Review

Todd Miller & the Joe Loss Orchestra

King's HalI, Ilkley

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Three years have passed since the Joe Loss Orchestra's last gig promoted by the Friends of the King's Hall & Winter Garden. Nothing much has changed and that's how devotees of Britain's oldest continuously operating live entertainment unit like things to remain. This big band has cast a comforting glow over the UK music scene for eighty four years now. Todd Miller joined as vocalist in 1972 and inherited the sole leadership of the band when ill health forced Joe Loss to retire in 1990.

Miller continues to sing and he obviously loves the band's time-honoured traditions. He still begins concerts just as Joe Loss did, with Frank W Meacham's "American Patrol", a piece originally arranged for the Glen Miller Orchestra. Vocalists Val Francis and Jasmin Day then made their entrance; Francis with Rogers & Hart's "The Lady is a Tramp", and Day with the famous Piaf song, "No Regrets".

Miller's laid back introductions give the impression that his band spontaneously responds to audience suggestion. As someone sitting behind me knowingly remarked "they won't play it if it's not on the schedule". Miller almost gives the game away when he jokingly says, "I'll stand here until I get the answer that I want". An enthusiastic audience certainly wanted to hear "Tuxedo Junction" showcasing the fabulous brass section, and "Cherry Pink" with trumpet solo played by the amazing Pete Condon. The up-tempo blues number "Woodchopper's Ball" is another great favourite whilst "In the Mood" has been in the orchestra's programmes since 1938!

The 1950s section included several Buddy Holly numbers, and then we enjoyed "Hoots Mon There's a Moose" - originally by Lord Rockingam's Xl - and Bruce Channel's "Hey Baby" - both songs from 1961. I seem to recall that "Hey Baby" was a popular anthem at around closing time on Sunday nights at Ilkley's (sadly now defunct) Rose & Crown during the 1970s. Happy times indeed! A contented audience sang along, linked arms or tapped their feet through eight decades of popular favourites played by this superb band.

Geoffrey Mogridge