I’m delighted that the Ding Dong Daddios return to the Crooked Billet after last years SELL OUT Crooked Billet show – a memorable evening, standing ovation with everybody demanding more. These guys are absolutely amazing. The Ding Dong Daddios bring you the most toe-tapping tunes from the swing heydays of the 40’s and 50’s. Get ready to take a Choo Choo Ch’boogie runaway train with Five Guys Named Mo all the way to Mac the Knife, passing through Istanbul (not Constantinople) on the way. Their rendition of ‘Top Cat’ is legendary. This jumpin’ and jivin’ 4-piece swing band perform suitably suited and booted 1940’s style double bass, guitar, percussion and trombone. The Ding Dong Daddios music is party music, up-tempo and highly entertaining. I cannot recommend the evening enough, they always go down a storm wherever they play. To hear excerpts from their albums and further details, visit www.dingdongdaddios.com.

Full regular menu. £7 music cover charge.

Jazz

Art Themen, the legendary saxophone playing orthopaedic surgeon who has been an appealing presence on the British jazz circuit for over 40 years. He was involved in early British jazz and blues playing with Alexis Korner and Jack Bruce, also a member of Michael Garrick and Graham Collier bands. In 1974 began a long association with Stan Tracey. Toured and recorded with Charlie Parker, Al Haig and Red Rodney. He has toured the world and played at all European Jazz festivals. Dave Newton is without doubt Britain’s’ most prolific jazz pianist, John Dankworth says “A national treasure, in my opinion equivalent to such giants as Art Tatum or Oscar Peterson. Andy Crowdy on double bass. Quote from The Guardian, Thursday October 21st 2004: “Themen and Newton are engagingly erratic performers who capture one of the perpetual fascinations of jazz, compelled to deliver the diametric opposite of each others playing. If Themen was fragmented and flinty, Newton was elegiacally smooth. If Themen unleashed a torrent of sound, Newton played patient, spacious chords. When the pianist rolled out a delicate tracery of arpeggios on Sometime Ago, Themen countered it with a soprano sax solo of manic warbles and skewed linking phrases expertly underpinned by Andy Crowdy on bass, veteran in British Rhythm sections.”

Full regular menu. £5 music cover charge.

Wednesday 8th July

Boogie Piano

Exceptional Boogie Woogie Piano from Ben Waters – quite simply one of the most talented Blues and Boogie rock and roll pianists on the planet. On Sunday, 4th Ben is accompanied by the brilliant saxophone supreme Clive Ashley. Ben and Clive’s Crooked Billet shows are always a foot-stompin’ resounding triumph, leaving the audience demanding encores. Ben’s reputation is global – performing all over the world, a favourite on the festival circuit: Barbados rhythm and jazz festival, Henley festival, and this year’s Glastonbury. It’s a pleasure to welcome Ben and Clive back to the pub. www.benwaters.com.

Full regular menu. £10 music cover charge.

Contemporary

Dean Friedman has been on my fantasy wish list of people to play at the Billet since taking the pub in 1989. I was an enormous fan of his music as a kid and still am. I say Fantasy Wish List because singer songwriters of Friedman’s calibre – James Taylor, Paul Simon, John Denver, Art Garfunkle don’t play rustic English country pubs (particularly when you have to fly them across the Atlantic for a gig). And so it’s beyond remarkable that we have Dean Friedman in July at the Crooked Billet. Dean was born in New Jersey, 1955, writing songs which he performed to his own guitar or keyboard accompaniment from the age of 9. At 15 he enrolled in the New York Centre for the Performing Arts, where he was discovered and signed to the famous Lifesong label. In 1977, Friedman had his first hit record with ‘Ariel’ – brilliant single, brilliant lyrics, remaining in the singles charts for months. The subsequent following LP hitting the US billboard album charts. He enjoyed enormous success across the Atlantic in Britain, hit singles and Top of the Pops appearances with ‘Ariel’, ‘Woman of Mine’, ‘Lucky Stars’ and ‘Lydia’. Friedman’s debut poll position by the soundtrack album of ‘Grease’ featuring Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta. Dean Friedman then disappeared, effectively vanished form sight. Rumoured ill health, rumoured dispute. He made a surprise guest appearance at the Cambridge Folk Festival in 1985, where he was not billed but sang his hits to a delighted audience before once again vanishing from sight. He has not subsequently been mentioned in dispatches, although his evident talent is still heard frequently on British Radio. As you will appreciate, this promises to be a remarkable evening. A one-off chance to enjoy this legendary artist in the intimacy of the pub.

Full regular menu. £20 music cover charge.

Gypsy Jazz

I am excited and thrilled to welcome these genuine East European Gypsy Jazz musicians to the Crooked Billet. With Bodan Chomenko on accordion from the Ukraine, Piotr Jorden on violin from Poland, Jez Cook on Maccaferri guitar and Andy Crowdy on double bass. I saw Zvuk Bazaar at the Cambridge Folk Festival, they took the crowd by storm with their truly outstanding musicianship: passionate, melancholy, toe-tapping, foot-stomping, dramatic, fast and furious, moody and expressive. It’s a real scoop to persuade these guys to play at the pub. A truly awesome evening is guaranteed.

Full regular menu. £6 music cover charge.

Jazz & Blues

An exceptional band, always enormously popular at the pub – 3 standing ovations last time these amazing musicians entertained at the Crooked Billet. Songs ranging from Tin Pan Ballads, blues, jazz and folk. Influenced by the style of the late John Martyn. The piano playing will be sublime, exquisite guitar and vocals courtesy of Tom Anderson, double bass and percussion accompaniment. Piano: Anthony England has recorded countless albums, television programmes, TV and radio adverts and jingles. Having toured and recorded with everybody. He has been musical director for Bonnie Langford and numerous theatre shows. Anthony also appeared with the 70’s hit band Sailor. In 2005, Anthony wrote the music and lyric for the Wet End production “Santa Claus the Musical”. Bass: Andy Crowdy has been a constant presence on the British jazz scene for many years, as a bassist, guitarist, teacher, composer and arranger. Andy has a Masters degree in composition and 20th century Music. He has made countless studio recordings and live appearances, a well as films, TV and radio with many of the best musicians in the UK. Drums: Andy Goodchild is a seasoned London session musician with roots in the big band style of Buddy Rich, Louis Bellson and the likes. He has performed in many of London’s top jazz venue such as ‘Ronnie Scott’s’ and ‘Pizza on the Park’. He is credited with live TV and radio sessions including the musical ‘Chicago’ in the West End.

Full regular menu. £5 music cover. Don’t miss this one!

Covers. Return of the human jukebox.

Delighted to welcome Mr Lincoln back to the Crooked Billet (since Pete joined seventies glam rockers Sweet, he’s been very busy). One of Britain’s finest ‘recording session’ musicians and in-demand live performers – currently touring with Sweet, Pete also tours with Sailor and Cliff Richard. Pete will play anything you request, he’ll take you on a trip through modern popular music – Beatles, Kinks, Stones, Oasis, Simon and Garfunkel. His Steely Dan cover ‘Reeling in the Years’ is legendary, his ‘Hey Jude’ an absolute belter, his version of ELO’s ‘Mr Blue Sky’ has you in stitches. A fabulous feel good evening.

Full regular menu. £10 music cover.

Blues, rock & roll

Wow! What a scoop. Gary Fletcher of The Blues Band and Pick Withers of Dire Straits with special guests Steve Lin and Jack Fletcher. A hybrid super group, superlative musicians, blues based with a little rock ‘n roll. Their performances highly polished, unmissable, fast, snappy and pugnacious with their roots steeped in 50’s Chicago Blues guitars, bass and drums. Probably best known as the ‘Blue Band bass player’, Gary Fletcher’ considerable talents as composer, front man and musician are given centre stage in this intimate performance. The Blues band and Dire Straits usually found playing music festivals and football stadiums A one off chance to enjoy some of Britain’s finest rock & rollers in the intimacy of a venue the size of your front room.

£8 music cover. Full regular menu.

Featuring very special guest Andy Townshend

Ian Cruickshank’s Gypsy Jazz performed on our very first ‘music evening’ back in 1989, and still remain one of the most popular attractions in our ‘What’s On Diary’. Ian formed Gypsy jazz 20 years ago, the group now enjoy a respected, high profile with appearances at most European jazz festivals, including the famous annual gypsy festival in Samois Sur Seine, the village Django Reinhardt settled in. Gypsy Jazz are purveyors of the Reinhardt style, indeed Ian Cruickshank helped produce and appeared in the Channel 4 documentary on Django’s lifestyle and is the author of Django Legacy, an excellent book on the life of the acclaimed artist. A thoroughly enjoyable evening guaranteed, Gypsy Jazz will play authentic Parisian swing in the Hot club of France style. Ian Cruickshank is accompanied by Pete Morgan on Double bass, John Coverdale on rhythm guitar and very special guest , Andy Townshend on trumpet and frugal horn, one of UK’s finest jazz musicians.

Full regular menu. £5 music cover.