Band Profile

Band Info

The Big Bear Stompers. The Big Bear Stompers came into being in1989. The band was the brainchild of Dave Moorwood and trumpeter Clive Whitlock who both wanted to organise a band to play in the “classic” style with the early 1923 King Oliver Creole Jazzband and the revivalist Lu Waters Yerba Buena Band (1040’s) as models. The tricky role of second trumpet was most successful in the bands of multi -instrumentalist Paul Maple and later the then young Ben Cummings. The band achieved a considerable following but three events led to it going into hibernation in 1997. Dave joined the Pete Allen band, Clive suffered serious health problems and Ben decided to live in France for a year. In late 2004, The Bear’s re-emerged, a little altered but with the same instantly recognisable spirit and authentic style.