Oxcentrics

{{Short description|Jazz Band}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = The Oxcentrics

| image = The Oxcentrics.JPG

| caption = The Oxcentrics in 2005

| image_size = 280px

| background = group_or_band

| alias =

| origin = Oxford, England

| genre = Dixieland jazz

| years_active = 1975 onwards

| label =

| associated_acts = Sally Jones (tap dancing)

| website = [http://www.myspace.com/oxcentrics myspace.com/oxcentrics]

| current_members = Graham Downing, Charles Kuta, Glyn Lewis, Paul St John-Smith, Adrian Sheen, Mike Southon, Geoff Varrall, Simon Wallace, Oliver Weindling, Chris West

| past_members = Adam Brett, Billy Jenkins, Mark Lockheart, Colin Moynihan, Alan Shealy, Ashley Slater, Hugh Wallis

}}

The Oxcentrics is a Dixieland jazz band founded in 1975 at Oxford University.{{cite book| first=Herbie | last=Knott | title=Black and White | publisher=Boxtree | isbn=978-1852832834 | date=1990 | pages=19–20 }} The band's name was derived from The Oxontrics,{{cite news| title=The Oxcontrics | work=The Sketch: A Journal of Art and Actuality | publisher=Ingram Brothers | volume=137 | page=332 | date=February 1927 }} an original 1920s jazz band.{{cite book| first=Catherine | last=Parsonage | title=The Evolution of Jazz in Britain, 1880–1935 | publisher=Routledge: Ashgate Publishing | isbn=978-1351544740 | date=2017 }} Several (although by no means all) members were from University College, where many of the rehearsals took place. They played at a number of Oxford Balls, for the Oxford University Jazz Club, on May Morning,{{cite news| first1=Richard | last1=Yates | first2=Clive | last2=Postlethwaite | title=Revelling in May mists | newspaper=Oxford Mail | date=2 May 1977 }} and for other events,{{cite news| title=Cue for a song | newspaper=The Times | date=10 June 1976 }} including playing on punts on the River Cherwell in Oxford.{{cite news| title=Varsity jazzman go up the lazy river | newspaper=Daily Mail | date=7 July 1976 }} The line-up, mostly Oxford University undergraduates, who recorded The Halcyon Days of the '20s & '30s on 29 February 1976 at the Acorn Studios in Stonesfield, Oxfordshire, and the songs recorded were:{{citation| title=The Halcyon Days of the '20s & '30s | date=29 February 1976 | publisher=Acorn Studios | location=Stonesfield, UK }}

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;Musicians

• Adrian Sheen — vocals
• Geoff 'Hot-Lips' Varrall — trumpet
• Adam Brett — trumpet
• Olly Weindling — clarinet
• Glyn Lewis — tenor saxophone
• Paul St John-Smith — trombone
• Charles 'Herbie' Kuta — tuba
• Simon 'Des' Wallace — piano
• Graham Downing — banjo
• Chris West — drums{{cite web| url=https://www.chriswest.info/bio | title=About Me | publisher=Chris West: Professional Writer | website=www.chriswest.info | first=Chris | last=West | authorlink=Chris West | accessdate=18 June 2018 }}

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;Titles

1. Russian Rag
2. Tiger Rag
3. Don't Bring Lulu
4. Dixieland
5. Clarinet Marmalade
6. High Society
7. Petite Fleur
8. At the Jazz Band Ball
9. Sweet Georgia Brown

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Adrian Sheen was the original bandleader and Mike Southon subsequently took over as frontman in late 1976 (as "Gorgeous Mike Vaseline").{{cite web| url=http://www.mikesouthon.com/life-story/ |first=Mike |last=Southon | authorlink=Mike Southon (writer) |title=Mike Southon — Life Story | website=www.mikesouthon.com |date=22 February 2014 | accessdate=30 January 2017 }}{{cite web| url=http://www.freshbusinessthinking.com/articles_print.php?CID=6&AID=18 | title=An Interview with Mike Southon | publisher=Freshbusinessthinking.com | accessdate=4 May 2014 }} Colin Moynihan was the original but short-lived pianist. Sally Jones tap danced for the band on occasions. Jonathan Bowen took many photographs and recorded the band in the 1970s. Further musicians who played with the Oxcentrics included Yva Thakurdas (trumpet) and Hugh Wallis (tuba). The band's manager was Laura Lassman.

The band continued in a changed form in London in the 1980s, managed by Olly Weindling, using many of the top young London jazz musicians such as Ashley Slater, Mark Lockheart and Billy Jenkins. Guests included Django Bates, Iain Ballamy and many others from Loose Tubes. In 1988, the Oxcentrics produced a CD, Oxcentromania! through Eccentric Records.{{citation | title=Oxcentromania! | work=CD #350230653068 | publisher=Eccentric Records | location=UK | year=1988 }}{{cite web| url=https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/the_oxcentrics/oxcentromania/ | title=Oxcentromania | website=rateyourmusic.com | accessdate=28 May 2020 }}

In 2005, the Oxcentrics reformed to celebrate their 30th anniversary. They also got together again in 2006 for a one-off gig at a ball held at St Hugh's College, Oxford, again in 2016 for a late 40th-anniversary gig, and in 2019 back at University College, Oxford, followed by a recording session. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the band produced a distributed lockdown versions of the 1925 song Don't Bring Lulu{{cite web| url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oBloZ14MbM |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/8oBloZ14MbM |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live| title=The Oxcentrics. Don't Bring Lulu | first=Simon | last=Wallace | authorlink=Simon Wallace | work=YouTube | date=3 June 2020 | accessdate=3 June 2020 }}{{cbignore}} and the 1918 song After You've Gone.{{cite web| url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUfaiDfb298 | title=The Oxcentrics 'After You've Gone' | first=Simon | last=Wallace | authorlink=Simon Wallace | website=YouTube | date=24 December 2020 | access-date=13 November 2024 }} In 2024, the Oxcentrics celebrated their 50th anniversary slightly early as part of the University College, Oxford 775th anniversary celebrations.{{cite web| url=https://www.univ.ox.ac.uk/news/univ-775-festival-highlights/ | title=Univ 775 Festival highlights | publisher=University College, Oxford | location=UK | date=2024 | access-date=13 November 2024 }}