Helping to rescue the animals

Just like Simon Spillett, I cannot pass a charity shop without checking-out books and albums so, for want of anything better to do, I popped into the Animal Rescue shop in Jarrow. I bypassed the books, they looked to be the same ones that had been there a month ago, and headed for the vinyl.

The usual crop of Jim Reeves, Perry Como and Mantovani predominated but, however, there was a slight glimmer of hope when I spotted a Shearing and a couple of Jacques Loussier's so I persevered until, with only two albums left, I hit paydirt.

I've always been a big fan of JATP despite the critics of the day who deplored the showmanship, the rabble-rousing, the playing to the gallery pyrotechnics of the protagonists so, to me this was a real 'find'. Even more so when it only cost 50p!

Apart from the main attraction - if it had been an actual fight the ref would still be counting over the fallen Krupa - there was also Dizzy v Roy and Roy v Charlie (Shavers) out-blowing each other as well as Illinois and Flip putting the boot in.

Amidst all this mayhem Benny Carter played as tastefully as ever relishing the solid foundation of Peterson, Ellis/Kessel and Ray Brown. Lance

(Collective): Roy Eldridge, Charlie Shavers, Dizzy Gillespie (trumpets); Benny Carter (alto sax); Illinois Jacquet, Flip Phillips (tenor sax); Oscar Peterson (piano); Barney Kessel, Herb Ellis (guitar), Ray Brown (bass); Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich (drums). 1952/1955

 

Buddy's Blues; Sweethearts on Parade; I Never Knew; Gene's Blues; Bernie's Tune; The Drum Battle; Perdido.