keys) and Bill Pound (mandolin) have been gigging together regularly for 15 years including Ceilidhs at Towersey, Chippenham, Sidmouth, Whitby.
It recorded the 1999 "never mind the dots" reviewed favourable in Froots ("good noisy fun".)In the early 00's an influx of new musicians mostly via Chinewrde Morris Dancers lead to the short lived 12 piece polka monster Mallemarokers which successfully played at several festivals (Sidmouth, Warwick, Haddenham, Bromyard) in 2003 before slimming down to a six piece; the three originals being joined by three new members from the ranks of Mallemarokers.
Will Pound aka Gobby (harmonica, keys, brushes, percussion) both solos and writes material. He is now at the Sage in Newcastle.
Mandy Sutton came to the tenor sax via an interest in blues and early Jazz (nothing after she was born) and after many years as a dancer with Chinewrde Morris.
Having completed Uni in Leeds, studying music, Matt Crum (soprano sax, keys, percussion ) is already a veteran with Mallemarokers and the Peeping Tom Big Band. He is also plays with a variety of blues, rock and funk bands; most notably as part of the four piece horn section of Add9.
The 2003 demo CD "..and the Giblettes" gave a taste of the new line up which has a rockabilly meets New Orleans taste, with saxes, harmonica and mandolin swapping lead lines. As a six piece band they’ve gigged steadily in the last two years since formation playing at most major e-ceilidh festivals and clubs (Sidmouth, Towersey, Bromyard, Chippenham, Broadstairs, Haddenham, Bath, Knees Up, Three Step, Stroud) and at gigged at most minor festivals and clubs and in places where they’ve never heard of e-ceilidh.
Their current CD Wingin is mostly English folk dance tunes and a smattering written in that style, but with Blues and Jazz tunings and keys to folk melodies used as a base for improvisation. Jazz leanings are to the fore on “T’Old wife” where bass/piano and drums weave around a traditional motif which is stated briefly only at the beginning and the end of the track (listen to the track humming the melody under your breath).The seven piece line-up was completed in 2005 when Simon Burrell crept out of the Wingin' sessions to add trombone & tuba.
The way that many traditional melodies come out of themselves when odd modalities and tunings are introduced does tend to suggest they may not have been simple three chord structures in the first place.
Into's are simple and unfussy, the bass line shows the feet where to go. Live arrangements are designed to keep the first few times through the tune clear and uncluttered to give the caller space, entirely unphased by a request to do another 8 bars to allow the caller to catch up. A large, well tested set list built up over years enables the caller to call the dances he/she wishes. Only when the dance is established does improvisation creep in; well known folk, blues and jazz melodies are the foundation for some fabulous soloing by Matt in particular.
They have worked successfully with many of todays leading e-ceilidh callers including Martyn Harvey, Hugh Rippon, Nick Walden, Gordon Potts, Dave Hunt, Chris Pitt, Mike Baraclough, Fee Lock, John Meechan, Sheena Masson. With over 60 sets available their enormous flexibility give a caller that chances to pick the dances to fit the dancers.
Band Members
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Ted |
Matt |
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Bill |
Will |
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| Andrew | Mandy |
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| Simon | |
