Jazz Preview: Wandering minstrels set to celebrate home run

It was formed in the 1970s when it specialised in mainstream to Dixieland with the likes of Bud Freeman, Art Farmer, Yank Lawson and the World's Greatest Jazz Band appearing at venues as varied as the Guildford, the Star and Garter, Kirkstall, the Wellesley, the Dragonara and the Shamrock, before closing in 1978.

The club was revived in 2000 with a resident band at New Wortley Conservative Club, before moving, two years later, with John Wall in charge, to the Hanover Arms in Lower Wortley.

But the wandering was not over. There was a switch to Upper and Lower Wortley Liberal Club where it stayed for three years and then, in 2008, a new home was found at Armley Conservative Club, where a footloose decade

will be celebrated on September 7.

The policy remains unashamedly traditional to Dixieland with bands with colourful names (how about the Hotsy Totsy All Girl Jazz Band) travelling from many parts of the country to ply their time-honoured craft for the Tuesday night faithful at Armley.

Those with a more contemporary taste in jazz may tilt a nose at these pursuants of the music of the early jazz pioneers, but this is the entertainment business and a lot of people still love the strains of New Orleans.

"There is still a public out there for trad – as long as it's good," says John Wall.

So, happy birthday in advance to Leeds Jazz Club whose celebrations will be led by Gentleman Jim McIntosh and the Jazzaholics, fresh from Denmark's Silkeborg Jazz Festival.