From Humble Beginnings to Swing Sensations
The Jive Aces, a name synonymous with the vibrant rhythms of jive and swing, originated from a group of school friends united by their passion for music. The founding members, Ian Clarkson (trumpet/ukulele), John Fordham (saxophonist), Ken Smith (bass player), and Peter Howell (drums), were initially swing and rock n' roll enthusiasts. Their journey began on the streets, performing impromptu gigs, leading to their breakthrough on BBC’s "Opportunity Knocks." The band's lineup evolved with the addition of Alex Douglas (trombone), Vince Hurley (piano), and, more recently, Grazia Bevilacqua (accordion).
Inspiration: The Rhythmic Soul of Jive and Swing
The Jive Aces' musical journey began with an admiration for Elvis Presley. Exploring his roots led them to delve into the realms of blues, swing, jazz, and early rock n' roll. Jive, sitting chronologically between the big band and rock n' roll eras, captured their imagination with its upbeat, fun, and joyful nature. The band chose this style to lift spirits and bring happiness to audiences seeking respite from daily stress.
The Signature Sound: A Fusion of Jazz and Rock n' Roll
The Jive Aces' music is a lively blend of jive and swing, where jazz meets the roots of rock n' roll. Their signature style features a swinging vocal line over danceable rhythms, punctuated by horn riffs and sax solos, embodying the essence of joy and entertainment.
Musical Influences: A Spectrum of Legends
The band's influences are diverse, ranging from Louis Prima, Bobby Darren, Big Joe Turner, Louis Jordan, and Cab Calloway to the coolness of Dean Martin and Sinatra. Their curiosity also led them to embrace the showmanship of Morecambe and Wise, Chaplin, and musical icons like James Brown. This eclectic mix of influences has contributed to the band's authentic sound and originality.
Live Performances: A Whirlwind of Energy
The Jive Aces are renowned for their high-energy live shows, where they blend music with comedy to create unforgettable experiences. Memorable moments include performing with John Travolta and Kelly Preston dancing behind them, adventurous stage antics at the Hop Farm Festival, and viral moments at Glastonbury. Their performances are a testament to their commitment to uplifting spirits and creating joy.
Albums and Collaborations: Crafting Musical Experiences
Creating an album for The Jive Aces involves selecting themes, experimenting with song choices, and testing them live. Their collaborative wishlist includes artists like Van Morrison, Paulo Nutini, and Rod Stewart, reflecting their desire to blend the jive and roots music with contemporary sounds.
The Evolution: Musical and Personal Growth
Over the years, The Jive Aces have refined their style, with their diverse musical knowledge becoming an integral part of their identity. They've faced challenges like the pandemic head-on, using it as an opportunity to connect with fans worldwide through live streams and expand their musical repertoire.
Favourite Tracks and Audience Connection
"Bring Me Sunshine" holds a special place in their hearts, going viral and helping many discover the joy of ukulele. Their original song "La Dolce Vita," written for Ian's wife, also stands out. The band maintains a close connection with their audience, valuing their feedback and interactions, and shaping their performances accordingly.
Future Plans: New Horizons
The Jive Aces are set for new albums and tours, with plans to explore different musical styles like gospel and R&B. Their upcoming tours include performances in the US and possibly Australia, showcasing their ever-evolving musical journey.
Advice for Aspiring Musicians
Their advice to aspiring musicians is to play everywhere, gain experience, and remain persistent. Emphasizing the importance of loving what you do, they encourage musicians to seize unexpected opportunities and stay true to their goals.
A Lasting Legacy of Joy and Swing
The Jive Aces, through their musical journey, have created a legacy of joy, swing, and unforgettable live experiences. Their story is one of passion, evolution, and the power of music to uplift and inspire.
Interview Questions
Can you tell us a bit about the origins of The Jive Aces and how the band came together?
I was at school with Peter the drummer. Then in our teens, the year we left school, four of us got together (me, Ian Clarkson on trumpet/ukulele, John Fordham saxophonist, Ken Smith bass player and Peter Howell on drums) At first we were mainly just fans of swing and rock n roll and danced to the music, then later on we started playing and decided to start a band. We were playing together for a few years, starting in the street and getting gigs from there and then we were on BBC’s Opportunity Knocks the first year we started the Jive Aces. We evolved into the present incarnation by adding Alex Douglas on trombone and Vince Hurley on piano. Our latest addition of just a few years ago is Grazia Bevilacqua on accordion.
What inspired you to focus on jive and swing music?
We were into Elvis when we were very young and from learning about his roots and influences we delved into the local record shops and went further back in time to blues, swing, jazz and early rock n roll. Jive is chronologically the jumping music that came between the big band era and the rock n roll era and is in a universe between rock and jazz.
We focused on that jive style because it is fun, happy and joyful and I think a lot people want to see or hear that when they come home from working hard or have had a difficult week - they want to be lifted rather than hear sad or aggressive music after all that stress and work.
Musical Style
How would you describe the signature sound of The Jive Aces?
It is Jive and swing. It is sort of where jazz meets the roots of rock n roll and is upbeat, happy and fun and we love to entertain. A swinging vocal over a danceable rhythm accentuated by horn riffs and sax solos in between.
What draws you to the energy and style of jive and swing music?
We love this music and enjoy playing it. We love it because it is a happy upbeat music and literally cheers people up and makes them want to move. It spreads a certain joy.
Influences
Who are some of your major musical influences, both within and outside the jive and swing genre?
We do have many influences - one of our major influences is the legendary Sicilian-American Louis Prima. But also the swinging Bobby Darren, blues “shouter” Big Joe Turner, Louis Jordan and the showmanship of Cab Calloway but also the cool style of Dean Martin and Sinatra. As mentioned above we cannot neglect Elvis! Being curious as teenagers we looked back to what influenced the young Elvis and our musical taste went backwards into rhythm and blues and swing.
Outside of jive and swing genre are mainly showmen and comedians such as the British favourites Morecambe and Wise (hence Bring Me Sunshine) and even Chaplin and musical showmen like James Brown. But you can learn something from almost anyone who is a good performer.
How have these influences shaped the evolution of The Jive Aces' sound?
I would say that because we have the same or similar influences as many of the early rock and roll stars this has lead people to say how naturally authentic we are while still being very much in present time. Even with our own original material people often think they are old songs that they never heard before - which is a compliment I guess haha.
Live Performances
Your live performances are known for their high energy. How do you prepare for a live show, and what do you enjoy most about performing on stage?
We love to entertain! We love lifting people’s spirits, especially in the midst of the doom and gloom in the media and on TV. So we select songs that will do that. We then add a touch of comedy to make it fun and memorable. The fun is watching the older crowd love it because it brings back pleasurable memories and the youngsters love it because it is “new” and different. I love making people happy and when they come up after the show and say how happy we made them or that we pulled them out of the blues, we are very happy too. After the pando, we were back on tour, in the US, our first proper gig was a sold out theatre in Georgia and we were quite moved. After two years to suddenly perform and remember what it was like and what we do live and how we act with an audience - it was like being a bird and remembering how to fly and what flying is like.
Can you share any memorable or unique experiences from your live performances?
There are so many! But here one among the many.. We were once playing at a big charity concert and we had done our set which had gone down amazingly. Then we came back on as we were part of the finale. As we were singing and playing suddenly the crowd went wild and I looked behind us to see John Travolta and his wife, Kelly, dancing behind us all. That was a great memory.
Once we were playing at a big rock festival in Kent called the Hop Farm Festival and we went on after a well known young rock band. On one song me and the trombone player climbed high up the speakers and scaffolding either side of the stage with our horns and played to each other. The crowd loved it and thought we were wilder than the rock group.
The first time we played at Glastonbury, we went on at our stage just as Amy Winehouse finished on the main Pyramid stage and 100,000 people were walking down past our stage which was sort of uo, an ally off the main “street”. They all saw a band in yellow suits on this great stage and they poured into the area making it a legendary Glasto moment with a huge crowd and the next day we had to change location for the next show as they didn’t have enough security/police to handle the crowd safely at that spot.
Another Glasto moment is when we were going wild on the Avalon stage and Vince was jumping up and down and did a hand stand on his keyboard. The stand collapsed and he and the piano fell, but he carried on playing, being used to such happening in our showmanship etc, and we all carried on. For a while a short video of that moment went viral around the world and Vince had people recognize him.
Albums and Collaborations
What goes into the process of creating an album for The Jive Aces? How do you choose the songs and develop the overall theme?
A lot! We usually first pick a theme or a mood on what we want to record. We then pick songs that would fit that or write new ones. We then have to learn them. We also like to run them for a while at shows to a live audience to see how people like them. Those that have the best reaction are often selected. For example, for our new album we decided to record the songs most requested at our live shows. The ones that previously we thought perhaps would be difficult to transpose that live energy and show onto recording. So we went for the most entertaining live songs and worked out how to record them well and then wrote a song to go with the overall theme, “Keeping the Show on the Road” so the feel is like a live gig but with the audiophile quality of the top studio where we record.
Are there any artists or musicians you would love to collaborate with in the future?
Yes. Van Morrison. Though we have performed with him on stage, we would love to do some recording with him. We have known him for years and we just need to make this happen one day.. we have talked about it but never got around to it. There aren’t many of the old musicians around - and many of those we thankfully have worked with in the past - but there are some more modern musicians and singers who seem to love the jive and roots music so it would be fun to collaborate with them - such as Paulo Nuttini or even Rod Stewart, who loves rock and roll.
The Jive Aces' Journey
Over the years, how have you seen The Jive Aces evolve, both musically and as a band?
Well for sure we have evolved and refined our style and polished our shows etc but I think the main thing is that as you learn and get more experience in an overall genre it becomes more and more part of your DNA and the music becomes more “real”. It is like having a large collection of paints and colours and different hues and brushes and knowing where to add what blue or with which brush stroke, so you can take a canvas and decide on an image and produce it. I feel we know and love so much diverse roots and Americana music that we can dip into the pot of blues, jazz, gospel, western swing, rockabilly or even skiffle. Especially after doing so many different songs and styles and getting so many different requests on our live stream during the pandemic.
What challenges have you faced, and how have you overcome them in your musical journey?
Well I guess like any artist on this planet, the pandemic was probably the hardest time. But we did live streams, called the Jive Stream, in total over 500 consecutive shows, (it should be a Guiness world record!) So that kept our fans and ourselves sane and as mentioned above, we used it to expand our knowledge and learn new songs and styles within our genre and era. It also built up a community of Jive Stream fans across the world, from UK to the US and India, which was lovely.
Favourite Tracks
Do you have a particular favourite track that you've recorded, and if so, what makes it special to you?
Well, Bring Me Sunshine is a favourite. It is a song we all loved and gave us and others lovely memories and then the music video we produced for it went viral and had over 3,500,000 views and reached across the world for us and got us known and gigs in places we may never have traveled to if not for this video and track. They even use our arrangement on Strictly Come Dancing/Dancing With the Stars. It made me well known as a ukulele player at a time when uke was having a revival and really was a side hobby instrument for me at the time and then it helped many people start playing ukulele and then I even co-founded a ukulele club near where I live. There is even a doctor in Seattle who prescribes our Bring Me Sunshine video to help people who are felling depressed!
Of our original material I like most of them but I do love La Dolce Vita as I wrote it about my Italian wife who also plays accordion with the band. It means the sweet life.
Audience Interaction
How do you connect with your audience, and what role do they play in shaping your performances and music?
Have there been any particularly memorable interactions with fans that stand out to you?
Well firstly wherever possible we meet the people after our shows and chat with them, get feedback and generally get to know each other. Our fans sort of become a community and many of them are now like friends of the band rather than “fans”Then we have social media, on which we do try to interact as much as possible and we have quite a fan base that we regularly email news, gig guides and surveys etc. We listen a lot to want they like and their feedback in general.
We have many but once we were in Edinburgh and one of the songs we do is called Oh Marie and I go out in the audience and sing to a girl. Unbeknown to me among the audience was the daughter of Class A actor Ewan McGregor and I sang to her, embarrassed her to the hilt and to this day she remembers it, ha ha!
Future Plans
What can fans expect from The Jive Aces in the coming months or years? Any upcoming projects or tours?
We have a couple of new albums in the pipeline, one that will be released in 2024 and one in 2025. We also have a new tour we are taking around England and whoever will have us called “Keeping the Show On The Road”, which is also the title of the new album. We will be on tour in the US in April 2024 on both the East Coast and West Coast and including Vegas. We are hoping to get to Australia as we have never been there. There are a few people over there interested in bringing us over and we already have fans over there so watch this space!
Are there any new musical directions or styles you're interested in exploring in the future?
Interestingly enough last year we did a few shows called the Roots of Elvis based on his influences and the artists that inspired him. From there we went back to our roots and have been taking some of those branches. For instance we may do more along the gospel line and at the same time some more R&B, rhythm and Blues that is.
We also did a run of online videos (sorts, reels etc) of “Uke-a-billy” for fun - which was early rockabilly played on the uke with upright bass of course. This was successful and fun so we may do some different uke and bass type combo material online for fun.
Then it is good to take well known songs and give them the jive rhythm treatment, just as we did Singing in the Rain, Over the Rainbow and most recently La Vie En Rose.
And of course, we are working on writing a lot of our own material.
Advice for Aspiring Musicians
What advice do you have for aspiring musicians looking to pursue a career in jive and swing or the music industry in general?
Just get out and play to people. Play anywhere and everywhere to start off. Play on the streets and learn what attracts an audience. Play big gigs and play smaller intimate shows and play large festivals. Get the experience. And mainly keep going because you can make a great living, you can produce great music and you can reach a great audience and affect them well with your music no matter what style you play. Just because you don’t play modern pop music or the latest trend or haven’t won a TV talent show doesn’t mean you can’t have an awesome career. It’s about persistence, doing what you love and keeping positive about what you do. DON’T GIVE UP - you will still feel the same about playing a good gig when you are older, it doesn’t wear off.
Is there anything you wish you had known when you were starting out as a band?
It isn’t necessarily going to take off all at once, be prepared for the long haul but also be prepared in case it does.
Take advantage of opportunities that arise unexpectedly and know where you are heading.
You can use most platforms to move up without being adversely affected by them if you keep your purpose and goal in mind.
For example, we chose to go on Britain’s Got Talent when they scouted us at the Edinburgh Fringe and suggested we did it. Even though we were a gigging band and had a fan base and it has its own game and agenda. We went on and did our thing and got seen by many many people and this opened a window and gave us another step up - even if not the “gold and riches and fame” that it seems to entice young artists with.
The Jive Aces Socials
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