Hi All, another week and another blog from Geoff.

 After last weeks government road map for the future, plans are afoot, and The Swanage Jazz Festival is suggesting it will run a Festival in September (either 17^th to 19^th, or 24^th to 26^th), so do keep an eye on their website (www.swanagejazzfestival.co.uk), and on your booking for digs. Holidays in the UK will be at a premium this year, so a self catering tent might be required!

Yesterday we heard the sad news that Chris Barber had died at the age of 90. Much has already been written about him, so all I am going to do is leave a link for you to follow

https://www.jazzwise.com/news/article/chris-barber-17-april-1930-2-march-2021

but  then I can tell you why, like many who have passed away in recent years, Chris Barber was important in my jazz education.

Like many people born before WW2, the radio played much swing and jazz during my early years. We did have a wind up gramophone in our air raid shelter, and apart from “Songs of the Western Front” we did have some swing type records from before the war. The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra for one. At the wars end, my interest in jazz type music widened slightly. I can remember buying new 78’s. Sid Phillips and “Clarinet Marmalade” being one and also a couple of Jo Daniels and His Hot Shot sides too. I became aware of the Ken Colyer Band in about 1953 which was really the Chris Barber Band with a different trumpet player. 

Then in 1954 The Chris Barber Band brought out a famous 10” LP with Pat Halcox in place of Ken Colyer.

By then we had the ability at my home in Hammersmith to play LP’s, but they were expensive, and for my pocket money I still bought some 78’s. I remember my first real contact with Chris Barber was in 1954 when I went in to Doug Dobells Record Shop at 77 Charing Cross Road and bought the 78 of “Chimes Blues” almost direct from Mr Barber himself, and  he signed it on the tax stamp!!

My interest was fired, and I started to play the trumpet along to their records. My interest in other jazz grew, Humph of course, with Wally Fawkes in these days, and with more LP’s and with school friends we all found  Buck Clayton, Duke Ellington and many many more. My understanding ballooned!

But it was the Chris Barber Band that I saw every Wednesday. By now I was an Apprentice at CAV Ltd in Action, and every Wednesday after work I would take the trolley bus to Southall and “The White Hart” for that was where the  Chris Barber Band had its regular sessions. Before “Rock Island Line” became a hit there was Lonnie Donegan, the banjo player, doing his thing after the interval. Skiffle had arrived!!

The Barber Band then introduced us all to all kinds of American Blues singers, some they even imported so that we could see and hear them live for ourselves. Champion Jack Dupree billed  as “Blues from the Gutter”!

“The White Hart” had its own blues singer, that young school teacher Ottile Patterson would sing the occasional Bessie Smith song, and then go back to marking homework on a table beside the bandstand. How could that slim lady become Bessie Smith, but somehow she did!

We did see Ottilie in a new light once at a Hammersmith Town Hall concert that had Chris Barbers Band together with Acker Bilks Band.

Ackers band were on first, and many of his fans danced, the girls being dressed in dresses made out of sacks! All very “alternative”.

During the Barber set Ottilie came on stage in a very long stylish black dress with a very full swirly skirt, so long in fact that it covered her shoes. As the music got going she lifted her skirt high enough for us all to see full length red leather boots. We had never seen the like before, wow!

My life continued, and my ability to attend live jazz diminished as married life and children took over. But FM radio came to my aid, and in 1968 I can remember listening to a weeknight broadcast of The Chris Barber Band playing a kind of musical fusion, with a blues guitar being added to the mix. I had heard a performance of the music from the record “Battersea Rain Dance” with the addition of guitarist John Slaughter!

All along Chris Barber had expanded musical boundaries, and towards the end he introduced us to “The Big Chris Barber Band” playing, with a 10 piece ensemble, the big band music of the 1920’s. Spot on ensemble playing, but all from memory. Terrific stuff.

 And so to memory. It is very sad to see that Chris Barber died suffering from dementia. I for one am glad that I can remember so much of my Chris Barber experience.

Finally another link, have a go at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpvsQSOPuxc&t=37s

All 1 hour of it! The BIG CB Band in 2005

More next week, do tell others of the blog.

 

Geoff C

octogeoff@outlook.com

OK, it’s late again, and the reason is a long story which I wont go into right now, BUT it is to do with computer hacking and the fact that I was hacked some months ago. So if you get to read this, and would like to tell others it is now out this week, please do, because I am not going to issue the usual emails to let people know it has been released, as I think that is one of the ways my PC has be “disturbed”!

DO let others share in “Jazz from Geoff” by spreading info via your email to theirs the fact that it’s update IS out. I will try to get it issued every week as near to Tuesday as I can make it.

You can still email me if you so desire via octogeoff@outlook.com

So having got that off my fingers, here’s to the next item!

We have a route out of lockdown! Maybe hesitant and fragile, but at least we have the semblance of a plan.

So put May 20^th in your diary now. Hedsor Jazz is planning to have a socially distanced jazz evening (following all the rules applicable at the time). We are allowed to have a maximum of 30 people coming to attend. We will need the contact details of those who do come, and we need to limit the numbers coming. So please tell Tracy Georgiades via email  tracy.georgiades@gmail.com  who you are, and we will send you an attendance voucher if the event goes ahead. No voucher, no entry so log your interest with Tracy and for now, mark your diary!

Over the past months I have led you to various YouTube links that I personally have enjoyed. But there are other organisations that will also lead you to areas of Jazz interest. Can I recommend that you sign up, if you haven’t done so already, to https://www.jazzinreading.com . Recent articles include mention of one of Hedsor Jazz’s favourite friends Stuart Henderson, and it will give you a link to his latest CD.

 

I know that many of you watched the TV Documentary about saxophonist  Barbara Thompson, and this week for me this has been enhanced by receiving not only the 14 CD Boxset  “Barbara Thompson at The BBC”, but also her book “the autobiographical story”  called “Journey to a Destination Unknown”.

I can recommend both, having been a fan since the early 70’s when the LP of her  band  “Jubiaba” came out. I saw her, and her better known band “Paraphernalia”, many times until she was forced to stop playing after succumbing to Parkinson’s disease.

I consider her to be one of Britains great talents, her saxophone and flute playing being flawless, and her ideas making you think “why doesn’t everyone say that” over a tune or a phrase.

 

I have yet to play all of the 14 cd’s (yes, even in lockdown!), but I have played CD No 14. I chose it to play first because it was recorded in Marlow Football Club in 1989. According to the CD notes, that’s the Marlow in Berkshire!! Culled from a Radio 3 “Sounds of Jazz” broadcast and introduced by Peter Clayton, it just shows what a great performer she was.

She was of course married to drummer Jon Hiseman, (also on many of the CD tracks) who first came to my attention in the band “Colosseum”, another great ground breaking band but in a different musical genre. Sadly Jon, who had become Barbara’s carer, died in 2018 of complications after an operation on a brain tumour.

 

I met both of them once when I and my family were on holiday near “The Forest of Dean”. We had discovered that not far into Wales there was a pub running a jazz night, so we all went. To my utter astonishment there buying her family a round of drinks was Barbara Thompson. So I asked “what are you doing here” , or words to that effect, to which she replied,” a bit like you, we are on holiday”. The jazz group were an amateur trio, and she didn’t sit in, but the drummer of the group did ask Jon if he would, and he did! Amazingly nice people!

The book and the boxset are obviously worthwhile additions to my collection, and would be to yours too. If you are unsure of her band “Paraphernalia” do check out a sample at

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiHzruN_YTvAhXVtHEKHf2cC48QwqsBMAF6BAgDEAM&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DqgKqXLDOgnc&usg=AOvVaw2nQkgctZeGqIrVbj_YAiDJ

Unless your German is fluent you may want to miss the first minute and a half!

For details of the boxset see

https://www.repertoirerecords.com/artists/barbara-thompson/barbara-thompson-live-at-the-bbc/

For the book, go to her website https://barbara-thompson.co.uk/product/journey-to-a-destination-unknown/

That’s about it for today. Don’t forget tell people about the blog and I apologise for not putting out nags about it’s release. I will try and find a safer way of letting you know when it is updated.

Dont forget to email Tracy about May 20^th, and me at octogeoff@oulook.com for anything else. Updating your email address does come to mind!

TTFN

 

Geoff

 

Good Wednesday Morning England, and welcome to another rambled Jazz from Geoff.

 

With no live Hedsor Jazz to report I thought today I would point you at a number of sources of entertainment.

Firstly YouTube, which by now you must have discovered, and I hope you have at least watched some of the sessions that have been put on YouTube by Ronnie Scott’s Club to name but one organisation. DO check out their collection of previous live streams that have been left “up there” for you to watch.

 

I managed to catch the Swedish Singer Emilia Mårtensson’s session the other night and it is still there to watch (even in the afternoon!!) by clicking the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUQyzJ7j8rM&t=2125s

 

It has an interesting version of “Dat Dere”, a song that we used to hear from singer Lynn Garner occasionally.

 

There is a lot more stuff to get your eyes on via Ronnie Scott’s streams, but as I have mentioned before much more is on YouTube. That well known sender out of jokes, and sometime drummer Dave Simms enthused about some Django style jazz with a YouTube link and a comment thus:-

 

I just think that anyone who can sit still when this kind of music is playing has something fundamentally

wrong with the way their brain is wired….. 

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=WqawqSF4xs8&feature=share 

I have always liked this kind of jazz, having promoted it in the past, with a session at both the jazz festivals I have organised in the days when loosing money was in fashion. I kind of riposted to him with a link to another manouche band from an unlikely place:-

“Have you caught up with the Hot Club of Detroit?  Yes Detroit USA! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zT_xxvdcQc.”

You can now go and have a look as well!

This past week I had another reminder of jazz past when David Wade-Smith emailed, reminding me of the jazz played at “The Cookham Tavern” at the tail end of the 1990’s.

 

Every Thursday there was a Jazz session in the Cookham pub that is now Costa’s Coffee Bar. “Century Jazz”, founded by drummer Keith Vitty, was the regular band, and as many of you know, over a period of time, “Century Jazz” became “The Clive Burton Quintet”, moving first to Hedsor’s “Garibaldi” pub and then to “The Hedsor Social Club”.

 

In 1999 one of these regular pub sessions was recorded by David onto a DAT recorder, and broadcast on Cookham Summer FM, a community Radio Station run from a studio that during normal times was Cookham Railway Stations waiting room! Some time later I managed to borrow the tape, and using a Phillips CD Recorder (remember them) I copied it to a cd.

Having had my memory jogged, I have uploaded it all to DropBox, where you can download and listen, together with a sleeve for you to put it in if you want to generate your own CD!

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ftvxrdrpan2kso3/AABOryIDcUfa-hIO9hzb44vDa?dl=0

It is not a very polished transfer, but does enable you to be reminded again of what a fine trombone player Clive Burton was.

 

Those of you who are unaware of the announcer on the recording, the late Charles Benson,  he was until his death, the “Titular Leader” of Cookham’s fabulous Shirtlifters. A very popular, very “trad” band. The singer was/is Mr John Brooks, onetime singer with that same band, Equity card holder and pantomime dame! The full list of performers is on the sleeve artwork of the cd.

 

Yes, I have provided links. BUT a bigger organisation is doing just that almost every week. I recommend that you go and have a read of the London Jazz News, and sign up for a regular weekly email from them. Check them out via 

https://mailchi.mp/londonjazznews/9bknmwnk4m?e=0cdccbfe18

Please don’t forget that my DropBox links are only “up” for about 1 month, so if you want it, get it! IF after some time you realise that I had put up one of the Hedsor Jazz recordings that you did want but you didn’t download at the time, do email me via Octogeoff@outlook.com, and I will re-establish a link and email it back to you.

Well, its loony tune time, so farewell. I know I am having distribution problems, so do pass on a link to this blog to anyone who either used to get it or would like to know about it. And all this for no extra charge!

 

Keep safe

 

Geoff

 

 

 Another week of lockdown, perhaps with the snow outside again, probably a good thing!

If any of you clicked on my link to James Pearson’s Ronnie Scott concert last week, you will have by now seen the really interesting performance of Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue”. A very interesting performance, especially considering the size of the orchestra, which was nothing like the size of the original Paul Whiteman Orchestra that first performed it. But they gave it one heck of a go nonetheless and all credit must go to all who actually played on the night.

Credit is probably a good word to use. Don’t forget that you can still contribute to the finances of all who put on the show by clicking on the links on the Ronnie Scott YouTube page and donating MONEY.

Watching from the comfort and financial security of your home will have saved you the cost of travel, entry, and the house drinks prices, so a donation is a reasonably request!

I was drawn having watched it to a performance of “Rhapsody in Blue” performed on CD by The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra with arranger and saxophonist Tommy Smith, (but more importantly for this piece of music),also with Brian Kellock on piano. This is an extended extrapolation of Gershwin’s piece, lasting nearly 54 minutes, with a full jazz orchestra and I would highly recommend that you go find it. STS013 is the number on Spartacus Records and it was released in 2006. No longer in print, but it can be purchased second hand, or you can search via Amazon Prime, Spotify or similar music search engines.

The Amazon sites write up (below) of the piece is even more glowing, but it is well worth a listen.

Orchestrated by saxophonist Tommy Smith, this Rhapsody in Blue of the 21st century was written to feature Brian Kellock and the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra. The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra's 'Rhapsody in Blue' takes George Gershwin's classic jazz age concerto on an unprecedented adventure. Re-orchestrated by SNJO director, saxophonist Tommy Smith, it was written to feature Scotland's world class jazz pianist Brian Kellock, who played the original Rhapsody as a music student in Edinburgh in 1981. Familiar themes, including the iconic clarinet glissando and Gershwin's heartbreaking nostalgic refrain, have been used - respectfully - as source material and reworked into a fifty-two minute epic that flows through exciting uptempo movements, rhapsodic blues passages, a sensational Cuban fantasia and hard swinging jazz choruses, showcasing SNJO's magnificent ensemble playing and top class, creative soloing. The piece was premiered at Edinburgh Jazz Festival 2006, going on to further acclaim at London Jazz Festival, Brecon Jazz Festival and in concerts throughout the UK.

Not a lot more to go on about so far this week. I hope you are keeping warm, staying a safe distance apart from whoever you don’t live with, and are beginning to enjoy lunchtime TV!

One day I hope we will be able to see, hear and touch again, but in the meantime, keep searching out those jazz nuggets, and keep sharing them!!

Geoff

 

Jazz from Geoff 3.2. 2021

Today I have to start with piece of sad news. We seem to be surrounded by news that isn’t always glad, and this blog must begin by mention of the passing of pianist Frank Toms, who died at home on 27^th January of a heart condition.

Most of us who listened to Hedsor Jazz have probably heard, or heard of, Frank, although I don’t think he ever played at Hedsor. 

For around 50 years Frank has been the keyboard player for Marlow Jazz, in all of its manifestations. "The Firefly" in Bourne End, "The Cross Keys" in Marlow, and for the last few years "The Royal British Legion Hall" in Marlow. He had such a long link with Michael Eagleton and his jazz promotional work that he is survived by his son Elliot, who frequently played drums in Marlow Jazz’s later venues alongside his father, and certainly at The Marlow British Legion Club. 

Many of you will be saddened by his passing, his family and also Michael Eagleton as well. I know how it feels to loose someone you have worked with so closely for such a long time and my sympathy goes out to his family and to all who worked with Frank, and certainly to Michael.

Another friend of both Marlow Jazz and Hedsor jazz has written a better tribute to Frank than I can, and that is Simon Spillett. Do check out his piece for The London Jazz News

https://londonjazznews.com/2021/01/31/frank-toms-1937-2021-a-tribute-by-simon-spillett/

Michael himself emailed with the above photo saying The picture attached is Frank’s 10 piece band “Conkers” at Marlow Jazz Club. 

Also there will be a tribute in Marlow FM’s Jazz Show “Swing That Music” Sunday 7^th along with his best known composition “Danielle And The Holly Tree”, and, the following week, “Alfie”, both with the Quartet co-led with Pat Crumly - “Edge”.

Marlow FM:  97.5FM or on-line at www.marlowfm.co.uk 

There is a song by George Harrison (yes, he of the Beatles) that sums up something about our darker days:-

Sunrise doesn't last all morning
A cloudburst doesn't last all day
Seems my love is up
And has left you with no warning
But it's not always going
To be this grey
 
All things must pass
All things must pass away
 
Sunset doesn't last all evening
A mind can blow those clouds away
After all this my love is up
And must be leaving
But it's not always going
To be this grey
 
All things must pass
All things must pass away
 
All things must pass
None of life's strings can last
So I must be on my way
And face another day
 
Now the darkness only stays at night time
In the morning it will fade away
Daylight is good
At arriving at the right time
But it's not always going
To be this grey
 
All things must pass......

One other thought from me about loss and dark days.

There are millions of stars, but you can only see them when it’s dark.

I personally am glad for starlight!

 

 

Something that can contribute to our light are musical experiences 

that can be viewed on YouTube. 

On Feb 1st Ronnie Scotts club did a live stream featuring 

the music of George Gershwin, introduced by pianist James Pearson. 

There are nearly 2 hours of performance for you to watch, and it is 

well worth your effort to do so. 

A really interesting session. See 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L893s87neQ&t=1851s

One final bit to finish on. Last week I wrote about Charlie Watts at 

Scotts with a large Big Band. Mike Wills, Hedsor Jazz’s reed player, 

emailed me with this story:-

Your mention of the Charlie Watts Big Band reminds me of a couple of stories which might make you smile!

The first one concerns my mum – who was once cuddled by Charlie Watts!  There’s a bit of preamble to this – so here goes.  I grew up in Southgate, North London, and our next door neighbour was a guy called Roy Sidwell – who was a pro sax player (and incidentally gave me my first couple of lessons – so he’s got a lot to answer for!); he was a really lovely guy and a really good player.  Anyway, for a period in the early 80s he was a member of Charlie Watts’ Big Band, and during that time they went to the States to play at the Newport Jazz Festival.  It so happened that at the same time my mum was in Toronto in Canada visiting my sister Claire, and Roy knew this and managed to obtain some tickets so that my mum, Claire and her husband George could see the band at Newport Jazz Festival – which indeed they did – George drove them down and they had a great time.  After the gig Roy invited them backstage, and introduced them to Charlie, who (having had a few bevvies by this point) was very friendly and delighted to see my 80-year old mum and gave her a big cuddle!  Anyway, when my mum got back home I asked her how she’d enjoyed it – she said it wasn’t really her sort of thing, but she said that Roy was wonderful (although I doubt very much whether he had a solo all night, with the other stars in the line-up!) – and then I asked her who was top of the bill that night – and she said “Oh I don’t know, some bloke with a saxophone”.  I went next door later and asked Roy who that “some bloke” was – and he said it was Stan Getz!!  I was forever jealous of that, because I never saw Getz – but my mum was obviously not impressed!

The other story was one I heard concerning Stan Tracey, who as you say was in that band.  I think for a lot of the time there were also two drummers – I believe that was because Charlie was quite modest about his jazz playing ability and wanted a bit of insurance so he hired a pro jazz drummer as well (I forget who it was just now).  Anyway, apparently they were rehearsing at some point and someone asked Stan if he could play a bit more on the beat – and he said “Sure – but which fucking one?”!!

One more Charlie Watts CD to dig for, this time with someone else’s Big Band

TTFN

Geoff
PS, the background light and dark that appears in some of the above text is beyond my understanding or control!! Sorry if it makes it less easy to read on your device.

 

 Good Morning England

another jazz blog from Geoff with not a lot of NEW jazz or LIVE jazz to talk about.

But I have found things of interest from the past. Some of that past has been my collection, and some of the past has been a record companies collection!

First during the weekend I pulled something from my collection. 

Some time ago I talked about the Rolling Stone’s drummer Charlie Watts and his Big Band recording made at Ronnie Scotts (Watts at Scott’s) in 2004. 

He was after all a lifelong jazz fan. 

I knew he had made a recording at Fulham Town Hall in 1986, as I have the LP (!) and I had transcribed it to CD some years ago for easy storage, so I pulled and played it.

It isn’t the greatest recording, but it’s one of the biggest big bands I have ever come across with 31 in “The Band”. With so many to organise the sound does get a bit messy, but do have a listen (see below). There are some of the UK’s most unrepresented players on this including Annie Whitehead on trombone, and also some of the UK’s very best players too, like Stan Tracy as the piano player. One of the players amongst the throng has also played at Hedsor, saxophonist Willie Garnet.

Willie with Charlie Watts

The late Ken Rankine and Willie were great friends and Willie sat in during one of our Christmas parties.

The recording was released by CBS in 1986, see

https://www.discogs.com/The-Charlie-Watts-Orchestra-Live-At-Fulham-Town-Hall/release/1126702

The event was also filmed and broadcast by the BBC, and that is available on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAU2SSZPiqs

Its pretty low res, but as a piece of history, and as you may have some spare time, do take a look.

The other find was that of a record company that is still in business, but is also having a sale.

Do take a look at https://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/products.php?cat=377

a small sample of their offerings

You will see that they have a pretty interesting selection of jazz recordings for you to indulge yourself with. Dig a little into their selection and you will find that many are on sale for only 99 pence. Post and packing will add £2 but if you buy more than one that price should drop.

One of the CD’s I have ordered was of Radio Luxembourg’s 208 Rhythm Club recordings from broadcast made in 1961 by the early Chris Barber Band with, again, Ottile Patterson. 

These recordings were actually made in London by Landsowne Records and their producer Denis Preston who made many of the early LP recordings by both Chris Barber, Alex Welsh and Kenny Baker on the Nixa “Jazz Today” label. If you look at the Dutton catalogue closely you will find many of them here (or should that he “there”?)

If you brows what Dutton Vocalion do have, you are bound to find some things you might like (and can afford!), and no, I’m not on commission! 

Well, enough for now. 

I think it is clear from the current state of the pandemic that an early return to any sort of sociability, let alone live jazz, does appear to be months away. Do let me know what you are doing to swage the pangs of the reduction in jazz intake. Try emailing me at  Octogeoff@outlook.com 

Stay safe, if you get bored try growing lerts!

 My bloggy bits this week really carry on from my comments of last week about Roy Williams.

I was writing about that great British trombone player and mentioned that Festival Hall concert where he dueted with trombonist George Chisholm. I had written it up from memory, but later in the week I looked out the CD of the concert (I had it originally on LP too!), and I was  wrong!! 

It was on London’s South Bank, but it was in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, not the Festival Hall. The concert was on 28th November 1971 and it was given as a memorial to Louis Armstrong. The duet I was remembering was Roy Williams and George Chisholm playing “It’s All Right With Me”, and I think it only right if I quote from the sleeve notes written by Liam Keating about that particular tune. 

The redoubtable George Chisholm guests on Cole Porter's “It's all right with me”. George is joined by Roy, and both trombonists, displaying a mutual admiration, build upon each others solos to excel even their own high standards. Roy breaks away from the introductory duet and performs four scintillating choruses, only to be bettered by four from George. After a two chorus interlude from Jim Douglas we are treated to two choruses of swapped "fours" (George is the more outgoing of the two and is inclined to separate his phrases more than Roy) and then a grand final duet, spanning four choruses, sans rhythm. I will refrain from saying any more about this track - it would inevitably be an understatement! 

The CD reissue was published in 1995 by Black Lion Records as BLCD760515. If you don’t have it already I really do recommend it. 

Please don’t get it confused with a celebration of Louis’s birthday given in the same place a year earlier, as that recording is dreadful. It has some good music on it, with Humph and Alex Welsh again participating, but the recording left everything to ones desire!

Roy Williams and George Chisholm do do another duet in this concert playing “Tea for Two” and there is a lot of great jazz on this double album, but the recording for some reason badly lets it all down. I can remember the comments about it in the musical press when the LP’s were first released. 

If you can find a copy then have a listen, but a lot of the players are off mike, and the ensemble is badly out of balance. However it does give you the chance to hear Beryl Bryden, a stalwart British blues singer from the dawn of the British revivalist period. She was a large lady with a matching voice, AND she played a washboard. 

The mix of styles playing this concert is kind of confusing, but it was celebrating the music of Louis Armstrong. If only it had been recorded with a sound as good as some of the acoustic recording Louis made, have a listen to some of Louis Hot 5 recordings, then it would be worth buying, but there are too many buts on this one.

The 1971 concert came very soon after Louis died, and looking it up on Wikipedia just to check my facts, I was surprised that the place where he died had a very familiar look about it!!  He died on 6th July 1971 in Corona, New York!!

This continual semi house arrest state we currently endure has made me look back at CD’s that I haven’t pulled from the collection for some time. You may recall that at Christmas time I was delivered of a Chris Barber Band recording made in Nottingham by Alan Gilmore which was well worth collecting and in my digging around and listening this week I have come across a CD by the Humphrey Lyttelton Band also recorded by Alan Gilmore in Nottingham. 

The recording isn’t as good as the Barber one, (but better than the one referenced above from 1970) but nonetheless well worth a search out. it’s the Humph Band with Gospel Singer Marie Knight, recorded in 1958. 

There are a number of reasons not to be frightened off this one. Most of the songs are NOT gospel, and the band was one of Humph's very best. John Pickard was on trombone, and the reed section was Tony Coe, Jimmy Skidmore and Joe Temperly. Yes folks 1958. And you just have to believe that the Humph band of the day did play “Shake, Rattle and Roll"!! You just have to hear how drummer Eddie Taylor lays down the beat!

Its on the Calligraph label CLG CD 047, and was released in 2010

There you have it for this week. 1958, 1970 and 1971. I wonder where next weeks search and listen will take me. In the meantime do keep the home of jazz in your thoughts as the United States of America starts life with a new president.

 This Weeks Jazz from Geoff Blog :-

Is late, and hasn’t got much content. However, I do have a recommendation for you.

One of the joys of the past few years has been the visits to Hedsor Jazz of that fine trombone player Roy Williams. Sadly Roy was taken ill about a year a go, and is no longer able to play. This is a real loss to all who loved his amazing control over the slide trombone. He was a regular with The Alex Welsh band, and played alongside John Barnes in that great British band. When Alex ceased playing both Roy and John joined The Humphrey Lyttelton Band, and their unique combination continued for a number of years before John Barnes left, leaving Alan Barnes in his place. 

There are many fine recordings for us to remember Roy by. There is that wonderful Festival Hall Tribute to Louis Armstrong where Roy duets chorus after chorus with George Chisholm. Two trombones fighting it out to the end. 

But I had another one in my collection that showed what a wide ranging player Roy was. In the world of jazz we often try and tie individual players down to one particular style or even as being with one particular band. On a German Labelled CD “Live and Swinging” there are 5 musicians who have all played on more than one type of music.

Led by drummer Peter York, “Live and Swinging” has Roy Williams on trombone, Alan Barnes on saxophones various, and bass player Harvey Weston. Both Harvey and Roy had been with Alex Welsh Band. Alan Barnes had been with Humph when Roy was still part of it, and had been in the band alongside John Barnes. 

Peter himself had been in “The Spencer Davis Group”, a 1960’s rock, pop band,  and had then also spent 3 years with the Chris Barber Band. When Peter York decided to relocate to Germany, he often toured with the band on this 1998 recording. The band being completed by pianist Wolfgang Dalheimer. 

The album I have is on the Nagel Heyer label (CD091) and has the quintet paying with skill and enthusiasm. They are excellently cohesive, and obviously knew each other very well. It was a joy to hear Roy at the peak of his form with Alan still developing his playing ability. 

For me the only downside is that drummer Peter has to sing! Aside from that it’s a great jazz record. Alan features on “Istfahan“ and Roy on “All The Things You Are”. Peter of course just features!(after all he is the leader, and a drummer)! 

As a cd it is well worth you searching it out. Maybe the Amazon list price of £24 is a bit steep, but I’m sure you will find ways round that. It is well worth your trouble as it is a fine swinging record. And a tribute to the wonderful playing we used to have from Roy Williams.

Regarding the return of jazz to Hedsor Jazz, we have no news at the moment. As soon as we can get back to a lower lock down level we will put on some more live and swinging (socially distanced) jazz there, but until then, do try the canned variety.

 The First Blog of 2021

So, what can I say. There is Hope for 2021 as there is a vaccine on its way. 

BUT someone told the virus, and now it is an improved and more virulent one. 

Happy New Lockdown 3!!

So, how to keep entertained? 

Last week I referred to Humphrey Lyttleton playing alongside pianist Mick Pyne, and reminded people that Peter Clayton had introduced them as “the band that can get to gigs on a tandem”!

That was in 1983. So I thought I had better dig out my recording of the broadcast, which I did, and played it again perhaps for the first time since 2009. That was when I turned the tape into a CD for my own personal use.

But drastic times need drastic measures, and I am going to risk letting you hear it via a link to my drop box folder, where an MP3 version of the CD now resides for a short period of time. 

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ywg5k7ylh5iwurc/AACW8LOPIhtYKP4unFR2NrSGa?dl=0 

I had forgotten that on the same recording was a version of Humph’s 8 piece band, with a sax section of legends. Bruce Turner, John Barnes and Kathy Stobart. And the recording has the added bonus of the voice of Peter Clayton. 

He was for me the voice of jazz on the BBC. Jazz Record Requests on Radio 3 and Jazz Club on Radio 2, and that was back in the days when Humph himself had a weekly program on Radio 2 called “The Best of Jazz”. 3 hours a week of jazz with one of those hours a recording of a live performance. Many of these were recorded in BBC’s Maida Vale Studios in front of an invited audience, of whom I was often one.

In this time of live jazz starvation it is good to look back on one’s live jazz experiences. I hope you enjoy the above recording enough to pay any fine I might incur through sharing the music with you. However if you should feel any guilt do please put money in Cancer Research’s collecting box.

Not a lot else to report. If you like the duetting contained in the drop box download, try that old standby YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nq4ZccP7IvCaomkEz87zznVSvJ7gHxypA

For more of the same.

One of the songs on that compilation was “We Fell Out Of Love” which Humph wrote for singer Elkie Brooks, which has some very poignant lyrics. I first heard that sung by Elkie Brooks with Humph at the Royal Festival Hall. At that time I had no idea who she was, and she appeared onstage in a very floaty white dress, and when not singing proceeded to flirt with Bruce Turner. Maybe she had heard his version of the tune “Cream Puff”! 

Well I have dropped enough names for those of you who are intrigued by them to search for the sounds themselves. They are all out there. 

So, try hard, wait patently for your jab, and in the meantime don’t break the law by going out!