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Spanner Jazz Punks

"very Sun Ra with a bit of Basie" Willie Garnett

About Me

Now operating as a 12-piece band of eclectomaniacs ............................................................ .exploring the seedy side of................................................. free... experimental... psychedelic... comic... funk... subversive... european folk... punkjazz... big band swing... balkan... tango... classical... medieval... country... pop... rock... circus... ska... klezmer... goatherd... silk road... ambient..................................................... ............................................... Early incarnations of the band included Paul Chousmer (Another Green World/Webcore)-organ, Nick Van Gelder (Ozric Tentacles/Jamiroqui)-drums, Stuart Zender (Jamiroqui)-bass, ‘Generator’ John Schuchard (Ullulators)-drums.......................................... ............................................................ . Whilst on tour with French Circus, ‘Archaos’ and Space-Rock band, ‘The Thunderdogs’, Dan created the Spannerman Performance Band. This was like a circus with the band calling the shots not the other way round. Personnel included 2 drummers and up to a dozen circus performers. The Spannertwins show became legendary in the circus world, touring the English festival circuit, France and Australia................................................... ................................................ Dan reformed the band as a 17 piece swing band but with Sun Ra, Charlie Mingus and his past infiltrating the rehearsals, the Spanner Jazz Punks concept emerged with an eclectic mix of styles… A high level of musicianship and diverse instruments such as moog, strings, accordion, oud, recorders, hurdy-gurdy, as well as the more usual sound of drums, bass, reeds, brass, guitars, organ, voices...................................................... ............................. Myspace Graphics
Myspace Layouts

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 10/26/2006
Band Website: e-mail: [email protected] mob: 07757 859 677
Band Members: Wobble Top: Tom on drums, Pedro Velasco on guitar, Gaz Wilkins on moog, Gary Foote on tenor, Joy Ellis on vocals and electric piano, Gnanam Samuel on violin, Dan Spanner on vocal, alto and bowl, Mike Wade on baritone. mixed by Dan from improvisations at The Blackhorse................................... Oiliyi, Punk Jazz Spanner, Flute Flight: Rob Pennel drums, Vicky Tilson bass, Pedro Velasco guitar, Joy Ellis electric piano, Gaz Wilkins moog, Yann Touzet trumpet, James Marsh baritone, Dan Spanner alto, Gnanam Samuel violin. mix by Steve Band. Recorded in a drama studio at Middlesex University............................ Haitian Fight Song: most of the above with added: Mike Searl drums, Wayne Martin, Jack, Steve Chadwick trumpets, Dave Hill, Gareth Jones, Ben Gregory trombones, Jon Shone piano, Olmo Cassiba, Bettina Schmidt saxes....................................................... ............................................................ ........................ Current band includes: Dan Sapnner, Gary Foote, Mike Wade, Liz Palmer, Gnanam Samuel, Yann Touzet, Nick Richards, Ben Gregory, Gaz Wilkins, Pedro Velasco, Joy Ellis, Costa Tancredi, Mike C
Influences: Frank Zappa, Django Bates, Carla Bley, Uri Caine, Miles Davis, Count Basie, Charlie Mingus, Charlie Haden, Art Ensemble Of Chicago, John Stevens, Holgar Czukay,The Beatles, Pink Floyd...
Sounds Like: thinking.
Record Label: Whatever happened to the Legendary New Apes
Type of Label: None

My Blog

the usefulness of rubber gloves to avert catastrophe

Wicked gig at The Cross Kings last night. What a nice venue and it's a good job there was a pair of marigold gloves behind the bar. I dread to think what kind of mess there would have been had they no...
Posted by Spanner Jazz Punks on Mon, 03 Mar 2008 05:03:00 PST

The Boston got pretty hot while Camden burned

Last night 's gig at The Boston Arms left alot of us in rather odd state of mind today was stranger than usual. Pat was booked in the Holiday Inn right in the middle of the chaos of a burning Camden s...
Posted by Spanner Jazz Punks on Mon, 11 Feb 2008 04:38:00 PST

Terry Riley’s ’In C’

I didn't know who had received invites for last night's workshop as my mobile broke down in mid flow last week. The piece sounded great but was much more difficult to play than the score sug...
Posted by Spanner Jazz Punks on Wed, 09 Jan 2008 05:06:00 PST

New Year happening for you to get involved

Spanner Jazz Punks begin to re-group next Tuesday 8th January with an invitation to all musicians to come to our noise-space hq at The Boston Arms in Tufnell Park. We are going to look at 'I...
Posted by Spanner Jazz Punks on Wed, 02 Jan 2008 02:54:00 PST

spanner hammer

I was clearly causing some concern to the rest of the band with my hammering as they explored a new way of playing in lots of different keys, while the overall sound was consonant and pleasing to the ...
Posted by Spanner Jazz Punks on Mon, 17 Dec 2007 04:22:00 PST

led zep slid through my fingers

I tried to get a ticket and entered any competitions to win some- I never normally do that kind of thing, but I had a feeling about this gig being special and co-inciding with my getting obsessed with...
Posted by Spanner Jazz Punks on Tue, 11 Dec 2007 04:33:00 PST

Happy Birthday

Approaching 1 year since this incarnation of the band first met. Actually the band is quite different to when it started, though really the intitial idea remains the same. The concept was not so clear...
Posted by Spanner Jazz Punks on Mon, 15 Oct 2007 04:16:00 PST

many taps- enter Robin

A new mix from recent rehearsals. I have to say that listening back while looking at the photo that accompanies the mix has me laughing uncontrollably with the memory of our kid Gaz and his insistence...
Posted by Spanner Jazz Punks on Mon, 02 Apr 2007 12:14:00 PST

Haitian Fight Song mix

hello. i've just completed a mix to put onto myspace. the intention was to create a sample of places we've been going in our rehearsals. a nice 4 minute mix to wet the appetite and get the plays figur...
Posted by Spanner Jazz Punks on Sun, 04 Mar 2007 06:04:00 PST

the makings of a song

For goodness sake, this technology is great but very challenging to use. I look forward to speeding up my page turning and song uploading capabilities. It has taken rather some time to get another son...
Posted by Spanner Jazz Punks on Sun, 24 Dec 2006 04:45:00 PST