Looking like they had been transported straight from a 1930s tea dance, the FB Pocket Orchestra brought the sounds of the early 20th century back to the Spiegeltent – the sort of music that would have reverberated around its mirrored walls at its creation.
Mixing blues, ragtime, and jazz, the three piece band ticked off a number of well known tunes, including Why Don’t You Do Right and Yes Sir That’s My Baby as well as some more esoteric tracks rescued from the mists of time.
They drew in a mixed crowd, from the curious to the dedicated – some of whom gave cracking performances of their own taking turns to dance just in front of the stage.
Jenny Russell’s vocals and clarinet were strong but you just yearned for her to stand up and crank up the sass, and she was ably supported by Ollie Corbin on cornet and tuba and Paul Stevenson on guitar and banjo.
A charming nod to the Spiegeltent’s history and a great example of the range of festival performances.
