CHRIS BARBER'S JAZZ BAND

CHRIS BARBER'S JAZZ BAND LIVE 1954 / 55

Dixie Gold CD 820 878-2 16 tracks, 53

All The Girls Go Crazy About The Way I Walk, I Never Knew Just What a Gal Could Do, St. Louis Blues#, I'd Love It, Merrydown Blues, Skokiaan, Storyville Blues, It's Tight Like That, Bury My Body*, Diggin' My Potatoes*, Salutation March, I Hate a Man Like You#, The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise, Reckless Blues#, Ice Cream, Oh Didn't He Ramble.

I had a girlfriend once from Fulham (she being from north of the Thames, my Grand-mother warned me it wouldn't work out), her name was Yvonne. Her brother-in-law had a well worn EP of Chris Barber at the Festival Hall 1954: I swapped her "Leader of the Pack", for it, I don't think he ever found out ! Whilst my memory of my ex-girlfriend have all but faded*, my memory of Chris' performance at the Festival Hall hasn't and I have long sought a good copy of those tracks and others laid down at the Festival Hall concerts. The previously reviewed Chris Barber CD was a reunion of the original band, this is the REAL Mc Coy !

The album kicks in strongly with the delightful "All The Girls go ..." and keeps up the quality right through. Many of the tracks are memorable, and I class "St. Louis Blues", and "Storyville Blues" as the definitive versions. I have always loved this version of "St. Louis Blues" and have it on many of my "travelling" tapes: Ottilie Patterson's# soulful voice is underpinned by Pat Halcox masterful muted cornet and Chris' restrained trombone, and, yes, I do still wait for Ottilie to cough during Pat's solo break. I confess that "Storyville Blues" just brings tears to my eyes with its emotional playing, 'nough said. There are 3 tracks featuring Bertie King on Alto Sax, and he does fit in well. Now, listen to the exciting "Merrydown Blues" and "It's Tight Like That", or the moving "I Hate a Man Like You", and "Reckless Blues": pure class. Even the 2 skiffle* tracks show Lonnie Donnegan at his peak. I had to wait quite a while for this CD to arrive from Europe: it was well worth the wait!

* 2001 & via the wonders of the Internet we have re-established contact! She remembers the record swap, but on many other topics we have varying opinions. Fortunately my wife can arbitrate on many of them: unfortunately the women are saying that it is my memory that is usually at fault!

 

CHRIS BARBER'S JAZZ BAND

THE COMPLETE DECCA SESSIONS 1954/55

Lake LACD141/142 2001 29 tracks 99 min

STUDIO SESSIONS:

Bobby Shaftoe, Chimes Blues, The Martinique, New Orleans Blues, Merry Down Rag, Stevedore Stomp, Weeping Willow Blues, Nobody Knows You When You're Down & Out, Rock Island Line*, John Henry*, Nobody's Child*, Wabash Cannonball*

LIVE SESSIONS:

Lord Lord Lord, Merry Down Blues, Skokiaan, I'd Love It, Storyville Blues, It's Tight Like That, Bury My Body*, Diggin My Potatoes*, Ice Cream, Oh Didn't He Ramble, The Girls go Crazy, I Never Knew Just What A Girl Could Do, St. Louis Blues, I Hate A Man Like You, Salutation March, Reckless Blues, The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise.

*skiffle tracks featuring Lonnie Donegan

As you will have noticed, this double album has most of the previous CDs tracks on the 'Live Sessions' CD. I have spent years tracking down old vinyl to get the rest of the jazz tracks. Earlier this year I got the last couple of tracks and then burnt the lot onto CD-ROM. So why have I bought Lake's offering when I already have the tunes? Well if you have ever spent hours seeking out the pops, bangs and whistles on old records you will know that it is almost impossible to get the perfection that the material often deserves. In view of this, I jumped at the chance to get hold of this double album, knowing that Lake's engineer, Paul Adams, would have done the professional job that I can only make a poor attempt at.

From the previous review you will know that I regard these tracks as being something really special. In fact some of them are so wonderful I can get all watery-eyed just thinking about them. Whilst the Barber Band was to become more polished as time went by, I don't think they ever quite re-captured the 'sparkle' that is evident here. I particularly want to mention the band's newcomer, Pat Halcox (replacing Ken Colyer). Brilliant musician that he still is, I feel that he never sounded quite the same after he changed from cornet to trumpet. On this recording he plays a punchy cornet that haunts you long after the music has finished. The recordings are very good, but not perfect: the sound at odd times being a trifle off balance on the live sessions and the vocals having a touch too much reverb for my ear, but…….

These CDs are by one of Britain's finest bands when they were all bright shiny new and sporting a recently discovered singer in the shape of Ottlie Patterson. It has tunes that are varied, with some of them being performed in such a way as for them to be classed as being the 'definitive' version. The band has a front line of three of the world's most acclaimed jazzmen. What more do you want? There is no such thing as perfection, but this comes close!

 

THE TEMPERANCE SEVEN

THE PARLOPHONE RECORDINGS Vol 2 (1962-65)

Lake LACD148, 2001, 25 tracks 72 min

Dream Romance, Running Wild, The Mooche, The Shake, Bye Bye Baby, Seven & Eleven, Ain't She Sweet, China Boy, Brown Eyes Why Are You Blue, I Want To Be Happy, Deep Henderson, Grace & Beauty, Sugar, Clap Hands Here Comes Charlie, Alexander's Record Breaking Band, My Sweetie went Away, Pleasant Moments, Sugar, Ukulele Lady, You Took Advantage Of Me, My Sweet Tooth Says I Wanna, Thanks For The Melody, Easy Money, Letkiss, Tajkaedi.

Here it is, the CD I have been waiting for: the balance of the Temp 7's Parlophone recordings (ok, so 'Please Charleston Quietly' and "From Russia with Love' aren't there, but I have the original 45!). It has many tracks on it that I do not have, plus the whole of the LP 'The Temperance Seven Family Album'.

'The Temperance Seven Family Album' was a favourite of mine from the moment I bought it. I was working for the Home Office in Whitehall. They, in their wisdom, sent me once a week to Westminster College to study for promotion. My mind was too full of motorcycles and my girlfriend for me to achieve anything, but, at lunchtimes, I did get to go to the Army & Navy Store and their wonderful record section where, amongst others albums, I got the aforesaid Temp 7 LP. When Lake released Vol. 1 and said that they would be issuing a second volume, I worried in case the amusing and idiosyncratic commentary on the Family Album would be left off. Good old Lake has kept them on, and I can annoy my wife as we listen to CDs driving in the car by doing the commentaries along with the announcer!

If you have read the earlier reviews on the Temp 7 you will know that I think that they are the best interpreters of their chosen jazz idiom. If you are not familiar with hot dance bands of the 1920s and 30s then you must, simply must, get a Temperance Seven CD, and this one is very, very, good!

 

THE SAINTS JAZZ BAND

SWINGIN' WITH THE SAINTS

Lake LACD147 2001, 21 tracks 63 minutes

Birth Of The Blues, I've Found A New Baby, Swingin' The Blues, Shine, Stars Fell On Alabama, Lazy River, Dallas Blues, Way Down Yonder In New Orleans, Tin Roof Blues, Washington & Lee swing, Clarinet Marmalade, S'Wonderful, Black & Blue, Ostrich Walk, Someday Sweetheart, Mandy, I'm Coming Virginia, Five Foot Two, Sweet William, Roses Of Picardy, There'll Be Some changes Made.

This CD has the balance of the tracks from the Encore LP I mentioned in the earlier review. There is a previously unpublished track (Birth Of The Blues) from 1958, with the rest being from 1959 to 1962. As I only 'discovered' the Saints in 1962 when I bought ' Roses Of Picardy' for my mother's birthday, the balance slipped through my fingers at the time. In the early 60s there were so many traditional jazz albums on offer and I had so little money to buy them with. Fortunately Lake and other labels are now offering many of the 'lost' LPs of the period on CD and it is possible to start filling the gaps in the collection.

I love the 'full' sound of the Saints, which on this CD is more Chicago than New Orleans. Of particular pleasure are the tracks that feature the vocals of Fred Fydler. Fred has an almost George Melly richness to his voice: very nice.

During the 50s and 60s the Saints were a powerful force in British jazz: listen to this CD and you will know why.

 

THE TWIN CITY STOMPERS

WARTS 'N ALL

TCS 01 2001, 15 tracks 51 minutes

Muskrat Ramble, 1919 March, Petite Fleur, Ain't Misbehavin', Teddy Bear's Picnic, Coronation Street, Tin Roof Blues, South Rampart Street Parade, Way Down Yonder In New Orleans, Original Dixieland One Step, It Had To Be You, Puttin' On The Ritz, Battle Hymn Of The Republic, Chimes Blues, Marching Through Georgia

The Twin City Stompers come from the Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, twin city of Napier/Hastings where they perform at various functions, including the world famous Art Deco Festival.

It gives me great pleasure to be reviewing a local jazz band. The boys may not be professional jazzmen, but they most certainly are not amateur. Which is just as well, given that the CD was recorded in the front lounge in the house of one of the band members and with no second takes (hence the title). Whilst the sound is far from perfect (at times it lacks clear definition and there is the odd 'off mike' balance problem and an occasional 'pop' on the vocals) I have heard far worse on so called 'professional' studio recordings. In fact, given that this is 'live', I am surprised that there are so few flaws in the sound.

Not perfect the CD may be, but it is very honest and if you close your eyes and imagine yourself enjoying the Hawkes Bay sunshine, sitting in one of the regions excellent vineyards sampling the world beating wine, whilst listening to The Twin City Stompers, you won't go wrong.

The tunes vary from jazz standards such as 'Muskrat Ramble' and '1919 March' (from the sound of the opening Roy Wardle on trumpet and Dave Apperley on trombone served their apprenticeship in a brass band), to the surprising inclusion of the theme from ' Coronation Street'. The band certainly don't lack for courage with their material: I mean, Monty Sunshine owns 'Petite Fleur' doesn't he? Not now he don't, the twin clarinets of the TCS have made a grab for it!

The unique frontline of trumpet, trombone and the clarinets of Alan Meakin and Ian Falconer works very well. What the twin reeds can achieve is shewn at its best on 'South Rampart Street Parade' with one clarinet on upper register working with the trumpet and the other on lower register working with the trombone. ' Original Dixieland One Step' is another tune where the two clarinets allow there to be greater musical depth to the tune than is usually found.

When that great English statesman and general, Oliver Cromwell, sat for his portrait to be painted by Samuel Cooper, he insisted that his image not be tarted or touched up. He stated that he wanted it to be 'honest' and that he was to be painted 'warts 'n all'. He was a great man, and this is a great band!

To get a copy of the CD, or find out when the band is playing at a vineyard contact Ian Falconer on i.falconer@paradise.net.nz The Twin City Stompers and a good wine: what a combination!