Hong Kong News - Colin Aitchison

Here are some more pics for the Hong Kong section of 'Bebop'. These are of the Ned Kelly Big Band, that we put together six times a year.

Also, a matchbox photo from The Wheatsheaf, New York (near Whitley Bay and not to be confused with the possibly better known New York in USA.) There must still be people around who remember the Thursday Jam Sessions that started in the late 1940's, in fact a lot of people did learn to play there. I also remember meeting the late Joe Harriot (Alto Sax) at "The Sheaf" as they used to call it....

Cheers, Colin

Rosemary Squires - Afternoon Delight

Today was Rosemary Squire's 80th birthday and she celebrated it magnificently in the Pier Pavilion, South Shields. Accompanied by the impeccable Brian Dee on piano and local boy Pete Stuart on bass it was an afternoon of pure magic. Nostalgic? Of course it was! Yet even after all these years, the voice can still touch you and, although I occasionally held my breath wondering if she was going to make the note she always did. Highlights included a rather wonderful song, new to me even though it dated back to a 1981 Lauren Bacall musical that ran forever on Broadway and in London - "Woman of the Year". The song was "Sometimes a Day Goes By (when I don't think of you)". "Nice Work etc.", "Day By Day" (or was it "Day in, Day out"?) and "Imagination" were others that verified her jazz credentials. However, this wasn't a jazz gig despite the brilliance of Brian Dee and Pete Stuart - it was entertainment full stop. If someone had told me beforehand that I would feel all emotional over an 80 year-old woman reciting Stanley Holloway's "Braan Boots" I'd have laughed - as it was I almost cried! My only regret is that there weren't more folk present to share the rare experience of possibly one of the entertainment world's best kept secrets .

Click here for photos.

Link to the Rosemary Squires' Website.

Perdido St. Jazzmen

En route to the Rosemary Squires gig, in South Shields I encountered the Perdido Street Jazzmen on King Street (or was it the King Street Jazzmen on Perdido Street?) who were doing their best to bring some festive cheer into the lives of the Xmas shoppers - they faced tough competition as, opposite, Woolworth's were offering (up to) 50% off. No such discounts were available from Messrs Bennett, Chester, Fleck and Hallam who, on banjo, trombone, clarinet and sousaphone respectivly, make up the Perdidos. Nevertheless, despite the cold, the boys gave out with rousing versions of "When Your Smiling", "Jingle Bells", "My Blue Heaven" and other foot-tapping favourites.

They are resident every Sunday on King Street until Xmas - unless they succumb to frostbite.

Photo link.

Michael Parkinson by Liz

Just got "Parky" from the library, and am at the beginning. His musical interests are ours of course, he mentions his love of bebop, and the influence of Stan Kenton, Dizzy, Charlie Parker, the Great American song book. Then to the British influences of Humph, Cleo & John, Benny Green, Jimmy Deuchar, Ronnie Scott,Tubby Hayes et al. I miss him terribly on Sundays, no doubt in my mind that he is one of a dying breed, yours too I suspect. Having said that there's an awful lot of cricket jargon...bores me rigid!

Liz

Favourite - Richie Kamuca by Roly Veitch

I suppose we all have favourite players - someone who's playing just registers with you in a special way. One of mine is tenorist Richie Kamuca. He was not an innovator - he was one of those players content to develop his own personal style within existing frameworks - a west coast type tenor with a strong Pres influence. Apparently, he was a very sensitive, lovely guy with a great love of all jazz music and loved by the musicians/fans who knew him.

I first discovered Richie in the 70s due to my liking for Dave Frishberg's music. I bought a Concorde album 'Drop me off in Harlem' which also featured Kamuca (duetting with Frishberg) and in a trio format with Ray Brown/Herb Ellis. A great album sadly not available on CD. Then I bought 'Richie' - an emotional album made when he was terminally ill. Richie died of cancer aged only 46, back in 1977. It features some lovely intimate music and delightful guitar from Mundell Lowe. Nick Ceroli and Monty Budwig complete the quartet. A very moving album!

Kamuca worked with all the west coast greats and also with Herman & Kenton. Herman described him as his prettiest tenor player - when you consider the other great tenor players in those herds that is high praise. I'm just hoping someday Mosaic issue a box set of all the best Kamuca stuff and pay him the tribute he deserves.

When I walked into the Side Café a few months back and heard Vasilis Xenopoulos start up, for some reason, my immediate thoughts were 'Kamuca'. It just seems like here is a present-day version, at least in my imagination. Not that Vasi sounds like Kamuca but there was just the same sort of feeling about it. That night when he played with the Paul Edis Trio was a bit special. So, in summary, I would recommend anyone who likes that Pres/Sims/Cohn/Getz tradition of tenor playing to check out Richie's moving, sincere and beautiful playing and also get along to check out Vasi next time he is up here.
Roly

(Tenors Head On clip inserted by Lance)

Handbagging at the Elephant. Ashington Jazz Club re-opens. Report by John Taylor

What an eventful night to bring jazz back to Ashington!! The skating rink that surrounded The Elephant last night prevented many of the regulars from attending. A few new faces came along and of course the Maine Street "groupies" were made welcome. Final total for the night was only 47.

At the last minute, Maine Street frontman trombonist Herbie Hudson secured the services of horn man Bob Ludlam (pictured); all the way from Rotherham. Bob has played Ashington once before but had been quite disorientated travelling/sliding up the A19.

Without a doubt Bob gave one of the finest performances we have ever heard. As there was a sale of handbags in the lounge he managed to get the word "handbag" into every tune he sang! The rest of the band rose to the occasion and the acoustics were a lot better than at our old venue.

A set of car keys was found in the lobby so I hope everyone got home safely through the snow that followed.

Once again many thanks to Herbie for booking Bob to join the Maine Street for our first night.

Friends in jazz

John .

Boppin' in Byker

Further to my 22 Sept post, 'Byker Bop' I have attached a track from the Jeff Hedley LP referred to. This is the only track on the privately recorded album that I don't know the title of. Perhaps there is someone out there, from that era, out who may be able to put a title to it.

Play.

Jackie, Not Ronnie, McLean

The icy roads and the threat of snowstorms kept me housebound tonight. This was frustrating as I'd hoped to catch BUDVIVAR at the Chillingham; hopefully I'll make amends somewhere soon. Also tonight, one of this site's contributors, John Taylor, was presenting the Maine Street Jazzmen at the inaugral session of the re-organised Ashington Jazz Club. Let's hope the weather was better up there.

To compensate, I dug out some vinyl that I hadn't played for quite a few years; a double album by Jackie McLean to be precise. The four sides served to remind me just what a fine alto player he was. Although Parker influenced, no mere imitator he and his playing stands up alongside other New York altoists of the time (1950s) such as Phil Woods or Cannonball.

"Why Was I Born?", "A Foggy Day" and "When I Fall in Love", taken faster than the norm, see him cruise effortlessly and effectively through the changes whilst Mal Waldren's "Abstraction", with Donald Byrd 'doing' Miles is a deeply sensitive, probing composition that unbears the altoist's soul.

"Lights Out", a blues drenched opus that gave the title to one of the original albums that make up the set ("Contour" was the other) has more Milesisms from Byrd but it is McLean at his most Parkeresque who goes home with the cigar.Check it out sometime; it's bound to be on CD

Banjology

Banjos seem to be a popular topic which has prompted me to post this hilarious clip of Eddie Peabody whom Clive Gray (local banjo hero) once described as his all-time favourite. Click here.

Clem Avery Photo Gallery

Thanks to the Brothers Rae, Roly has created some photo pages dedicated to the late Clem Avery. To help share those photos, with his permission, I have added a link entitled "Remembering Clem Avery" which can be accessed from this post or from the right side panel.

Well worth a visit with lots of nostalgic shots (above) as well as more recent ones (below). Somehow, with or without words or music, they convey the kind of guy Clem was.
Lance.