Les's Jazz

PERSONNEL
Les Cameron (pno vibes); Dave Fimister (tpt); Harry Morrison, Alex Ross (drms); Ron Elder, Colin Smith (str bs); Brian Rose (gtr vcls); Pat Strachan (tmb); Roy Stevenson (reeds); Graeme Nairn (gtr).

VOCALISTS
Cabrelli, George
Cruickshank, Lee
Donelly, Elaine
Smith, Lynne.

TRACKS
Muskrat Ramble * Learnin’ The Blues * The Way We Were * Lonesome Road * Singin’ In The Rain * Jazz Me Blues * Summertime * Lady Be Good * Hard Day’s Night * Jive At Five * S’Wonderful * Stealin’ Apples * Stranger In Paradise * Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gave To Me * ‘till There Was You * At The Jazz Band Ball * Bonus Tracks: Days Of Wine And Roses * Sweet Georgia Brown.

Graphic Design: Graeme Nairn, Kingston-on-Spey - Recorded at Unity Studio, Forres by Alan Harfield, Scotland - time: 65 minutes - Les Cameron LC CD2 - Information: Douglas and Kay Mitchell at the Invernairne Guest House - tel: 01667 452039.

I acquired this CD when I entered the Invernairne Guest House, Thurlow Road, Nairn, Scotland IV12 4EZ on Tuesday the 10th of August 2004 to enquire about the Alex Ross Special Band featuring tenor saxophonist Tommy Whittle, with the two Americans, pianist John Sheridan and clarinettist Bobby Gordon, concert for that evening.

Eight letters, many and more footprints and an apostrophe in the sand, that, all of the tracks record melodies of the songs in their own way, and, with its production tone colour, light, bright, having a clear all round sound to it, are my first impressions of how I perceive this album.

There is a personal potted history of the group by its pianist, vibraphonist, leader Les Cameron, who hopes that one, will find his album "full of variety, but with a common factor throughout" - I will go along with those sentiments, indeed, I find them to be so.

Among the composers of the songs listed separately are: Count Basie, Eric Delaney, Ella, George and Ira Gershwin, Gene Krupa, Larry Shields, Fats Waller to name but less than half.

Of the sixteen out-with the two bonus tracks, Muskrat Ramble, Jazz Me Blues made famous by Bix Beiderbecke, and At The Jazz Band Ball are for the traditional jazz fans performed to good effect and beat by trumpeter Dave Fimister, bassist Ron Elder, drummer Harry Morrison and trombonist Pat Strachan.

Jive At Five swings Count Basie style inclusive of clarinet and guitar of the traditional jazz group, with in keeping cymbals to the fore.

Tasteful muted trumpet on Stranger In Paradise.

The vibes are featured prominently with feeling on Lady Be Good with a fine Graeme Nairn guitar break having an understandingly class Colin Smith string bass and Alex Ross drums accompaniment movement to it.

Vibes, a musical instrument that has a compass of three octaves from "f" which is usually played with yarn wound rubber mallets, can over power any Jazzband, yet, with leader Les Cameron in control, by not letting it outshine his skills and technique on pianoforte, as is for example not noted, that it also accompanies guitarist Brian Rose nicely on Lonesome Road.

The clarinet tone on, and the rendition of Stealin’ Apples and vibes accompaniment, a tune made famous by Benny Goodman, by clarinettist Roy Stevenson here, although repetitive in parts, is up among the best that I’ve ever heard play.

I shan’t make comments on the performances of the four main vocalists save that I’ll keep it to myself the one of the three ladies who warms most my blood temperature in favour of her. The vocalists are a leading feature of this album that lends itself much to the enjoyment of it.

Therefore, I’ll leave it for whichever choice is that, there was you, or wine and roses another, that's apart from the many people who are likely to find the great pleasure on offer that this album has as a whole.

This album has the music by artists giving jazz flavours the number of Nairn Coast, Moray Firth grains of sands.

Ian King
Kings Jazz Review
Saturday the 21st of August 2004