Avon Cities Jazz Band

The Avon Cities, also known as Avon Cities and The Avon Cities Jazz Band, was a jazz band from Bristol, in the United Kingdom, that formed in 1949 and eventually split in 2000. The band was relatively famous for performing jazz standards such as Cotton Tail, originally performed by the influential pianist Duke Ellington, and for creating their own tunes. One popular example of their own compositions is "African Song" from one of their most popular albums, Tempo Fugit, which was released in the 1990s. The Avon Cities were particularly successful in the 1970s and 1980s.

The nucleus of the band was
*Geoff Nichols, the band's trumpeter and writer of many of the band's own pieces;
*Mike Hitchings, who played the soprano saxophone and also wrote some of the band's own pieces; and
*Ray Bush, who played the clarinet and occasionally sang.

Other notable members of the band included

*Chris Pope, who was the band's drummer from the 1960s until the band separated in 2000;
*Frank Feeney, who was its guitarist for the first 25 years;
*Dave Collit, who was the band's main pianist; and
*Basil Wright, the band's drummer before Chris Pope.
*Malcolm Wright, brother of Basil, bass player
*Jan Ridd, pianist in the late 1950s
*Wayne Chandler,banjo and guitar in the late 1950s Geoff Nichols and Mike Hitchings never left the band, playing in it from 1949 until 2000. Ray Bush left the band in the 1980s, when he emigrated to the United States of America. In 1952, Geoff Nichols, Mike Hitchins, Ray Bush and Basil Wright formed the Avon Cities Skiffle Group.