WHAT a Stomp! The 20th Anniversary of the Bude Jazz Club was celebrated in real style in front of a packed audience of jazz lovers from far and wide.

Many arrived in period costume, in fact many more than I expected and they all joined in the fun that the evening could offer.

There were flappers and hoofers, gangsters and their molls, striped suits and straw boaters, feather boas everywhere. The walls were decorated with jazz age posters and pictures of jazzmen who have appeared in front of our members over years past.

Each table was adorned with black and white balloons each wishing the club Happy Anniversary.

There were two fantastic bands there to entertain us who took it in turns over four sets to display their take of jazz.

The first and third sets featured a band that was making their debut, Roger Marks' Cornish Armada Jazz Band. Roger and the other sidemen are well known to Bude audiences having played with other bands in years past, but this was their first time here collectively in this recently formed unit.

With a front line consisting of leader Roger on a wonderful traditional trombone, the undisputed master of the wa-wa mute Graham Trevarton on cornet and the lyrical clarinet work of Gordon Stafford a delight.

They gave us a real taste of the twenties with tunes like Algiers Strut, My Gal Sal, Old Spinning Wheel, Who's Honey are You? and the rather risqué Last Night on the Back Porch with the lyrics composed and sung by Graham which had the audience in stitches.

Their final number was quite unusual for a jazz standard, one which dated back to sixties Rock'n'Roll, Creedence Clearwater Revival's Bad Moon Rising.

For sets two and four we had the ever popular Richard Leach's 7 Stars of Jazz who have played before us many times before and each time have delighted audiences with their undoubted superb skills on their instruments. Led by trombonist Richard, the band is renowned for its playing in the style of the Alex Welsh bands of the fifties.

A professional musician, he has played alongside the likes of Humphrey Lyttelton, Acker Bilk, Ken Colyer, Terry Lightfoot and Johnny Dankworth.

Assisting him up front was veteran trumpet player Gordon Whitworth who is well known for his performances in the Fryer-Barnhart International All Star Jazz Band and a reeds player of great renown, Chris Pearce whose work on the soprano saxophone is nothing short of wonderful.

Their music, while not quite as frenetic as the Cornish Armada, was as usual marvellous. Their music contained numbers like Someday Sweetheart, Dapper Dan, Bugle Boy March (which had those who brought brollies up and parading), Dippermouth Blues, Maple Leaf Rag, the classic blues St James Infirmary and keeping in the style of the twenties theme of the evening, a Charleston medley of Yes Sir That's My Baby, Ain't She Sweet and Charleston South Carolina.

The dance floor was packed throughout the entire evening and a particular delight was seeing the Jive Club members striding out the Charleston Strut in all their twenties costumes. Absolutely terrific!

It was a shame the evening had to end and a host of people their said it was the best anniversary yet and I am inclined to agree. A great precursor to the Bude Jazz Festival and the host of bands that we are all longing to hear.