We are great
fans of Cape Talk Radio. It is on while we are working at home during the
day, in both our studies and usually in the kitchen. So it was a lovely surprise
to be invited by Susanne Faussner-Ringer, Managing Director of Greenways Hotel
in Bishopscourt, to come to Cape Talk’s Bandstand Boogaloo last Saturday night
and listen to the Ambassadors of Swing, the Jonny Cooper Orchestra, play
Wine, beers
and other refreshments were on sale and, later, good coffee or tea
A good crowd
started to gather when the gates opened at 6 pm. Cleverly, Cape Talk had
organised free shuttles, so you could park at Wynberg Boys High School, where
they have ample parking space and, in just a few minutes, be dropped off at the
entrance to Greenways
The band was
set up outside the hotel on the high ground
and Africa
Melane, who hosts the Weekend Breakfast programmes, opened proceedings for the
evening for Cape Talk
The Jonny
Cooper Orchestra entertained us royally throughout the evening and we all had a
great deal of fun, serious jazz, huge big bank numbers with lots of brass, great
reminiscences and even some jive and bopping at the end
Allan Barnard,
who presents Solid Gold Saturdays and Sundays, talked about Jazz and the music
we were listening to
The Jonny
Cooper Orchestra is recognised internationally as one of the finest 'copyists'
of the Glenn Miller Sound and has been referred to recently in the
International Big Band magazine 'Big Band Buddies' as 'One of the best Big
Bands in the world'. We heard classics from Glen Miller, Bennie Goodman, and
Tommy Dorsey during the first set, the era of Swing , then Sinatra, Nina
Simone, Louis Armstrong, Bobby Darin and many, many more favourites we could
hum or sing along to
The leader of the band
Lots of brass
and many numbers we love
Our picnic
hamper contained charcuterie platters, brown rice salad, snoek pate, Caprese
kebabs, a small ciabatta loaf and wickedly dense chocolate brownies
Beverley
Scott-Brown and Cliff Benton were the guest vocalists for the evening. They know and
perform the repertoire beautifully, and amusingly
Two hotel
guests had a really good view from the balcony
and we were
treated to a lovely sunset
Hey! Jenny
Morris was in the audience and at interval generously gave us a taste of her
superb picnic: Moroccan flavoured beef salad and some prawn Thai rice pancakes
with a delicious Asian spicy sauce
Yes, that is
Nicolette Waterford and her husband, all the way across the lawn! Zoom lenses
are wonderful things.
Alan Barnard,
Jenny Morris and Africa Melane
Cape Talk
stalwart John Maytham also did some of the presenting and we loved his black
takkies (tennis shoes) with white laces, a really good fashion statement with
the formal suit he was asked to wear
Jonny Cooper
band in full Swing with both guest vocalists
Atmospheric
lighting added to the mood
The crowd
enjoying the music. The lawn can accommodate a few hundred people
Jonny Cooper
with Susanne Faussner-Ringer of Greenways Hotel
This is how
you Boogaloo
And with the
last few numbers people could not resist getting up to dance; that included
us
What an
enjoyable evening. We hear this is definitely going to be repeated. Watch this
and Cape Talk's space
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© John &
Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2014
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