Cowal Music Club

05/05/2026

Last Sunday’s Cowal Music Club concert featured the wonderful Jerry Forde’s New Phoenix Jazz Band, and attracted a large and enthusiastic audience to Dunoon’s Burgh Hall. The band was formed in 2011 to recreate the best elements of the early jazz era using transcriptions and material from the 1890s to the 1940s, the players being Dick Lee (Clarinet and Saxophone), Lorne Cowieson (trumpet), Bill Jones (trombone), Jack Wilson (drummer), Phil Adams (guitar and banjo), and Jerry Forde (band leader and double-bass).

The band delighted and entertained with a programme which also included some period songs, including the ever-popular French “La Vie en Rose”, the highly memorable “My Canary’s got Circles under its Eyes” and “Gonna buy me a telephone?”, -all superbly sung by Christine Adams. The genre was well represented with music by Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Gershwin and others, while the band’s own Phil Adams and Dick Lee provided many of the arrangements.

Two of the band members, - Lorne Cowieson (trumpet) and Dick Lee (clarinet) may well already be known to Dunoon audiences, and the band made a very authentic and highly effective trad jazz sound, this including sequences with solo ‘variations’ for different players in the band.

Band leader Jerry Forde introduced the players and presented the pieces in a very relaxed style from his double-bass, and the happy mood of the afternoon delighted everyone present. Every item on the well chosen set list received a very warm reception, but perhaps “Clarinet Marmalade”, “Bourbon Street Parade” and “At the Jazz Ball” deserve special mention. The band were obviously really enjoying themselves, - this proving quite infectious!

At the end, an encore seemed inevitable, - and soon the song “There’ll be a hot time in Old Town tonight” followed, sung by Christine Adams - a very effective finale to an excellent concert.

Cowal Music Club wish it to be known that this concert was in memory of the late Don McNeil, former Chair of Cowal Music Club for many years, and thanks were also given to Gus Hepburn and Dunoon Jazz Festival for its much appreciated support of this concert.

Cowal Music Club’s next concert is scheduled for Sunday September 20th at 7.30 in Dunoon Burgh Hall, when The Celebrating Trio, from Scottish Opera, will entertain.

10/04/2026

Jerry Forde’s New Phoenix Jazz Band Concert 3 May 2026.
We now have more information about this concert:

Introduction to the band:

Jerry Forde’s New Phoenix Jazz Band was formed in 2011 to recreate the best elements of the early jazz era through transcriptions and arrangements of material from the 1890s to the 1940s.



Dick Lee, based in Portobello, Edinburgh is a multi-talented musician, composer and arranger. He plays clarinet, bass clarinet, alto-sax and other instruments as required for the arrangements and to he’ll create an authentic sound for the band. He produces arrangements, compositions and transcriptions for New Phoenix.

Lorne Cowieson plays trumpet in a lyrical hot style as well as playing with the SNJO, as well as a variety of small group formats. Lorne joined the band in 2018.

Bill Jones plays trombone and if you are very lucky, swanee whistle! He played in the Edinburgh jazz scene in the 1970s and after retirement from teaching in England for many years he returned to Scotland in 2021.

Christine Adams has sung with the band since 2013 and appears on our first album. She also has her own group, Pitchblenders who perform at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and at private functions.

Jack Wilson plays great early jazz style drumming and is much in demand on the Scottish jazz scene.

Phil Adams plays arch-top guitar and banjo as an indispensable part of the rhythm section and as a soloist. Phil also does transcriptions and arrangements for the band.

Jerry Forde is band leader and double bass player for the band. Jerry has played on the Edinburgh and Scottish jazz scenes since the late 1970s with a range of jazz, ragtime and swing outfits.

The Concert:
The band will play two sets, 3.00 to 3.45 and 4.00 to 4.45pm.

They will be playing arrangements, transcriptions and interpretations of some of the best early jazz, blues and swing tunes and songs, from some of the greatest musicians in the genre including Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Sidney Bechet, Bessie Smith and many others. I will send an outline set list tomorrow, which may vary on the day as the atmosphere takes them.

23/03/2026

Join us for an afternoon of classic jazz at Dunoon Burgh Hall! Jerry Forde’s New Phoenix Jazz Band featuring renowned trumpeter and flugelhorn player Lorne Cowieson brings a seven-piece ensemble to the stage on 3 May 2026, 15:00–17:00. Expect soulful solos, tight arrangements and a warm community atmosphere. Get your tickets and details: https://www.cowalmusicclub.co.uk/events/gerry-fordes-new-phoenix-jazz-band

23/03/2026

Cowal Music Club’s concert in Dunoon Burgh Hall last Sunday featured the highly impressive and versatile Steve Bingham, who performed an intriguing and varied programme using 3 violins and a highly effective looping system.
Based in Aberdeenshire, Steve has long been very interested not only in violin playing, but also variations on it such as those exploiting modern technology. He explained early in the concert that with his looping system, everything is performed ‘live’, whereby the performer builds up layer upon layer of varied sound patterns, these including some very effective pedal notes and musical units repeated in consort with his own playing. Intriguingly, this means he can stop playing at times and let the musical structure created continue with the performance.

To enable this, Steve played on no fewer than 3 violins! One was conventional, while a second was electric (with 5 strings), and the third almost a hybrid, with 6 strings, and a consequently greater range, with the ability to create sounds like the viola and cello. It is quite a tour de force for a performer to cope with 3 different instruments as well as the looping technology, and Steve coped with all of this with ease and confidence.

Steve very ably introduced his programme, which embraced music ‘from Bach to the Beatles’, and indeed there were many amazing highlights, these including arrangements based on Coldplay’s ‘Clocks’, Sir James McMillan’s very beautiful The Tryst, Pet shop Boys’ It’s a Sin, and Michael Nyman’s Time lapse. And two works by the young Leeds composer Rowan Alfred made an outstanding impression, being highly effective as well as often minimalist, with many fascinating rhythmic features. One started using a recording of cuckoo bird song, which indeed then formed the backdrop to the whole, highly imaginative and fascinating soundscape. Another, Steve’s own arrangement of Beatle George Harrison’s While my guitar gently weeps, impressed with its quiet rhythmic introduction (including percussive sounds made by tapping the body of the violin) and subsequent beauty of expression.

Sunday’s enthusiastic audience were obviously fascinated by the afternoon’s music making, and an extremely lively energetic encore for solo violin by Alex DePue was then played, which is based on Owner of a lonely Heart by the rock band ‘YES’, - a truly remarkable piece!

16/03/2026

Don't miss Steve Bingham Concert on Sunday 22/3/26.

Cowal Music Club is promoting an innovative and fascinating concert next Sunday, March 22nd, at 2.30pm in Dunoon’s Burgh Hall, when acclaimed violinist Steve Bingham will perform, bringing an eclectic mix of music, with live looping.

The programme will present a wide range of music ‘from Bach to the Beatles’, in an exciting array of styles, using a variety of technology, including an electric violin! Steve informs and entertains with his unique and exciting style of musical entertainment.

Steve Bingham, recently described by The Independent as an “extraordinary performer”, has had lifelong interests in both music and technology, which have led him on a unique career path. After training as a classical violinist at the Royal Academy of Music in London, he has performed worldwide, as founder of the Bingham String Quartet and also as a soloist and orchestral leader with several leading UK ensembles. But he has also pursued non-classical paths, with “eclectic solo recitals” using violin with live-looping, as well as gigs with a variety of folk, pop and rock bands.
This in turn has led to an impressive recordings portfolio which spans everything from unaccompanied Bach to multi-tracked pieces by Michael Nyman as well as newly commissioned violin pieces.

Sunday’s concert will showcase repertoire old and new alongside modern technology, with a fascinating programme which includes Tango Etudes by Astor Piazzolla, The Tryst by Sir James McMillan, Tubular Bells for One by Mike Oldfield, as well as Syrinx by Debussy (arranged by Steve), It’s a Sin, by the Pet Shop Boys, a traditional Japanese piece called Sakura (cherry blossom), and Time Lapse by Michael Nyman.

It will be indeed a fascinating and unusual afternoon’s entertainment - not to be missed!

Tickets online and on the door. Details at https://www.cowalmusicclub.co.uk/events/steve-bingham-concert

25/02/2026

What a night! Our Fabulous Music Club ‘Variety Show’ featured stunning performances from Gordon Cree and Cheryl Forbes — a true celebration of talent and professionalism. Relive the highlights and read the full recap on our blog: https://wix.to/23cFTH9

Last Sunday’s Cowal Music Club concert turned out to be an absolutely outstanding success, thanks to the talents and professionalism of the performers, - singers Gordon Cree and his wife Cheryl Forbes.

29/01/2026

Philip's report on the Intesa concert.

Cowal Music Club’s first concert of the year, featuring the Intesa Duo , - Lucine Musaelian and Nathan Giorgetti (viols), from London, turned out to be a fascinating and highly enjoyable occasion. It was immediately clear how the duo attained Tunnell Trust prizewinner status last year.

15/11/2025

SUNDAY'S CONCERT CANCELLED DUE TO ILLNESS

We regret that the concert by Gordon Cree and Cheryl Forbes on Sunday 16 November has had to be cancelled because Cheryl is ill.

We regret this cancellation and apologise for the inconvenience but it is unavoidable. We intend to reschedule the concert early next year at a date to be announced.

Advance tickets will be refunded.

Thank you for your understanding.
Cowal Music Club.

11/11/2025

Don't Forget the Cowal Music Club Event November 16th

Top Scottish Duo for Cowal Music Club

05/11/2025

We welcome Cheryl Forbes and Gordon Cree on Sunday 16 November.

Mezzo-soprano Cheryl Forbes accompanied on the piano by Gordon Cree.

20/05/2025

Read our report on Andrew Forbes' dazzling organ recital at Kilmun on Sunday.

Sunday evening 18 May 2025 saw a quite dazzling and outstanding organ recital take place at Historic Kilmun, when Andrew Forbes, organist and Director of Music at Glasgow Cathedral, performed with breathtaking skill, and introduced a fascinating and at times unusual programme. At just 32, Andrew is....