King Pleasure & The Biscuit Boys

“The aristocrats of Rhythm & Blues" King Pleasure are one of the most popular jazz & swing bands in the world made famous by Ronnie Scotts clubs, performing classy numbers in Louis Jordan & Eddie Cleanhead style. They have a stunning range of instrumental ability, 7 recorded CDs and have performed internationally giving show-stealing performances with their unique mix of 1940s Kansas City Jazz and Blues, presented with the most exciting stage performance extant.

From humble beginnings as a group of school friends in a coffee shop in Walsall, King Pleasure have made themselves a household name in the UK and around the world with their fantastic jazz and blues rhythms, crazy on-stage antics, musical humour and total professionalism.

Unusually the original band-line up decided, over that infamous coffee, which of them was going to play what instrument. They then went out and bought the instruments and set about learning them! Originally known as Some like it Hot, they won competitions and began gigging in Birmingham, and over the ensuing 20 years have gone through several line-up and name changes, recorded 7 CDs and proved themselves to be the superb marketable band that they are today.

There is no denying the KP’s popularity, the polish and the ability to assault, involve and ultimately exhaust an audience, but, some would say, that doesn’t make them a good jazz band ... or even a jazz band. Well, the border between jazz and blues has plenty of traffic crossing it. It’s true that King Pleasure & The Biscuit Boys as warm-up band for the Modern Jazz Quartet would not be the most appropriate choice. It is also true that the crazy stage and zany visuals are still there (some purists find it difficult to take seriously a diminutive bass player who somehow plays the instrument wonderfully while taking it to two submissions or a knock-out), but humour, the wilder the better, has an honourable place in the story of jazz.