BUDGET BRIT DJANGO STYLE

COOPER-WRIGHT QUINTET - TRIBUTE TO THE HOT CLUB 

Rediffusion LP – RIM ZS 26 (UK, 1969/70?)

A bit of an obscurity this one! No details on the sleeve and little information on the net.

Denys Justin Wright (6 May 1924 – 8 February 1992), better known as Denny Wright, was a jazz and skiffle guitarist who performed with Stephane Grappelli, Lonnie Donegan, Johnny Duncan (bluegrass musician), Digby Fairweather, Ella Fitzgerald, Billy Eckstine, Fapy Lafertin and many other musicians, including young rising stars such as Bireli Lagrene and Nigel Kennedy (Wikipedia).

Denny Wright's free-flowing improvisational style came to the forefront through his work with Lonnie Donegan in the 1950s. Wright was a pioneer in establishing a fresh lead guitar style in the context of the folk and blues roots from which Donegan drew his song repertoire. Drawing upon and transcending the jazz blues elements in his own background, and the vital influence of Django Reinhardt, Wright produced constantly innovative lead breaks and solos for Donegan's live work and recordings on both acoustic archtop and electric guitar.

In the 1960s, in addition to a great deal of session work providing backing for many top artists including Mary Hopkin and Tom Jones, Denny was working with his friend Keith Cooper to keep the jazz flag flying; Tribute To The Hot Club by the Cooper-Wright Quintet [Rediffusion] is a wonderful example of their work together. (id.)

I guess the violinist is Johnny van Derrick.   That makes three names but who are the two remaining ones (a bass player and, I assume, a rhythm guitar?). 

In the comments, Zoot suggests,  Ike Isaacs as third guitar player and Len Skeat on double bass, by association.   I had suggested Diz Disley (gtr) and Coleridge Goode (bass) but it was just an educated guess.  Will we ever know?

The record had not been reviewd in Jazz Journal (Zoot) and is not even listed in Walter Bruyninckx extensive discography (Paul D.). 

I found my copy in a small shop in Schaerbeek (Brussels) some 15 years ago.  Not exactly a mint copy, it was in pretty bad shape.  It costed 50 FB (less than 1 £), I took a chance. Therefore don't expect CD quality.  It's in WAV so perhaps someone among you,with some time to spare and patient enough, may wish to give a try at cleaning it better. 

Denny Wright (source: http://lonniedonegan.webs.com/bandonwithlon.htm )

Tracks

A1.  After You've Gone

A2. Miss Annabelle Lee

A3. Just a Little Love a Little Kiss

A4. Daphne

A5. Nagazaki

A6. HCQ Strut

B1. Sweet Georgia Brown

B2. Shine

B3. Body & Soul

B4. Nuages

B5. Limehouse Blues

B6. Running Wild

Johnny van Derrick (source:web)

Excellent article on UK Jazz Guitar pioneers HERE

BOOTLEG AGAIN

KENNY CLARKE - FRANCY BOLAND BIG BAND

"STUTTGART, 1968"

Francy Boland

IMHO they were simply the best big band around in those years. And believe me there was strong competition, the Duke was still around and so were Basie and Hamp.  But when it came to hardbop it was hard to find a finer contender than the KCFBBB.

Thanks again to onxidlib for these recordings. As far as I know they aren't or ever were commercially available. 

Credits

Benny Bailey, trumpet

Jimmy Deuchar, trumpet

Kenny Clarke

Sonny Grey, trumpet

Idrees Sulieman, trumpet

Ake Persson, trombone

Erik Van Lier, trombone

Nat Peck, trombone

Derek Humble, alto saxophone

Johnny Griffin, tenor saxophone

Ronnie Scott, tenor saxophone

Tony Coe, tenor saxophone

Sahib Shihab, baritone saxophone

Francy Boland, piano

Jimmy Woode, bass

Kenny Clarke, drums

Kenny Clare, drums

Dakota Staton, vocals (only track 3)

Kenny Clare

01. New Box 703 [Washington, D.C.?]  (Boland) 5:32

02. The Falcon (Clarke) 4:22

03. Cherokee (Noble) 2:53

04. Sweet And Lovely (Arnheim/Tobias/Lemar) 3:57

05. You Stepped Out Of A Dream (N.H. Brown/Kahn) 7:50

06. Sax No End (Boland)/The Wild Man (Clarke) 5:58

07. Griff's Groove (Boland)5:17

08. Gloria (B. Kaper/David) 4:57

09. Klook's Report 3:16

10. Mauve (Boland) 5:13

11. The Turk (trad./Boland) 7:41

Sonny Grey

Recorded at the Liederhalle, Stuttgart, Germany on May 16, 1968.

Note: According the announcer 'The Turk' is part of the Middle Eastern Suite.

Check on YouTube to see them Live on German telly.

THINGS AIN’T ALWAYS WHAT THEY CLAIM TO BE

INDO-JAZZ FUSIONS

Disques Somethin' Else ‎– 849 497 BY, France, 1969

I’ve always enjoyed this album.  Bought it when I was still a student, in the earlyseventies, at the “Pele Mele”, now one of the most famous second-hand books and records (and DVD, computer games etc) shops in Brussels.  I’m talking about the "old" Pele Mele , when it was still run by Monsieur Henri and his elderly mother.  Pele Mele is still there: different location(s), - they moved a few times but always in the same vicinity - different management but always a popular cratedigging place although their selection of records (CD especially)  has dwindled and the prices have expended (but they’re still very reasonable).  So many of my records came from that place!  

It was pretty cheap in those days.  I could buy three or four second-hand albums at Pele Mele for the price of a new one elsewhere.  For many years I never bought a new album. I am of the opinion that good music is like wine, it gets better with age.  

.

For some forty years this album fooled me into believing that Joe Harriott was playing o it because that’s what on the sleeve notes on the back of this French LP.

“ Avec la participation de : Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Kenny Wheeler / Alto Saxophone – Joe Harriott  / Flute – Chris Taylor / Piano – Pat Smythe / Double Bass – Coleridge Goode / Drums – Alan Ganley / Violin, Harpsichord – John Mayer / Sitar – Diwan Motihar / Tabla – Keshav Sathe / Tambura – Chandrahas Paigankar”

Well, as I recently discovered, it is almost completely wrong:  exit Joe Harriott, Kenny Wheeler and Alan Ganley. Enter Tony Coe, Ian Hamer and John Marshall.

The actual line-up:

Trumpet / Flugelhorn – Ian Hamer

Tenor Saxophone/ Clarinet – Tony Coe

Flute – Chris Taylor

Piano – Pat Smythe

Bass – Coleridge Goode

Drums – John Marshall

Violin – John Mayer

Sitar – Diwan Motihar

Tabla – Keshav Sathe,

Tambora – Viram Jasani

Because of the absence of Joe Harriott, this album is not as highly regarded as the previous Indo-Jazz Fusion albums.  I do not agree.  Tony Coe on reeds, Ian Hamer – already a veteran, he’d been playing since the 50s - on trumpet and flugelhorn and John Marshall (the youngest in the band) on drums are top-notch players who bring their own individuality into the band.  Bur the music remains definitely John Mayer’s own. “Inclassable” as I’d put it in French, Delightful music from a bygone era when the expression “World Music” hadn’t been invented yet.

N.B This is the same album as “Etudes” released in the UK on Sonet with the right credits in the sleeve notes.

Tracks:

1                      Intro And Rondo

2                      Capriccio

3                      Serenade

4                      Toccata

5                      Saraband

HANNIBAL IN LONDON

POEM SONG 
MARVIN HANNIBAL PETERSON – DON WELLER – MARTIN BLACKWELL – DAVE GREEN – BRYAN SPRING
LP MOLE JAZZ 6 – UK, 1981

The recent posting of Don Weller’s Major Surgery on OIR reminded me that I still had to post this live album of Hannibal Peterson with the Weller – Spring Quartet.

In 1981 Don Weller stood in for Michael Brecker when the Gil Evans Orchestra played at the Bracknell Jazz Festival.  He subsequently toured the UK with the Orchestra and recorded a live album with one of the band's trumpeters, Hannibal Marvin Peterson, added on to the Weller–Spring Quartet.

A strong album, four tracks with ample room for everyone to stretch out.  There is some deep playing in there.  Check the title track and 19+ minutes version of “Africa”.

Hannibal c. 1976

Credits
Trumpet – Hannibal Marvin Peterson
Tenor Saxophone – Don Weller
Piano – Martin Blackwell
Bass – Dave Green
Drums – Bryan Spring

Tracks
Poem Song (Marvin Peterson) 14:06
All Blues (Miles Davis) 13:05
Misty (Errol Garner) 12:40
Africa (Marvin Peterson) 19:16

Recorded At The 100 Club,London On Monday 2nd November 1981

Don Weller

LIVE & GROOVY !

MIKE CARR & his Trio
feat. JIM MULLEN & HAROLD SMITH
LIVE @ RONNIE SCOTT’S   (Spotlite SPJ 517, UK, 1979)

Every record in my collection has a story.  I remember where I bought / got everyone of them.  This one was found on a small brocante Place Schweitzer in Berchem Ste Agathe (Brussels) in the Nineties, on a greyish autumn Saturday.  The brocante took place once a month.  I was always looking for the same guy with crates of LPs at 100 FB (2.5 €), all mixed up but I knew that  there was always a diamond hidden among the dross.  That’s where I found this LP – a test pressing (no label on the record). And also the Andre Condouant LP posted earlier, The Norma Green - Pierre Cavalli LP (that I'll post soon, a double album of the Art Ensemble of Chicago on BYG (re-issued) and another one on ECM, Neil Ardley’s Kaleidoscope of Rainbow, some Billy May on Capitol (that's Bachelor's Pad kinda music, but very enjoyable nevertheless) and quite a few other oddities (a couple of Command LP, a whole set of Tangerine Dream and some other kraut /space rock).  As a matter of fact, few people were interested in that kind of music in the early Nineties in Brussels. Jazz collectors were into straight jazz (Blue Note, Prestige …), baby boomers were into classic rock and, blues but few were interested in European jazz.  The trend would come a few years later thanks to Gilles Peterson’s compilations. 

The funny thing is that the photo on the back sleeve was taken, not at Ronnie Scott’s, but at the (now defunct) Brussels Jazz Club (actually i forgot to scan the sleeve, the picture above is taken from the web.  I won't be home for a while so you'll have to wait for the back photo).

I hope you'll enjoy this excellent live set.  It’s an energetic set and the musicans have a lot of room to stretch. I don’t think these guys need any introduction.  Mike Carr’s work on the bass pedals is impressive, it takes a lot of stamina to play like that.  Jim Mullen is outstanding (his solo in It’s Impossible is a tour de force) and Trinidad-born Harold Smith is an efficient drummer. 

TRACKS

1. Claremont Avenue

2. Teach me tonight

3. Shaw 'nuff

4. It's impossible

5. Footloose

MUSICIANS

Mike Carr e. piano, organ

Jim Mullen guitar

Harold Smith drums & vocals

Recorded on Friday Aug 30, 1979

RARITY # 8

VIC ASH PLUS FOUR
(Nixa Jazz Today Series 45 rpm EP, UK, 1956)

Another one from Paul D.'s treasure chest. This time  a rare British EP from 1956 under the name of VIC ASH PLUS FOUR.


Personnel: 
Vic ASH    clarinet
Keith CHRISTIE   trombone
Derek SMITH   piano
Sammy STOKES  bass
Phil SEAMEN   drums


Amateurs of trivia will note that the recording engineer was Joe Meek.


On Vic Ash, the BritJazz blog says:  a British Jazz veteran, still playing.  Vic first recorded with the Kenny Baker group which included Tubby Hayes. 


He recorded little as a leader - less than a dozen sessions stretching back over a 60 years career in music so it is quite a rare treat to hear him in this role.

Tracks: 
Side A

• Cinders (Ash)
• You took advantage of me

Side B

• Ash felt (Smith)
• With the wind and the rain in your hair

To the best of my knowledge, this session is not available on any CD re-issue.  Link in comments as usual.

WHATEVER

Danny Thompson – WHATEVER (UK, 1987?)

  What is jazz?  I’ve spent countless evenings arguing with other jazz fans about the very nature of jazz while guzzling unreasonable quantities of beer, wine, Scotch , rum or whatever else was on the table, with as sole result a serious hangover the next morning.  I still can’t define Jazz.  This album is a case in point but, who cares eventually? The Duke waved off these academic arguments about jazz with the breezy statement that there is only good music and bad music.   And believe me, WHATEVER is of the good category.

Danny Thompson, one of UK’s leading bass player, does not need any introduction. If you’re reading this blog, chances are that you are already familiar with this outstanding musician.  Pentangle was among my favourite band in the late sixties and I still listen to their albums with as much pleasure as when I first heard them some forty years ago.

Named after his touring band at the time, Whatever, it features Thompson on his trademark double bass, reedman Tony Roberts on all manner of saxes, flutes and clarinets, and guitar from Bernie Holland.

The music falls well within the territory that Pentangle explored in the late 1960s / early 70s, albeit without the twin modal guitars of Bert Jansch and John Renbourn, and without the vocals.  This trio produces a thick and complex palette of sound, driven by the amazing power of Danny's acoustic double bass, which functions alternately as melody, bottom and rhythm section (no drums), and sometimes all three simultaneously. As to whether it is jazz - well, it's Euro-jazz. Tony's sax calls to mind Norwegian Jan Garbarek, a standard-bearer in that sub-genre. These guys are very adept jazz players, but the music is much more deeply rooted in European folk traditions and it's looking through the folk lens that brings this music into sharpest and sweetest focus. But forget the genres - when you're in the middle of that swirl of emotions that only the finest music can bring, you really won't notice that what you are hearing might be a blend of jazz, Scottish pipes and flameco, as it is on "Lovely Joan".

There is some confusion about the original release date of this album as there isn’t any date in the credits and sleeve notes. . According to AMG, this was originally released in 1974 but according to Wikipedia, it was released in 1987. Could anybody confirm?

Track Listings

1. Idle Monday

2. Till Minne Av Jan (For Jan Johansson)

3. Yucateca

4. Lovely Joan

5. Swedish Dance

6. Lament For Alex (For Alex Campbell)

7. Crusader

8. Minor Escapade

RARITY #4 : IN MY CONDITION

THE SHAKE KEANE QUINTET - IN MY CONDITION
 (Lansdowne Jazz Series, UK, 1961 - 7" EP)

Last week Paul D. sent me this picture of an old EP by "a little known, long forgotten British trumpet / fluegelhorn player" , a present from the late Ed Dipple of Mole Records  "... would I be interested to post it on my blog? 
That came as a real surprise.  Let's go back in time... 1978, I joined the United Nations Volunteer (the UN equivalent of the Peace Corps) to work on an agricultural development project in the Eastern Caribbean.  I am posted on the island of St Vincent (which is still an "Associated State" (to UK) and not yet the independent nation of St Vincent & the Grenadines). 
At that time, Shake Keane was living in St Vincent, writing poetry, helping aspiring musicians, writing arrangements for local soca bands and playing his horn every Tuesday night at the Aquatic Club, in Villa Bay.  I became a regular and eventually got to meet Shake Keane thru' a mutual friend, the late writer, poet and critic Travers Phillips. I remember chatting with him at a party at Philip Nanton's place in Ratho Mill. A gentle giant sipping scotch and talking quietly. I wasn't much aware of Keane's body of work, his seminal recordings with Joe Harriott had been long out of print.  I knew his name from his membership in the Clarke Boland Big Band.  Actually I am not sure Shake had copies of these recordings, the only album i remember seeing in his house was a battered copy of a Kurt Edelhagen dance album.

The SHAKE KEANE QUINTET (1961)
Shake Keane, trumpet & flugel horn
Joe Harriott, alto sax
Pat Smythe: piano
Coleridge Goode : bass
Tommy Jones : drums















Watch Shake Keane live with Kurt Edelhagen Big Band (also featuring Wilton Gaynar and Derek Humble) :

Recommended reading:
On Shake Keane's music :http://nightofthelivingvinyl.blogspot.com/2011/03/shake-keane.html
On his poetry : http://www.caribbeanstudies.org.uk/papers/2000/olv1p2.pdf
You'll find poetry by Shake Keane, Travers Phillips and other Vincy poets in this anthology, available here.

UPDATED LINK (04/07/2017)  with thanks to Ernst.