There's a story behind this recording. In 1954 the Melody Maker, at the time the 'Musician's Bible' decided to run a poll asking their readers to come up with their ideal traditional jazz group. The winners were Ron Onions and Robert Earl who liked the idea of a mainly traditional front line with a modern (for the time) rhythm section resulting in the above line-up (Wally Fawkes dropped out of the Oh! Dad side and Mickey Ashman replaced Joe Muddel on bass).
It worked well with the end product more Dixieland/mainstream than the New Orleans style associated with Lyttelton at the time. A few years later, Humph did, of course, move totally into mainstream territory, maybe the seed was sown here.
Also, from a historical point of view it formed the basis of what was to be the first ever live jazz to be broadcast on BBC television. Read the Melody Maker article HERE.
Closer to home, the record sleeve advertises yet another of those long gone radio and television stores - Kay's, 282-284 High St., Gateshead. By coincidence, the Odeon Cinema, back in the day, was at 308 High St., Gateshead. The front page of that April 17 Melody Maker related how Newcastle City Hall knocked back a concert by Nat 'King' Cole with the Johnny Dankworth Orchestra. The City Hall management were quoted as saying it was because jazz fans were rowdy - little did they know what was round the corner!
As such the concert was switched to Gateshead just a few doors up from the record store and the fans could buy a record as well - at least they could have if the concert hadn't been held on a Sunday! Those were the days... Lance
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