Jazz at Progress
Friday 20 February 2026
Ben Crosland’s All Star Band Play the Ray Davies Song Book

Theo Travis, soprano & tenor saxophones; Steve Lodder, keyboard; John Etheridge, guitar; Ben Crosland, bass guitar; Buster Birch, drums

At the risk of sounding fanciful, I would like to imagine that as I write, days after Friday’s gig, the Progress Theatre continues to echo to the sounds of Ben Crosland’s All Star Band as they play the Ray Davies Songbook. It was a unique occasion, one of those special moments when all the forces combine to produce a great atmosphere and out-of-this-world music; a true celebration dedicated to one of the most influential musicians of our times – Sir Ray Davies – lead singer and songwriter of the Kinks, multi- award winner and member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (at the induction ceremony in 1990 he was described as ‘almost indisputably rock’s most literate, witty and insightful songwriter’).

In the heyday of the Kinks fame and success no ‘Dedicated Follower of Fashion’, would ever have been seen dead in a jazz club; just as no jazz fan, of either mouldy-fygge or modern persuasion, would ever have admitted to being a Kinks fan. Fortunately, times change. When Ben Crosland chanced upon a TV clip in 2015 of Ray Davies singing ‘You Really Got Me’ he immediately connected with the song’s jazz potential. The organisers of Marsden Jazz Festival shared his vision and commissioned him to write a set of arrangements of Davies’ songs for the 2015 festival. The rest, as they say, is history.

The band in its original form, comprising Crosland himself on bass, Dave O’Higgins on sax, Steve Lodder, John Etheridge and drummer Sebastian de Krom, went on to record two highly acclaimed albums and established itself as a firm favourite on the club and festival circuit. On 1st July 2023 Sir Ray expressed the ultimate accolade which Ben Crosland jokingly remarked is tattooed across his back:
‘I feel privileged to have you do renditions of my songs and appreciate your craftmanship …’

Sharp edged, almost subversive satire lays at the heart of Davies’ enduring appeal. Never more so than in ‘Dedicated Follower of Fashion’. Crosland’s witty interpretation captured the pretensions of Carnaby Street habitués and the ‘Swinging Sixties’ to perfection.

By turns exotic, soulful and tinged with melancholy, ‘Set Me Free’ has the distinction of being the first Davies song to be featured on a film or TV soundtrack. It was used on Ken Loach’s ground-breaking BBC production of ‘Up the Junction’ watched by 10 million viewers in November 1965.

Having sampled the broad emotional range of Ray Davies’ writing in the first two tunes, ‘See My Friend’ reminded us of how breathtakingly thrilling he could be. A triple-time groove, propelled by Buster Birch, aided and abetted by Steve Lodder and Ben Crosland, set up the launching pad for explosive solos by John Etheridge and Theo Travis – Theo’s passionate soprano soared into the heavens!

Steve Lodder, whose newly-released album ‘2 Sorts of 3’ has drawn wide acclaim (https://www.thejazzmann.com/reviews/review/steve-lodder-2-sorts-of-3) uses all the sound resources available on his keyboard to stunning effect. His blues-soaked organ set the languid mood for a captivating ‘Tired of Waiting For You’.

‘Everybody’s Gonna Be Happy’ is the ultimate feel-good number and possibly was intended as the finale to the first set. However, Ben and his compatriots were so immersed in the music that time slipped by unnoticed and the audience enjoyed the bonus of two more numbers to round off a tremendous 75- minute set: ‘Days’, a poignant song, which as an ex-teacher I vividly associate with primary school Year 6 leavers’ assemblies, and the wailing ‘Till the End of the Day’, which literally lifted the roof of the Progress Theatre.

After a well-earned break and chance for refreshment the band opened the second set with ‘A Well Respected Man’. Buster Birch rounded off this medium paced jazz swinger with a masterful drum solo – an object lesson in relaxation, taste and invention.

Theo Travis’s commanding tenor emerged from an astonishing cacophony of introductory sounds to take ‘Sunny Afternoon’ into a fresh realm of expression, which continued with an array of shocks and surprises from Etheridge and the enigmatic piano of Steve Lodder. Ben Crosland held this constantly shifting soundscape together with his beautifully poised basslines.

Now on a roll of free expression, the rhythm section switched to Miles Davis ‘In Silent Way’ mode, building up a groove of knife-edged tension to launch ‘All Day and All of the Night’, the Kinks first #1 hit. The raw energy and distorted sounds of John Etheridge’s guitar recalling to mind the earth-shattering impact of listening to that song for first time in the summer of 1964. Its power to impress remains undiminished.

The irresistible Caribbean feel of ‘Apeman’, with Buster Birch’s snappy snare drum adding to the fun, restored an air of calm after the explosive power of ‘All Day …’ I especially enjoyed the exchanges between Theo Travis and John Etheridge.

Theo Travis’s plaintive tenor and an extended solo by Ben Crosland perfectly captured the sublime beauty of ‘Waterloo Sunset’; a simple, though emotionally charged depiction of two lovers crossing Hungerford Bridge, rightly considered to be a hallmark of Ray Davies’s supreme quality as a songwriter.

As with the first set, the gig could have closed at that point, but no, there was more to come – a full throttle ‘You Really Got Me’ and as an encore, ‘Sittin’ on My Sofa’, co-written by Ray with brother Dave.

Our heartfelt thanks to Ben Crosland and His All Star Band for keeping alive the legacy and spirit of Ray Davies and the Kinks, albeit in a re-imagined form. May I also add our thanks for their generosity of spirit in playing well-over their allotted time, to make a truly memorable evening. And finally, a word of thanks to Ben for his kind words about everyone involved in Jazz at Progress. We had a ball. We hope you did too!

John Etheridge is one of the greatest guitarists on the planet and it was both a privilege and a great pleasure to listen to him. May we congratulate him on his recent award of a Jazz Lifetime Achievement Silver Medal from the Musicians Company https://ukjazznews.com/birthday-greetings-john-etheridge-wins-lifetime-award-from-musicians-company/

In addition we wish Buster Birch good luck with his nomination in the 2026 Music and Drama Education Awards for his ‘Drums for Schools: Building Musical Confidence Action Research Project’
https://www.busterbirch.co.uk/

TREVOR BANNISTER