Jazz from Geoff
IF you are anything like me, you are becoming accustomed
to managing self isolation and social distancing!
You have probably found a new routine that works for you.
Maybe you are discovering new programs to watch on TV. Maybe you are catching
up with some old ones that you didn’t get to see back in the day, I know I am.
However have you forgotten yet what Live Jazz feels like?
At the Clive Burton Quintet's 20th Anniversary Party I took a few photos. Below is one which goes to prove that you can improve on the lighting and the curtains in the Hedsor Hall! It was taken by me at that party in 2016!
This past week I have looked over some of my record collection and found
a number that were recorded in front of an audience. The Eddie Condon ones were
broadcasts, but always recorded in front of an audience. BBC Jazz Club
broadcasts were also usually recorded in front of a studio audience, and I can
remember many visits to the BBC Maida Vale Studios in Delaware Road to watch
and listen to Jazz Club recordings being made, often with Peter Clayton as the
compare. Some of these are now available on the Upbeat label, and I will write
about those at a later date.
This week I have been listening to some slightly earlier
recordings made in front of a very live audience. I have been doing this via a
box set from Proper Box called “Jazz at the PHILHARMONIC, the first 10 Years”,
a 4 CD set with a good booklet.
(Properbox 82). The recordings aren’t studio perfect, but the music is vibrant,
and sometimes really groundbreaking, with obvious excitement caused by the
music for the live audience.
A 1946 concert has 4 great choruses on “Sweet Georgia
Brown” by Charlie Parker. He had been late turning up for the concert as he had
been on a search for a drug fix to get him through the event! The audience
noticed his arrival (after about a minute into the tune) in the wings, and then after
the piano solo 4 blistering choruses by Parker follow!
The 4cd box set is a small sample of what was recorded
during the lifetime of JATP, See https://www.discogs.com/Jazz-At-The-Philharmonic-The-First-Ten-Years/release/5691242
for this set.
A much larger set produced by “The Intense Media” called
“Milestones of Legends at the Philharmonic”
can be found at
where 10 cds provide the coverage!
Some excellent music can be found of course for free,
especially if you investigate YouTube, Amazon Prime, or Spotify.
One I found that is available is by the pianist John Bunch who was on many recording, but only as a
leader I think on 3. You can find “John’s Bunch” from 1975 via YouTube at https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mhIgCiSajdhoUm8ibmErhhOvx3QoTKraw
where he is joined by Al Cohn and Urbie Green. 11 tracks
that include 2 alternative takes.
I have had this ever since the CD came out. It was originally issued in the 1970's on LP, but in the 2000's on CD with the 2 alternative takes..
One final link this week in my efforts to keep you
amused during this time of being away from it all.
On YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6INbe5lC3LI
you will find a very nice, previously unreleased track by the Humphrey Lyttelton band.
The tune is called“South” and has some nice photos and sketches to keep
your eyes occupied during the 5 minutes of so of the tune. BUT can you identify
all the people in the pictures?
Just to start you off in the cut above(!) you will see John Pickard trombone, Humph trumpet and Bruce turner alto sax.
If you would like to tell me who they all are in the 5 minutes video,
and would be prepared for me to share your notes and any other comments you would like to make about your
well being, inspirational jazz tracks from your past and/or any greetings on
others in “our” jazz fraternity, please email me at Octogeoff@hotmail.com I am reserving this email address for just that purpose!
These are difficult times we are living through. We will
come out from this invisible cloud into “broad sunlit jazzlands” to paraphrase
a WW2 speech! Those lands may be slightly different to those we can remember.
Until then we must satisfy ourselves with a few little
comforts, and our history of recorded jazz is certainly one of those. We must also be prepared to restart Live Jazz. The meeting and greeting and the applauding on a Thursday, not only our essential workers , but also applauding our musicians. We took it all so much for granted didn't we?
More of my recordings from Hedsor Jazz next week.
In the
meantime do search back on recent issues of this blog for links to my DropBox
folders where I have already shared some of my Hedsor Jazz recordings. Because
I will have to take them down soon in order to put new ones up. You have been warned!
Take care
TTFN
Geoff
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