Just Jazz; The English Modern Jazz Scene: 1950s, Pt. 1

Transcript

You You You Just jazz at beat here for the first of two sessions on the English modern jazz scene of the

1950s it was a pretty lively one you know they did a lot of recording this will just be a sampling of a number of the organized groups and of course studio sessions groups as they are here Organized only four recording purposes and we'll limit ourselves almost entirely to small bands because Well, I've done shows on Johnny Dankworth his big band the 50s and 60s in the Ted Heath Orchestra So that'll eliminate people like Vic Lewis and the dankworths that is we'll hear dankworth with some small groups and the Heath band and so on Of course at the same time there was a very lively traditional revival scene going on over there traditional jazz from the late 40s to the 50s but modern jazz more or less the same as here though all reflected of course from the American origins Going on simultaneously really and finally that traditional scene

Tailed off and people like Humphrey Littleton became a well more swing or mainstream style players Yeah, that was a lively scene even in Australia and on the continent too for traditional jazz same thing that was happening perhaps a little more slowly with modern jazz And as I said we'll sample the small groups recording from 1951 to 1959 For openness and original yeah speaking of dankworth and This is a group largest group that is about five or six horns in one of Johnny's originals with the title of the pole on in

when on .

. . . . . . . . Nicely arranged, too. Some of the sound on the earlier ones, of course, as you can hear.

There's a little muffled, pillowed, recorded through several doors. It sounded great at the tap, and we got some surface noise problems, but you can hear it, you can hear it. It's fairly early. See, 1952, yes, was March of that year in London town. Nicely arranged, original biogenic, of course, with the master. The musicians over there, who's gotten into film scoring, and more legitimate precincts in the music business, doesn't lead a full-time band anymore, as he did for quite some time. This is early on, the careers of most of these men. Let's see, the trumpet was Jimmy Dukeer. We're going to hear it with a number of groups, several groups, and on tenor, Ronnie Scott. This is on Jazz Club there now, of course, the Jazz Club in London, and lead and call it its own groups at various times.

Clown Alice's Vigash, doubles on saxophone, and Keith Christie was the trombones, the solid well, too. Notice the device there, the change of key on the second chorus of each of the soloists, using the ensemble, too. I imagine this group was influenced somewhat, too, by the, so many were, by the Miles Davis, so-called, both the cool sessions for Capital in 1949 and 50, in the writing. So blues by Johnny, with the title, Up the Pole. Oh yes, there was a vibe, solo, too, by young Vic Feldman, who was already tripling vibes, drums, and piano on those days. And there's a guitar solo by Ivor Merrantz, Ralph Sharon was the pianist, he came to this country, too, along with Vic Feldman at the same time, but they both resumed their careers in America. And Joe Model was the bassist, and Jack Parnell, very well known on drums. I think that covers it. And a big small group, Up the Pole, by Johnny Dankworth. It's a release-turned-little-old discovery set called International Jazz, Sir, it's a panorama of British jazz. Hey, play it.

I'm going to play it. I'm going to play it. I'm going to play it. I'm going to play it.

I'm going to play it. And that's a good example of the influence, the so-called cool school. That's the coast and so on head on, quite a number of the English musicians of the early fifties. That was the trumpet at Jimmy Duker, again, we just heard with the Dankworth group.

I didn't quite complete the building, though, and I give you enough information to fill a slim volume on that first track. Certainly, it wasn't actually Dankworth's date as a leader, though, yeah. I imagine he acted as a leader because his originals were recorded on the date in 52. Our first title, Up the Pole, the group was officially built as the melody maker, All Stars. You know, they have their pole too, and it's their popular music magazine. This group, led by Jimmy Duker, had a different altruist, the late Derek Humble, and Don Rendell, on tenor, will hear a number of times. He's an important player. He had the front line, sextet, with Dill Jones on piano, who came to this country also, excellent all-around pianist, and Phil Seaman on drums, and Sammy Stokes on bass, which was recorded in 1953 in London in January. And that was a Duker original, Jimmy's trumpet. A little reminder, pick yourself up, start on over again, wasn't it? Called Early, Early, by Duker, that ended up here on the discovery, label two and a little old ten-incher,

was on Vogue originally. Called the new sound from England, Jimmy Duker, a showcase, 12s, early by Jimmy. This is original by the pianist, Ralph Dullamore. And . .

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. . . . . . Right there, crystal, by the pianist on the date Ralph Dullamore, contributed to that date. We're going to hear them both, too. And that was involved in this group, but the trumpet was Albert Hall. Just think of the terrible jokes he's had to put up with.

Poor Cat named Albert Hall, working as a musician in London. Oh, man. That's, you know, that ancient, well, not so ancient. Victorian, the horror of architectural horror, but a nice old hall in its way. It's a concert hall in London. Albert Hall on trumpet, and dank with an alto, and Don Rendell's tenor, and Harry Klein's baritone saxophone, Dullamore, and the composer on piano. Johnny Hawksworth on bass, very fans, with Heath for a long time, the big band, and David Murray, I think, was the drummer. He was. This is issued here on the little old blue note, the title of cool Britons, Mike Navards, Melody Maker, All Stars, while those buildings. Ralph Dolamore's crystal by the octet, five horns, four horns, septet, and three rhythm.

This is by Kenny Graham, and we're into a Latin bag right here. The . . . .

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. . . . . . . . . Kenny Graham's Afro Cubists. The band was organized as a working unit for a short time.

Don't have a date or full personnel on this one. Around 54, something like that. And that was an original by Graham. With the title, Kill Roy was gone. It's a collection of about five different groups. We'll be hearing from four of them altogether. It was issued here under the title, Jazz Britannia on the MGM label. 1953 to 1956, these recordings. Kenny Graham's Afro Cubists and Kill Roy was gone. Marimba and their own flute used effectively. Yeah. This is a Dizzy Gillespie tune. You may know in the old Woody Herman arrangement. . .

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summer set, morning, predestine, this is Victor Feldman's. This is Victor Feldman's.

This is Victor Feldman's. Nice tune by Victor Feldman. This is Victor Feldman's.

This is Victor Feldman's. This is Victor Feldman's. This is Victor Feldman's. This is Victor Feldman's. This is Victor Feldman's.

This is Victor Feldman's. This is Victor Feldman's. This is Victor Feldman's. This is Victor Feldman's.

This is Victor Feldman's. This is Victor Feldman's. This is Victor Feldman's. Charlie Parker's chasing the bird.

Charlie Parker's chasing the bird. Charlie Parker's chasing the bird. Charlie Parker's chasing the bird.

Charlie Parker's chasing the bird. Charlie Parker's chasing the bird. Charlie Parker's chasing the bird. Charlie Parker's chasing the bird. Charlie Parker's chasing the bird.