THE FB POCKET ORCHESTRA AND MY SWEET PATOOTIE

Corn Exchange, Dorchester

TWO three-piece groups packed with musical talent came to the town for the evening to present a double bill that ended much too soon for the enthusiastic audience who enjoyed hearing melodies from the good old days of swing.

Lovely old songs like Sweet Georgia Brown and Exactly Like You were wonderfully performed by the remarkable threesome comprising the FP Pocket Orchestra who brought jazz and blues to life on guitar, clarinet and tuba with a washboard providing the beat in a dazzling performance of energy and fun.

Concluding with the Muskrat Ramble, this was a performance to remember as it reminded us of the long-gone era of the 1920s when popular music really mattered.

The second half of the show brought together another trio of musicians who call themselves the oddly named My Sweet Patootie. Playing on violin, guitar and drums, the Canadian based group gave us some amusing self-penned pieces along with precious musical memories of Patsy Cline and the remarkable jazz master pianist Sidney Bechet.

With a variety of music of all kinds coming to the Corn Exchange in the coming weeks, the town is fortunate indeed to have a dedicated team like Dorchester Arts bringing quality entertainment to the venue. Long may they continue.

MARION COX