With no gigs to go to I locked myself in with some vintage JATP. This was the real McCoy from the days when Norman Granz simply booked the best musicians available and threw them into the ring and said, "Okay, get on with it!"
The Jazz Police of the day raised their arms in shock horror and called upon the almighty to strike them down with thunderbolts.
However, the only thunderbolts came from the stage with some of the most exciting jazz ever captured on record. It wasn't subtle, it was going for the jugular in the form of drum battles (Buddy and Gene), trumpet jousts (Shavers, Eldridge, McGhee, Killian), tenor tear-ups with Jacquet, Flip, Ventura and, to a lesser extent, Hawk and Lester. Then there was that infamous series of chase choruses by Nat Cole and Les Paul on "The Blues".
The crowd roared them on and they responded - boy did they respond!
Okay it's throwing Christians to the lions stuff and not for the turtlenecked sweater brigade but turn the volume up and you're right there with them.
There were a few subtleties, Oscar was just beginning to emerge - his well known version of "Tenderly" being a serene moment in the maelstrom - and the occasional ballad medley with Roy turning in a nice "Talk of the Town" and Benny Carter doing "Cocktails For Two" provided more space to re-charge. But though welcome, they were few, - excitement was the name of the game.
Which, finally, brings me to the point. Why not a massive midsummer jam at say the Bridge, Corner House or Chilli, involving as many of the local big hitters who are up for it and prepared to put their reputations on the line?
Lance.
This is a good idea, Lance! Worth trying to carry it forward. Perhaps it might be worthwhile to vary the programmes sufficiently to include a mix of all sorts of different Jazz styles on each programme - it might open some people's eyes to the good things that are being played on the parts of the Northern scene which they don't usually go to, and thus encourage support of live local gigs. This ancient tenor player would be interested to take part if his hair and teeth hold out long enough!
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