The Mike Daniels Delta Jazzmen

Led by Louis Armstrong-like trumpet player Mike Daniels, Mike Daniels & His Delta Jazzmen thrived during the late '40s and early '50s revival of New Orleans jazz in England. The group, which Daniels formed in 1948, continued to record until 1963. Their first full-length album, Mike on Mike, released in 1960, remains a cherished artifact of an earlier time. Disbanding after Daniels moved to Spain in the mid-'60s, Mike Daniels & His Delta Jazzmen did not play together again for more than three decades. Persuaded by former bandmembers, Daniels agreed to come out of retirement and reunite the group in 1985. The reunited band, which featured founding members John Barnes on clarinet and baritone saxophone, Gordon Blundy on trombone, Des Bacon on piano, Geoff Over on banjo, Don Smith on sousaphone and string bass, and Arthur Fryatt on drums, washboard, and vocals, recorded an album, Together Again, before separating again in the early '90s. Daniels has remained active as the leader of a similar band, Mike Daniels' Delta Jazzmen, featuring original members Smith and Over and newcomers Boots Baker on trombone, John Lee on tenor saxophone, and John Hall on drums. The group accompanied Billie Holiday-like vocalist Pam Heagren when she performed at the Weymouth Jazz Festival.
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