It's been awhile since I have posted here on the Yankee Jazz Beat Blog. Let's hope this is the beginning of a bit of a revival of this blog.
The Alley Cats Dixieland Jazz Band is out of the UK, it was originally formed in 1970! It is currently under the leadership of Dave Allison. The performance here was recorded on January 12, 2026 at 'The Adelaide' in Teddington, United Kingdom. They take a well known Big Band number "The Hucklebuck," and give it a traditional revival punch.
Though widely remembered today as a late-1940s R&B crossover smash and a massive teenage dance craze, "The Hucklebuck" actually has deep roots in the swing era. The tune's infectious primary riff was originally crafted by arranger Andy Gibson for Andy Kirk and His Twelve Clouds of Joy under the title "Alluitz" back in 1938.
More than a decade later, in January 1949, bandleader Paul Williams recorded it as "The Hucklebuck" for Savoy Records. It rocketed to the top of the R&B charts, sparking a nationwide dance craze defined by its loose, swinging rhythm and energetic, shimmying dance steps (which famously got a bit too wild for some venues of the era). Tin Pan Alley lyricist Roy Alfred quickly added words, paving the way for vocal versions by artists ranging from Frank Sinatra to Chubby Checker.
This performance features, Dave Allison on alto sax, Antony Cox is sitting in on trumpet, Mark Aston on tenor sax, Pete Clancy sitting in on trombone, Geoff Perrin on guitar, Roger Sills on bass ukulele and David Clancy is on drums.
Check out the performance here:
