0076 Ken Colyer [New Orleans to London] VBR 8(25.37)

Contributed by Azule Serape, who writes:-
This group later transformed into the Chris Barber group minus Ken Colyer.
It brings back fond memories of my earlier jazz life and has remained a personal favourite even though my tastes became more sophisticated as I grew older. I sold the original record many years ago during a financial squeeze, then three or four years ago I bought another copy on ebay. That got lost in the post so we now have to make do with an Amazon MP3 download.
An attractive mixture of tunes, well played and with the banjo not too prominent. This instrument was always the killer in British Trad Jazz and spoiled many a good recording session.
As part of the development of British Jazz these particular musicians cannot be ignored and I'm sure many of us in the UK cut our teeth on music like this. 
Ah well, nostalgia ain't what it used to be.

Ken Colyer - trumpet
Chris Barber - trombone
Monty Sunshine - clarinet
Tony Donnegan - banjo
Jim Bray - bass
Ron Bowden - drums

01 Goin' Home
02 Isle of Capri
03 Harlem Rag
04 La Harpe Street
05 Stockyard Strut
06 Cataract Rag
07 Early Hours
08 Too Busy

Label: Decca LF1152 (10" lp )
Recorded: September 02 1953
Lineage: Download with original lp cover sleeve pictures.

0075 Various [The Third Festival of British Jazz] FLAC 8(28.38)

Contributed by bluebird

(01)
Ken Wray - bass trumpet
Johnny Weed - piano
Dave Goldberg - guitar
Stan Wasser - bass
Phil Seamen - drums
(02 03)
Alan Clare - piano
Ike Isaacs - guitar
Lennie Bush - bass
Allan Ganley - drums
(04)
Bert Courtley - trumpet
George Boocock - trumpet
Al Spoone - trumpet
Doug Taylor - trumpet
Tony Russell - trombone
Eddie Harvey - trombone
Jimmy Walker - alto
Norman Hunt - tenor
Jack Massey - tenor
Gerry Gerke - baritone
Don Innes - piano
Jack Seymour - bass
Dougie Cooper - drums
(05-07)
George Chisholm - trombone
Keith Christie - trombone
Jimmy Walker - soprano, tenor
Geoff Taylor - alto
Joe Temperley - baritone
Dave Shepherd - clarinet
Jimmy McKenzie - vibes
Ken Moule - piano
Ken Sykora - guitar
Lennie Bush - bass
Allan Ganley - drums
(08)
Jimmy Walker - soprano
Ken Moule - piano
Lennie Bush - bass
Allan Ganley - drums

01 Manteca Suite
02 Satin Doll
03 Walk Easy
04 Struttin' with Some Barbeque
05 Swingin' the Blues
06 East of the Sun
07 Ja-Da
08 Doggin' Around

Label: London LL 1639
Recorded: November 10 1956 at the Royal Festival Hall London
Lineage: LP>FLAC

0074 Kenny Baker [Kenny Baker and his Band] FLAC 2(5.20)

Contributed by delmonico, who writes:-
This is said to be Tubby's first recording date on 24 July 1951 and when he was briefly with the Kenny Baker Band. It was ripped from a Parlophone 78 rpm record, the only issue. 
Can you hear Tubby Hayes?  No, neither can I.  In addition to Baker, the soloists are Vic Ash and Jimmy Skidmore.
For completists only but Baker had a great tone.
Ripped in FLAC from 78 rpm disc with personnel details and Band picture.

Kenny Baker - trumpet
Vic Ash - alto, clarinet
Jimmy Skidmore - tenor
Tubby Hayes - tenor
David Milne - piano
Alan McDonald - bass
Pete Brady - drums

01 I Only Have Eyes For You
02 I Can't Get Started With You

Label: Parlophone 3452
Recorded: July 24 1951
Lineage: 78>FLAC

0073 Chris Barber [Band Box Volume One] FLAC 10(37.43)

Contributed by Gonzo

Pat Halcox - trumpet
Chris Barber - trombone
Monty Sunshine - clarinet
Ottilie Patterson - piano, vocals
Eddie Smith - banjo
Dick Smith - bass
Graham Burbidge - drums

01 Hiawatha Rag
02 Si Tu Ma Mere
03 Darling Nelly Gray
04 Give Me Your Telephone Number
05 I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair
06 Hot House Rag
07 Swannee River
08 Squeeze Me
09 Creole Song
10 Golden Striker

Label: SCX 3277
Recorded: January 16 22 29 February 03 1959
Lineage: LP>FLAC

0072 Ronnie Scott and Tubby Hayes [The Jazz Couriers in Concert] FLAC 7(39.38)

Contributed by Gonzo

Ronnie Scott - tenor
Tubby Hayes - tenor
Terry Shannon - piano
Phil Bates - bass
Bill Eyden - drums

01 What is This Thing Called Love
02 Some of My Best Friends are Blues
03 The Serpent
04 Guys and Dolls
05 Time Was
06 Speak Low
07 Cheek to Cheek

Label: MFP 1072
Recorded: February 16 1958 Dominion Theatre
Lineage: LP>FLAC

0071 HARRY KLEIN 1928 -2010 [Harry Klein Quartet] FLAC 4(12.47)

Contributed by bluebird

Harry Klein, one of the early baritone sax players in British modern jazz, died recently aged 82 after an illness of several months.
Harry started as an alto player in 1944 (not taking up the baritone sax until 1950) and after spells in the usual dance bands of the day he played with the Kirchin Band, Kenny Baker, Ronnie Scott, Victor Feldman and the Jack Parnell Big Band during the 1950s.
He formed his own Quintet in 1953, played with a Tommy Whittle Group in 1954 and was later part of the Jazz Today Unit.  In 1960 he co-led The Jazz Five with Vic Ash.
Thereafter Harry played mainly as a freelance session musician appearing regularly on radio and TV but making occasional appearances with the Big Band of his friend Johnny Spence.  Because of health problems he confined himself to the smaller alto sax from the mid 1990s and was still playing local gigs in the early 2000s. He also appeared as a non-musical extra in a number of films and TV plays.
Klein could not be really considered as part of the ‘bebop’ scene in the UK, nor was he a musical innovator, although he played with many of the modernists of the day and whilst he appeared on many records there was only a handful of dates where he recorded as leader.  His first recordings with a Ralph Sharon group in 1949 remain un-issued and he did not record again until 1952 with Kenny Baker.
He tells the story of first hearing Charlie Parker play in New York when he was working on the liner ‘Mauretania’ and Leon Calvert, who was with him, telling Parker that Klein played the alto sax. Charlie invited Harry to come along the next night to sit in. Needless to say, Harry got cold feet at that point and decided that was not for him. He did describe Parker as ‘a very nice man’ though.
He won the Melody Maker award for best baritone sax between 1953 and 1957 but was later perhaps overshadowed by Ronnie Ross, a much more fluent and inventive musician.
The story of how he came to join the Stan Kenton Band in 1956 is told elsewhere on this blog and you can hear him solo in some of the recordings made by that band during their European Tour.
In this short musical tribute this is Harry with his regular, but short- lived quartet of 1955 and his typical gruff, choppy style is heard here to good effect.  It comes from an elusive and scarce ep issued by Nixa and one which now surely cries out for re-issue.

Harry Klein - baritone
Derek Smith - piano
Sammy Stokes - bass
Allan Ganley - drums

01 Liggin'
02 It Ain't Necessarily So
03 Four and No More
04 Darn That Dream

Label: Nixa NJE 1022
Recorded: July 25 1955
Lineage: EP>FLAC

0070 Stan Kenton [Kenton in Europe 1956] FLAC 6(34.06)

Contributed by delmonico, who writes:-
Compilation of tracks - Soloists Don Rendell and Harry Klein
The 1956 Stan Kenton Tour of Europe in 1956 was eagerly awaited in the UK. This was officially the first American band to be allowed to play commercially in the UK since WW2 because of problems created by the Musicians Union. This, however, was an agreed exchange visit with the Ted Heath Band who toured the USA.
It was to be a gruelling and eventful tour - 62 concerts in 33 days in 12 countries and the band opened at the Albert Hall, London on 11 March 1956 to a full house and an admiring audience.
In this 1956 band there were significant instrumental changes. There was one fewer saxophone, one fewer trombone but two added French Horns and a Tuba. Bill Perkins complained that the saxophones had to play harder to be heard. 
By early April it was reported that Spencer Sinatra (tenor sax) and Jack Nimitz (baritone sax) had suddenly returned home. Various reasons were given at the time - exhaustion,  exorbitant personal expenses, girl problems, but the truth was that both had been caught smoking 'illicit substances'.  Kenton was strict and ran a clean band and they had to go.
Replacements were made from the ranks of British musicians. Tommy Whittle on tenor, who was later replaced by Don Rendell for the Continental leg of the tour, and Harry Klein on baritone.
Here then are performances from three different concerts and which have solos by Rendell (all 3 versions of 'Royal Blue', 'Young Blood' and the Hamburg version of 'Intermission Riff' where he splits fours with Bill Perkins) and Klein ( both versions of 'Intermission Riff'). Incidentally, 'Royal Blue' was composed by Bill Holman in honour of Princess Margaret and first played at the London concert.
By the time of the Stockholm concert on 16 April the trumpet section was a man down as lead trumpeter Ed Leddy had been taken ill previously in Oslo and played no further part in the tour.  Sam Noto moved into first trumpet chair and shared the lead with 22 year old Vinnie Tanno. The Stockholm concert clearly shows up the problems in the trumpet section but it settles down in the later concerts.
The sound, which is from three different sources, is variable but overall of a listenable quality.
Ripped in FLAC with some cover scans and personnel/track details.

Stan Kenton - leader, piano
Sam Noto - trumpet
Vinnie Tanno - trumpet
Lee Katzman - trumpet
Phil Gilbert - trumpet
Bob Fitzpatrick - trombone
Kent Larsen - trombone
Carl Fontana - trombone
Don Kelly - bass trombone
Irving Rosenthal - french horn
Fred Fox - french horn
Jay McAllister - tuba
Lennie Niehaus - alto
Bill Perkins - tenor
Don Rendell - tenor
Harry Klein - baritone
Ralph Blaze - guitar
Curtis Counce - bass
Mel Lewis - drums

01 Royal Blue
02 Intermission Riff
03 Royal Blue
04 Intermission Riff
05 Young Blood
06 Royal Blue

Recorded: April 1956

0069 Martial Solal [Escale a Paris] FLAC 7(51.18)

Contributed by delmonico, who writes:-
This is pianist Martial Solal's date with visiting musicians from the Kenton Band who had previously played a concert in Paris on 1 May 1956.
It is Vinnie Tanno's first commercial recording date and Don Rendell, who had joined the Kenton Band for the European Tour as a replacement for Spencer Sinatra, is one of the featured soloists.
Ripped in FLAC with cover scans.

Vinnie Tanno - trumpet
Carl Fontana - trombone
Don Rendell - tenor
Martial Solal - piano
Curtis Counce - bass
Mel Lewis - drums

01 The Way You Look Tonight
02 They Say That Falling In Love Is Wonderful
03 Blues Martial
04 Steeple Chase
05 Jive At Five
06 I Remember You
07 Why Not

Label: Swing (F) LDM 30.044
Recorded: May 03 1956
Lineage: LP>FLAC

0068 Ronnie Ross [Double Event] FLAC 10(41.45)

Contributed by Azule Serape

Bert Courtley - trumpet, mellophone (04)
Eddie Harvey - valve trombone (01), piano
Ronnie Ross - alto (01 08), baritone
Pete Blannin - bass
Andy White - drums

01 Stompin' (Harvey) (5:25)
02 Lucky Bean (Ross) (6:27)
03 Blue Grass (Ross) (4:09)
04 Red Prune (Ross) (3:54)
05 Blues For Terrasita (Burns) (2:24)
06 Donation (Rendell) (3:08)
07 Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (Kern, Harbach) (4:58)
08 T's And A's (Courtley) (4:16)
09 The Serpent (Hayes) (3:42)
10 Slidin' (South) (4:31)

Label: Ember 3323
Recorded: May 02 June 07 1958
Lineage: LP>FLAC

Also known as [Stompin' With The Ronnie Ross Quintet]

0067 Eddie Thompson [Midnight in London] FLAC 9(35.51)

Contributed by delmonico, who writes:-
1958 recordings with Thompson's Trio and then with Tubby Hayes playing vibes only and Johnny Scott on flute added to make the Quintet.  All the tunes have London associations. This lp is the American issue on VOX - the UK VOX issue was called 'London After Dark'. Both lps have the same music and the same cover picture and both are shown here.
Ripped in FLAC from lp with cover scans.

Johnny Scott - flute
Tubby Hayes - vibes
Eddie Thompson - piano
Arthur Watts - bass
Jackie Dougan - drums

01 Passport To Pimlico
02 Nelson's Column
03 A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square
04 London Pride
05 Underneath The Arches
06 There's A Lovely Lake In London
07 A Foggy Day
08 Chelsea Bridge
09 Limehouse Blues

Label: VOX LP (US) - VX 25 660
Recorded: January 20 1958
Lineage: LP>FLAC

0066 Various [Music in the Making] FLAC 9(51.31)

Contributed by bluebird, who writes:-
This is the result of a one day recording session for the Vogue record label on 12 January 1954.
Twelve musicians assembled and played in various combinations with strong contributions from the likes of Don Rendell, Jimmy Deuchar, Jo Hunter, Keith Christie and others with assorted rhythm sections.

(01)
Jo Hunter - trumpet
Jimmy Deuchar - trumpet
Keith Christie - trombone
Don Rendell - tenor
Jimmy Skidmore - tenor
Ralph Dollimore - piano
Johnny Hawksworth - bass
Allan Ganley - drums
(02)
Jimmy Deuchar - trumpet
Don Rendell - tenor
Ralph Dollimore - piano
Sammy Stokes - bass
Phil Seamen - drums
(03)
Jimmy Deuchar - trumpet
Ralph Dollimore - piano
Sammy Stokes - bass
Phil Seamen - drums
(04)
Don Rendell - tenor
Ronnie Ross - tenor
Derek Smith - piano
Sammy Stokes - bass
Phil Seamen - drums
(05)
Jo Hunter - trumpet
Jimmy Deuchar - trumpet
Keith Christie - trombone
Don Rendell - tenor
Jimmy Skidmore - tenor
Derek Smith - piano
Johnny Hawksworth - bass
Phil Seamen - drums
(06)
Don Rendell - tenor
Dill Jones - piano
Sammy Stokes - bass
Phil Seamen - drums
(07)
Jimmy Deuchar - trumpet
Don Rendell - tenor
Dill Jones - piano
Johnny Hawksworth - bass
Allan Ganley - drums
(08)
Keith Christie - trombone
Don Rendell - tenor
Derek Smith - piano
Sammy Stokes  - bass
Phil Seamen - drums
(09)
Jo Hunter - trumpet
Don Rendell - tenor
Jimmy Skidmore - tenor
Dill Jones - piano
Sammy Stokes  - bass
Phil Seamen - drums

01 Icefall (Dollimore) (7:22)
02 Mountain Sunset (Chevalier) (5:51)
03 Where Or When (Rodgers, Hart) (6:09)
04 Best Keller (Rendell) (3:27)
05 Straw Thatch (Dollimore) (6:59)
06 I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You (Crosby) (7:22)
07 Coraline (Boland) (5:14)
08 I'm Beginning To See The Light (Ellington, George, Hodges, James) (5:29)
09 Presque Cubain (Boland) (3:38)

Label: Jasmine 619 Vogue 10" LP LDE 051 and two Eps - EPV 1009 and 1034
Recorded: January 12 1954
Lineage: CD>FLAC