“Music like all of life, research, culture etc is getting swallowed into AI and therefore more than ever, artists doing actual work and creating real connections will matter more than ever. There has never been a better time to grow an audience as an artist even though it's hard and requires high level marketing skills which is fear the old record labels did and gave you a cut.”

Leeds City Stompers: Vintage Blues & Jazz

Leeds City Stompers are a blues, ragtime and swing trio. Playing traditional 1920s-50s music, formed in 2011 in Leeds, Yorkshire the band is a professional act that brings to life a bygone time and the 'hokum' sound with authentic 1930s guitars, drums, double bass and washboard. Influenced by musicians like Louis Armstrong, Robert Johnson, Hank Williams and Blind Boy Fuller the band has made people dance and time travel across a minimum of 100 gigs a year. An album of traditional songs was recorded in 2019, 2017 and 2012 and the band looks forward to more. The band has grown a loyal following (mostly blues or jazz fans, vintage enthusiasts and dancers) and looks forward to making more connections here going forward. Previous shows: highlights include; The Great British R&B Festival, Upton Jazz Festival, Domino Club Leeds, Retro Fest, the Great Yorkshire show and Rhythm Riot. The core trio is made up of accomplished multi-instrumentalists who frequently swap instruments on stage: The core trio is made up of accomplished multi-instrumentalists who frequently swap instruments on stage: Martyn Roper, John Arnesen, and Hugh Bradley.

(Photo: Leeds City Stompers)

Martyn Roper (guitars, vocals, harmonica & kazoo) is a professional musician since 2011. He also plays solo (as a seated one man band) and with acclaimed Hokum Duo; the washboard resonators. Regarded as an expert on resonator guitars, he also teaches blues music and history through YouTube. John Arnesen (drums, washboard & vocals), a full time drummer and alumni of Leeds college of music with a degree in jazz drumming, he also plays in the Big Easy and Globe Trotting Jazz Supergroup the Ancient Infinity orchestra amongst others. He joined lcs in 2018. Hugh Bradley (double bass and vocals), a bass player (and wine aficionado with Chez Vin merchants in Otley), hugh has studied bass with world famous Danny Thompson. He toured extensively with Whiskey Priests among others and now splits his musical time between bluegrass jam sessions, lcs and the folk troubadour (and legend) Steve Tilston. He joined in 2023.

Interview by Michael Limnios

How has the music influenced your views of the world? What moment changed your musical life the most?

My views of the world have changed from just meeting and playing with other musicians, often with great educations, that could explain clearly how economics, history and psychology shaped the past and how we should go forward in a meaningful way. Also, my own reading and research bring to life the often foul (but also noble) history and socioeconomic situation that blues and jazz grew up in which has been an eye opener. For instance, protest in song, interesting vernacular and humour used as a form of empowerment to an oppressive society. This is something you can understand and use creatively or be aware of when choosing traditional materials. To be socially aware and culturally responsible as a white nan in 2026 means choosing older material respectfully. Songs of love and good times I can connect with. Material that talks of 'the boss man' or 'picking cotton' and 'driving a mule' I stay away from.

The musical moment that changed my life the most was in the defunct Woods Music shop in Huddersfield aged 12 in 1993. I'd played trumpet a bit and absolutely loved music and wanted to play. My brother was shopping for a guitar, and I saw so many 'bass players wanted' on the notice board. I thought I'd try it which led to getting in bands, learning other instruments, and becoming full time aged 30 in 2011.

How do you describe band’s sound, music philosophy and songbook? What keeps a musician passionate over the years in blues, jazz?

LCS was started to be a community string band (initially duo) in the old 1900s-40s tradition. Even though players have changed and drums were brought into augment as a trio the central core was that commitment. Blues or jazz is a good overall term to describe what we do as most material is in that idiom but, in that string band tradition, we do a range of material and adapt the set depending on the event. So recently we played a tea dance for balboa dancers and played all fast up-tempo as is needed to keep a dance floor full. At Domino Jazz Club we'll play more standards with slow tubes and stretch out as it's a seated and listening audience. It's easy when John (drums) and Hugh (bass) are excellent and can adapt easily. It's like things I've read from Pops Foster in his biography about growing up in New Orleans in the 1910s and adapting their music to the circumstances. Similarly, I've read that Robert Johnson would play Tarantellas at Italian weddings, bawdy stompers in a juke joint or church songs on a Sunday. The passion comes from being obsessively in love with all aspects of 1920s-50s culture but the sense of time travelling and being of service to the people listening. Every second on stage I'm mindful of creating a spark of energy and reinterpreting the music so it's fresh. I always feel privileged as I'm literally 'living the dream.'

“Music creates so much economic turnover. Even a simple pub gig in a well-run venue with a great reputation locally can get dozens of people spending and socialising which creates a space for musicians to grow and develop. In turn musicians can then take this experience and play better gigs when it matters on bigger festival stages.” (Photo: Leeds City Stompers)

Why do you think that the Old-School Jazz/ Blues music continues to generate such a devoted following?

Autism is probably an easy one-word answer for some of the interest! The love of niche interests and going deep into them works for a small segment of the population. Beyond that, I genuinely think that it's a recognisable sound that directly created and influenced what we think of as rock and roll, rock, Americana, country, soul, gospel etc. It's interesting without being too different to modern ears.

What do you miss most nowadays from the music of the past? What are your hopes and fears for the future of?

I don't miss anything to be honest. As much as I love old Tampa Red, Carter Family or Louis Armstrong recordings I also enjoy so much music from across all eras up to now. CW Stoneking is amazing and makes a 1930s blues sound with a disjointed Tom Waits sort of approach gif instance. Motörhead and AC/DC still do it for me, and certain brand-new artists are there when you want to go into that space that they offer. So 'new' artists like, Billie Eilish as well as Shakey Graves or Thorn Haze when you're in the mood! There has always been rubbish and simple new music but it's weeding through to get the good stuff that always mattered. Music like all of life, research, culture etc is getting swallowed into AI and therefore more than ever, artists doing actual work and creating real connections will matter more than ever. There has never been a better time to grow an audience as an artist even though it's hard and requires high level marketing skills which is fear the old record labels did and gave you a cut. 

Skiffle (Donegan), Jazz (Barber), Blues (Cyril Davis, Alexis Korner), etc. What were the reasons that made the UK -since 1950s- to be the center of music researches and experiments?

So many factors. There were established circuits to 'work' within as musicians so even bad musicians could 'go pro.' The working men's club scene was a busy world which allowed singers, musicians and comedians to get stage time professionally and hopefully ascend to TV etc. Post WW2 education and investment especially in technical and art colleges allowed all parts of society to study and this produced student union venues where experimentation could happen. That era was just the right time for the (often suburban) youth to reject much mainstream music to go back and find rare blues and jazz which created the people that defined the genres that we had defining popular culture through the 1960s and beyond. Skiffle ultimately gave us the Beatles. Alexis Korner helped foster The Rolling Stones among many etc.

“My views of the world have changed from just meeting and playing with other musicians, often with great educations, that could explain clearly how economics, history and psychology shaped the past and how we should go forward in a meaningful way.” (Photo: Martyn Roper of Leeds City Stompers)

What is the impact of music on the socio-cultural implications? How do you want the music to affect people?

Music creates so much economic turnover. Even a simple pub gig in a well-run venue with a great reputation locally can get dozens of people spending and socialising which creates a space for musicians to grow and develop. In turn musicians can then take this experience and play better gigs when it matters on bigger festival stages. We feel that doing something that is both rooted in an era and that is friendly to the large community of Lindyhop, Jive, Balboa etc style of dancers means we often become a focus for 'reenactors' of dancers. We make friends and can go to all kinds of places and people travel far. We've got our own small community of people we like to hang out with. The fact people like do this and are inspired by us is fantastic.

What are you doing to keep your music relevant today, to develop it and present it to the new generation?

I'm personally 45. We have fans from teen to 80+. We find dressing well and being entertaining on stage helps people believe in you and slowly you build that core following. I've experimented with social media and followed accounts that give advice on good practice. Last month we had 2.5 million Facebook views after I tried some of the techniques suggested and we got around 10,000 new followers there. These are ways to 'build a brand' and gain traction. It's awful to be so prosaic about such things as I find social media to be toxic and boring to do but 

Let’s take a trip with a time machine, so where and why would you really want to go for a whole day?

I've always wanted to see my hometown of Huddersfield around the years 1930-1953. I would often devour books of old photos of the area and especially railways. I think seeing a society and way of life that I could compare to now would be fascinating. Of course, seeing some of the blues greats like Robert Johnson in Memphis or Django Reinhardt in Paris. Truth be told though. Would I be welcome in places where the old blues guys played?

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(Photo: Leeds City Stompers)