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

I REMEMBER JOOP AND BOB

DOMINIQUE PIERARD ‘s TINTO ROJO

ON THE MOVE   (Belgium, 1992)

This one is for gypsy swing / guitar fans and in memory of Joop Ayal who recently left this world (and of Bob Dartsch who left us in October last year).

Dominique Pierard is what I would call a fixture of the Brussels musical scene.  A gifted and well-liked Belgian guitar-player who‘s been around since the 70s, he can often be caught playing in and around Brussels (and much further … friends of mine met him in the early 80s  playing Django’s music in a bar in New Orleans … small world!).  He was a member of the famous gypsy string band Waso before forming his own band..

Apart from gypsy swing he also excels in straight jazz and … rockabilly (he is/was lead guitarist of the rockabilly / swing revival band The Dominos, another Brussels fixture).  He is also a member of Bonaventure, featuring longtime buddy, Michel Clement (If you're a Bruxellois around 60 you may remember Tomahawk Blues Band and Sunhouse).  By the way, who remember Sunhouse, a superb fusion band who used to play at the Florio every Sunday night in the mid-seventies? Sunhouse recorded an excellent album for Columbia Belgium, which is still awaiting a re-issue on CD (tracks can be heard on YouTube).   

Of interest too is the presence of Indonesian/Dutch tenor sax, the late Joop Ayal, who plays in a style reminiscent of Ben Webster (My Romance, I remember Ben). He also sings Teran Bulan, a traditional Malaysian song with an interesting story (see Trivia below).

Although most tracks are definitely in the Gypsy Swing tradition, there are a few exceptions: the introspective acoustic ballad “A remark You Made” , the classic Indopop ballad (Teran Bulan) and two tracks with a smooth jazz feel reminiscent of Earl Klugh of the period (it’s 92 remember.  I must say that these two are not especially my cup of tea.

 

Trivia  Teran(g) Bulan is a song with an amazing story.  It was  based on a French melody by  XIXth Century composer Pierre-Jean de Béranger and eventually became the Malaysian National Anthem under the title of Negaraku.  (read the whole amazing story of this song here. 

Track list: 

1. Peche à la Mouche
2. Crépuscule
3. Valse simple
4. My romance
5. I'll see you in my dreams
6. I remember Ben
7. A remark you made
8. To Micky
9. In your arms tonight
10. Mamy
11. Teran Bulan 

Credits

Tinto Rojo : Dominique Pierard (gt) Stephane Noirhomme (gt) Alexandre Furnelle (cb) Bob Dartsch (dms)

Guests: Joop Ayal (ts, voc) Koen de Cauter (gt, ss, cello) Marc Willegems (cl) Robert Cordier (synthdrums)

RE-POST
I'm in the process of re-posting Attila Zoller Night Bounce session and Bert Dahlander "jazz with a Swedih Accent" LP.  The new link will be placed in the comments of the original posts.

RARITIES # 22 – 23 - 24

SWING SPECIALTIES No.1 / No 2 / No 3
FRANS POPTIE & HIS SWING SPECIALS
(FONTANA EP, NL, 1957).

Three rare EP in one single installment!  Thanks from “moi même”, a fellow (former) blogger from France who recently sent me rips of these three rare Dutch EP.

Some might call this music “Gypsy Jazz” but the expression had not been invented in 1957, let’s just call it plain good ol’ SWING.  And swing it does indeed!

Nicknamed “The Dutch Stephane Grappely”, Frans Poptie (March 3, 1918 - December 31, 2010) was a Dutch jazz violinist, arranger and band leader.  In addition to the violin, he also played the clarinet and saxophone.


Poptie played with, among others, Eddy Christiani and the VARA-dance band. In 2002 he gave up playing the violin because of is age. He was not limited to jazz but played and recorded in a variety of styles, gypsy swing , dance bands, country, popular music, easy listening. 
He passed away on the last day of 2010 at the advanced age of 92.

The 12 tracks appeared also on the LP “Frans Poptie and his Swing Specials - The Swing Specialities”  Fontana (EU) 680501TL.  

Paul D. found the following information on the sessions:

CREDITS:

Frans Poptie and his Swing Specials : Willy Langestraat (cl) Eddie Sanchez (vib) Frans Poptie (vln) Herman Vis (g) Ted van Dongen (el-g) Wim Kastelein (b) Martin Beekmans (d) Eddie Sanchez (vib,maraccas-1)
Recorded in Hilversum, March 11-12, 1957

SWING SPECIALTIES No.1 (EP Fontana 463 102 TE)
o Sweet Georgia Brown
o Sweet Lorraine
o I’ve found a new baby
o It's only a paper moon

SWING SPECIALTIES No.2
 (EP Fontana 463 103 TE)
o Shine
o Frenesi
o Avalon
o Swing special blues (1)

n.b. I do not know who plays the pennywhistle solo in Swing Special Blues - Langestraat most probably as he always had a keen interest in "exotic" instruments.  It gives a South African Kwela feel to that small part of the track (think of Spokes Mashiyane for instance(.

SWING SPECIALTIES No.3
(EP Fontana 463 104 TE)
o Limehouse blues
o I only have eyes for you
o Gotta be this or that
o Bye bye blues











TRIVIA :  Willy Langestraat recorded a lot of Latin music with his band Laguestra.  He was also interested in Arabic and Eastern music and had a large collection of non-Western instruments (If Poptie was the Dutch Stephane Grappely, Langestraat was the Dutch Emil Richards!).  According to Paul D. – who is a reliable source of information - Willy Langestraat aka Billy Longstreet (1914-1995) was a good friend of Stan Getz.  Getz dedicated an album to him: "Billy Highstreet Samba" on Emarcy 838771-2 recorded in Paris, on Novembre 4, 1981.  

You can watch and hear Frans Poptie on YouTube.  I especially recommend the Night Rider Boogie recorded by Dutch Steel Guitarist Koos Biel with members of the Dutch Swing College and The Swing Specials.  These guys can compete with any "genuine" American Western Swing aggregation!