In ripping some of my CD's so that I can listen to them on my Creative Labs Zen MP3 player just reminds me of some of the superb jazz that has been recorded for posterity, and is still around to be listened to. Two in particular bring back to me memories of the distant past, but with the wonders of modern technology, still sounding fresh and vibrant.

One of the first lady singers I fell in love with (yep, "I Fall In Love Too Easily"!) was Peggy Lee. I suppose I was about 17 when I first sat in the lounge of the Britannia Arms in Hammersmith and listened to a 10" LP of "Black Coffee" being played on a Radiogram. A really rich sound that was NOT Hi Fi! But the music was! "I've Got You Under My Skin", "It Ain't Necessarily So", "Love Me or Leave Me" all accompanied by wonderful musicians that I didn't know. At the time I was still trying to play that Pure music of New Orleans (Trad!) on a trumpet, and I began to have grave misgivings about my ability after this 10" of black magic! Why, Pete Condoli accompanied Peggy on the trumpet. My mate who played piano and trombone just wasn't as good as the piano player on that 10" either, well it was Jimmy Rowles!!
The best thing about it all is that you can still hear them just like then ( better in fact ) on Verve 060249831935.




Another of the nostalgia that has recently been ripped I first heard in about 1964, here at Cookham, long before we moved here. A friend lived here and played me a tape (reel to reel) of an LP his friend had (yes, illegal even then) of Bobby Hacket and his band " Coast to Coast". Recorded in 1955 (a year before the Peggy Lee), this had Jack Teagarden AND Abe Lincoln on trombones, with Nappy Lamare on guitar and Nick Fatool on drums. Effortless, timeless music set in that old tradition, but a million miles away from Traditional Jazz!! I borrowed his tape, and did another tape to tape copy (very difficult in those days). Back in 1990, I was able to purchase a CD from Dormouse Records. They are unfortunately not around anymore, but I believe you can still get the CD. On the Dormouse CD it was coupled with "Jazz Ultimate" a slightly different assemblage of musicians, but still with Bobby Hacket on cornet, and Jack Teagarden on trombone. Just in case it helps you trace the album, its Dormouse label number was DMI CDX02. Cover art of both albums will be on my blogg later today.

So there it is. Great jazz on CD, but better jazz still if you come and support the musicians who play it for you night by night, week by week