Welcome to the Rae Brothers web site! As with many of the musicians today who play in the New Orleans style, the inspiration we have, comes from the music recorded and produced by the likes of Bill Russell and Gene Williams and which features the wonderful Bunk Johnson and George Lewis line-ups.

 During the seventies Mac and I played in the rhythm section of the Onward New Orleans Jazz Band (UK) which was based in the North East of England and featured a very young Colin ‘Kid’ Dawson on trumpet. With  this band 
 we gained invaluable experience working with the touring
musicians from New Orleans such as Theodore ‘Teddy’ Riley, George ‘Kid Sheik’ Cola, Alton Purnell, Teddy Johnson, Sam Lee, Freddy Kholman as well as Benny Waters, Ken Colyer, Sammy Rimington and a host of others.

 “The Rae Brothers New Orleans Jazz Band” was formed in 1995, Mac switching from drums to clarinet, (the instrument he played during the fifties), with Ian Brown on cornet and later Clem Avery on trumpet we set out to capture the sound and feeling described by Ken Colyer as the “New Orleans Bounce”, a style made famous by the musicians who lived and worked in and around New Orleans Louisiana.                                                                                                         

           The Rae Brothers New Orleans Jazz Band 2012/2013

In 2008 our dear friend and trumpet player Clem Avery sadly passed away after a relatively short illness. Having had ten wonderful years with the band Clem was a unique force and we could not hope to replace him. For a while we played without a trumpet, the lead shared between clarinet and trombone.
  In the spring of 2009 a new six piece line up was formed, this time with Mac switching once again, this time from clarinet to cornet, which is the instrument he played in his “Revival Band” during the ‘80s when resident at the “Broken Doll” in Newcastle upon Tyne. We welcome from “The Mississippi Dreamboats” Liz Bacon on clarinet and husband Paul Bacon on drums and when available the piano chair is taken up by Ian Wynne, currently studying music at Birmingham University. Our aim as always is to sustain the feeling and bounce of the old New Orleans ensemble bands. The new line-up has knitted together nicely and from 2009 have gained strength from successful engagements at Jazz Clubs and Festivals both at home and abroad. 

            The Rae Brothers Festival Band