So who exactly are the mysterious musicians who will be whipping
up a storm at this year’s Winter Solstice Spectacular? I can now reveal the line-up for the show.
Well,The Jupiter Band
is the house band for East London’s Jupiter Club, a monthly affair whereby
invited songwriters can showcase their songs backed by a joyous, swinging band
made up of players from some of London’s top combos. The all-star band is extremely versatile with
some players swapping instruments in order to best serve the songs, be they
folk-inflected piano ballads or righteous gospel-driven stompers.
Two of the club’s prime movers, J Maizlish Mole and yoB,
(an alter-ego for Dan Gale Hayes), will be ripping through through their
respective songbooks, taking it in turns to step up to the microphone.
J Maizlish Mole is an
accomplished visual artist as well as a musician who is best known for leading
The Marseille Figs, one of my all-time favourite party bands who are currently
recording their third album, provisionally titled Bee Sting. The Figs have
accompanied the Pogues round the US and UK and played every kind of venue
imaginable ,including Hackney speakeasies, public swimming pools, Berlin dancehalls,
Brixton Academy and our favourite other club, the Gypsy Hotel.
J Maizish Mole on stage at Brixton Academy 2009, picture by Ella Finer
yoB's songs have been described as gobby folk – acoustic, melodic, pointed, personal, intelligent and
catchy as hell. He's released an EP of songs, Mess is Lore (2011) and is now completing his second. He's been
playing small gigs and big gigs and festivals all over the country for the last
couple of years, leading audiences in singalongs of his brilliant songs. yoB
also plays with Man Like Me and trumpet with The JJ Horns- the Pogue’s horn
section for the last ten years.
For this show The Jupiter Band will feature Chris Alcock on trombone, piano and
electric guitar, sixteen year old sax wizard, Gustavo CM, on sax, clarinet and piano, Uncle Tom Ash on double and electric bass. Completing the line-up is distinguished jazzer
Felix Weldon on drums.
So expect a selection of songs sung with vim and vigour
played in a variety of styles from punky
folk, through country tinged laments to rollicking
horn-driven rock’n’rollers. Wonder whether they’ll deliver anything gangnam
style? Stranger things happen regularly at
the WHC.
