Welcome from the Jumbo Circus Peanuts

About the (Amazing) Jumbo Circus Peanuts

Depending on who you talk to, this 12-piece band is either a Seacoast institution or should be confined in one. Others have observed that the group is merely a collection of professional drinkers with a music problem. Debate aside, one thing is clear — the Jumbo Circus Peanut philosophy starts and ends with fun.

Like any great musical organization, the band was born one night in a tiny smoky kitchen when two trombonists, a clarinet player and an alto saxophonist collided over a case of beer and a couple of sheet music fake books. Collectively, at that time, the founding musicians had not picked up their respective instruments in something like 60 years.

With the later addition of a rhythm section and even more melody instruments (not to mention two more trombones,) the Jumbo Circus Peanuts outgrew their kitchen home, performing in local bars and street events for the benefit of friends, family and those who came to confirm the existence of what one observer described as a "musical Loch Ness monster in drag."

Today, after nearly 15 years of Seacoast performances, the Jumbo Circus Peanuts are the area's top-drawing musical group with an ever-expanding repertoire that sails around the musical worlds of pop, funk, swing and rock — with stops that include Hollywood, Broadway, Detroit, Latin America and Hawaii.

Although the Peanuts' present members are veterans of a wide variety of Seacoast bands and have performed everywhere from a Presidential inauguration (trumpeter Mark Weatherby as a member of the West Point band) to a state prison (bass player Chip Brindamour and saxophonist Curt Mackail as members of a UNH jazz big band) they all admit they've never been part of anything like the Peanuts.

"We refuse to take ourselves and our purpose too seriously," said saxophonist and the band's music director, John Prendergast. "This band is all about poking a fun at life and musical pretension. How else do you explain a college-educated male onstage wearing a pink prom dress, green high-top Chuck Taylor sneakers and playing Brock House on the xylophone?" he said.

When asked to name their musical influences by a reporter recently, members of the band agreed on: the Neville Brothers, Tower of Power, New Orleans' brass bands in general, Spike Jones, Tom Jones, both Sinatras (Nancy and Frank,) Disney, the Surfaris, Carmen Dragon, Count Basie, Sly Stone, Sarah Vaughan, Dusty Springfield, Perez Prado, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Mitch Ryder, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Hank Williams and Otis Redding. For that moment, it was apparent, the Jumbo Circus Peanuts were serious about something.

Jumbo Circus Peanuts Site Credits
Listen, baby, all material herein is ©copyright 2003-2009
In addition, Jumbo Circus Peanuts™ NH's Legendary Superband™ and Jumbo Circus Peanuts Pleasure Society™ are trademarks and protected by state and federal laws, honey, so don't even think about it.

Site Produced by: The Jumbo Circus Peanuts
Site Design and Construction: Curt Mackail
Written by: John Prendergast, Curt Mackail and the JCP
Photographs by: Ben Wolf, Marbet Wolfson, Carol Woodman, Carol Riley Weatherby, Brian (The Mullet) Crowley, JT, and Curt Mackail.
Archive posters original art by: Carol Woodman
Additional creative input and nagging: Chip Brindamour, Paul Wolf
Acknowledgement: The Jumbo Circus Peanuts acknowledge Duke Ellington, Henry Mancini, Ray Charles, Perez Prado, Dr. John, and Harry Wayne Casey, whose songs and arrangements we've ripped off the most. We'd also like to acknowledge our many influences including but not limited to The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Ernest Tubb, The Jethros, Spike Jones and The City Slickers (especially Doodles Weaver,) Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Tower Of Power, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, the Hoosier Hot Shots, Louis Jordan, Jonathan Richman, Bugs Bunny & Daffy Duck, Kool & The Gang, Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass, Sly & The Family Stone, Pucho & The Latin Soul Brothers, The Mothers Of Invention, and the entire cast of the Lawrence Welk Show including the great Arthur Duncan. Thanks also to our regular gig soundmen, John Woodman (no relation to Carol) and Tim (no relation to Lassie) from Elwyn Sound. Why you do it, we still can't figure out. Thank you also for your support and encouragement to Billy and everyone at the Portsmouth VFW, Mailforce, Ruth Griffin, Aerosmith, and Binx the Goat.




		Click here to also see the JCP's secret FAQs \| RAQs \| NAQs page
		*About the (Amazing) Jumbo Circus Peanuts* Depending on who you talk to, this 12-piece band is either a Seacoast institution or should be confined in one. Others have observed that the group is merely a collection of professional drinkers with a music problem. Debate aside, one thing is clear — the Jumbo Circus Peanut philosophy starts and ends with fun. Like any great musical organization, the band was born one night in a tiny smoky kitchen when two trombonists, a clarinet player and an alto saxophonist collided over a case of beer and a couple of sheet music fake books. Collectively, at that time, the founding musicians had not picked up their respective instruments in something like 60 years. With the later addition of a rhythm section and even more melody instruments (not to mention two more trombones,) the Jumbo Circus Peanuts outgrew their kitchen home, performing in local bars and street events for the benefit of friends, family and those who came to confirm the existence of what one observer described as a "musical Loch Ness monster in drag." Today, after nearly 15 years of Seacoast performances, the Jumbo Circus Peanuts are the area's top-drawing musical group with an ever-expanding repertoire that sails around the musical worlds of pop, funk, swing and rock — with stops that include Hollywood, Broadway, Detroit, Latin America and Hawaii. Although the Peanuts' present members are veterans of a wide variety of Seacoast bands and have performed everywhere from a Presidential inauguration (trumpeter Mark Weatherby as a member of the West Point band) to a state prison (bass player Chip Brindamour and saxophonist Curt Mackail as members of a UNH jazz big band) they all admit they've never been part of anything like the Peanuts. "We refuse to take ourselves and our purpose too seriously," said saxophonist and the band's music director, John Prendergast. "This band is all about poking a fun at life and musical pretension. How else do you explain a college-educated male onstage wearing a pink prom dress, green high-top Chuck Taylor sneakers and playing Brock House on the xylophone?" he said. When asked to name their musical influences by a reporter recently, members of the band agreed on: the Neville Brothers, Tower of Power, New Orleans' brass bands in general, Spike Jones, Tom Jones, both Sinatras (Nancy and Frank,) Disney, the Surfaris, Carmen Dragon, Count Basie, Sly Stone, Sarah Vaughan, Dusty Springfield, Perez Prado, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Mitch Ryder, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Hank Williams and Otis Redding. For that moment, it was apparent, the Jumbo Circus Peanuts were serious about something. Jumbo Circus Peanuts Site Credits Listen, baby, all material herein is ©copyright 2003-2009 In addition, Jumbo Circus Peanuts™ NH's Legendary Superband™ and Jumbo Circus Peanuts Pleasure Society™ are trademarks and protected by state and federal laws, honey, so don't even think about it. Site Produced by: The Jumbo Circus Peanuts Site Design and Construction: Curt Mackail Written by: John Prendergast, Curt Mackail and the JCP Photographs by: Ben Wolf, Marbet Wolfson, Carol Woodman, Carol Riley Weatherby, Brian (The Mullet) Crowley, JT, and Curt Mackail. Archive posters original art by: Carol Woodman Additional creative input and nagging: Chip Brindamour, Paul Wolf Acknowledgement: The Jumbo Circus Peanuts acknowledge Duke Ellington, Henry Mancini, Ray Charles, Perez Prado, Dr. John, and Harry Wayne Casey, whose songs and arrangements we've ripped off the most. We'd also like to acknowledge our many influences including but not limited to The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Ernest Tubb, The Jethros, Spike Jones and The City Slickers (especially Doodles Weaver,) Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Tower Of Power, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, the Hoosier Hot Shots, Louis Jordan, Jonathan Richman, Bugs Bunny & Daffy Duck, Kool & The Gang, Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass, Sly & The Family Stone, Pucho & The Latin Soul Brothers, The Mothers Of Invention, and the entire cast of the Lawrence Welk Show including the great Arthur Duncan. Thanks also to our regular gig soundmen, John Woodman (no relation to Carol) and Tim (no relation to Lassie) from Elwyn Sound. Why you do it, we still can't figure out. Thank you also for your support and encouragement to Billy and everyone at the Portsmouth VFW, Mailforce, Ruth Griffin, Aerosmith, and Binx the Goat.
All site contents, images and material © copyright 2003-2009 Jumbo Circus Peanuts™ Jumbo Circus Peanuts Pleasure Society™ NH's Legendary Superband™ Portsmouth, New Hampshire USA