ROCKETS, THE

Trumpet: Len Barbour

Clarinet: Bob Shildrake

Sax: Pete Vosey

Piano: Ivor Dunnell

Bass: Bob Barbour

Drums: Freddy Marrison  

In an attempt to capture the moment Bob Barbour found himself spearheading this group advertised as Bob Barbour and his Rockets or sometimes truncated to The Gala Rockets in March 57. The venue quickly accepted the popularity of Rock’n’Roll after the release and success of the movie Blackboard Jungle in Norwich the previous September

The venue quickly moved away from this innovation when realising how unpopular the new craze was with parents and            , with Only two month’s on and the venue had dropped the idea Bob an original member of the Modernist jazz movement in Norwich was also the unsung inventor of the shoulder slung bass. The above line-up was the first published for the band back in March 57. It didn’t take long for the novelty to ware off and only monthes later were referred to as the Bob Barbour orchestra as resident band at the gala. Until being replaced by the Trevor Copeman Orchestra in    5x. During Bobs brief period at the Gala he was responsible for discovering the vocal talents of Brian Freeman in June 57 who went on to become Garry Freeman and one of the area’s most accomplished front men with his band the Contours®. Bob remained at the fore front of local entertainment when the late fifties threw up a trend in the latin  in the      Los Guitano’s Band and then later fronting Bob Barbour’s Bob Cats in 1960. Bob will however be mainly rememebered for teaching countless youngsters to play guitar.

Mediography:

That guitar is Double Bass EEN 11/08/1956[ ](P)

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