0134 Melody Maker Stars [Waxing the Winners] FLAC 11(54.14)

Contributed by bluebird, who writes:- 
Another fine compilation of the MM Poll Winners for 1954-55 as chosen by the readers and, in contrast, 4 tracks by musicians chosen by the critics/music columnists in 1952 and originally released on 2 x 78 rpm records.  Again, there are alternate takes in some cases.
All were recorded by Esquire, the champion for British jazz in this period, and this compilation is from the re-issue lp.
Quality is variable as is the case with many of these Esquire Treasure Chest re-issue lps.
FLAC with lp cover scans.

(01-05)
John Dankworth - leader, alto
Kenny Baker - trumpet
Don Lusher - trombone
Ronnie Chamberlain - soprano, tenor
Vic Ash - alto, clarinet
Ronnie Scott - tenor
Harry Klein - baritone
Victor Feldman - vibes
Bill McGuffie - piano
Tito Burns - accordion
Ivor Mairants - guitar
Johnny Hawksworth - bass
Eric Delaney - drums
(06 07)
Eric Delaney - leader, drums, tympani
Kenny Baker - trumpet
Keith Christie - trombone
John Dankworth - alto
Joe Harriott - alto (07)
Harry Klein - alto, baritone
Vic Ash - alto, clarinet
Tommy Whittle - tenor
Ronnie Chamberlain - soprano, alto
Victor Feldman - vibes
Bill McGuffie - piano
Tito Burns - accordion
Bert Weedon - guitar
Joe Muddel - bass
(08-11)
Ken Wray - trombone
Jimmy Walker - soprano, tenor
Geoff Taylor - alto
Vic Ash - alto, clarinet
Ralph Dollimore - piano
Cliff Ball - bass
Don Lawson - drums

01 For Voters Only (#1)
02 For Voters Only (#2)
03 Gallop Poll (#2)
04 Gallop Poll (#3)
05 Swingdido
06 The Gershwin Ballad Medley-Summertime;Someone To Watch Over Me;Love Walked In;Emabraceable You
07 Waxing The Winners
08 Searchlight
09 The Fifth Man
10 Mike's Choice
11 St Maurice

Label: Esquire 325
Recorded: May 08 1952 (08-11) March 07 1954 (01-05) March 07 1955 (06 07)
Lineage: LP>FLAC

0133 Al Fairweather [Al Fairweather's Jazz Band] FLAC 4(10.03)

Contributed by Brufan

Al Fairweather - trumpet
Sandy Brown - clarinet
Frederick West - guitar
Frank Clarke - bass
Stan Greig - drums

01 You're Driving Me Crazy
02 'Bye 'Bye Blackbird
03 Johnny is the Boy for Me
04 Blues Slide

Label: Columbia SEG7653
Recorded: July 21 1955
Lineage: EP>FLAC

0132 Cleo Laine [Cleo Sings Elizabethan] FLAC 4(10.49)

Contributed by bluebird, who writes:-
The title says it all. William Shakespeare finally has a musical hit in 1959.  Was Cleo the only modern jazz singer in the 1950s?  She later went on to record a whole album of Bill's.
Interesting selection of tunes with some fine backing from the likes of Vic Ash, Bob Burns and Bill LeSage.
FLAC with cover scans.

Cleo Laine - vocals
Ray Premru - leader
Jim Brown - french horn
Johnny Scott - alto, flute, bass flute
Bob Burns - alto, bass clarinet
Ivor Slaney - oboe, cor anglais
Vic Ash - clarinet
Bill Le Sage - vibes, piano
Jack Fallon - bass
Jackie Dougan - drums

01 It Was A Lover And His Lass
02 Sigh No More Ladies
03 Mistress Mine
04 Blow Blow Thy Winter Wind

Label: Columbia ep SEG7938
Recorded: June 24 1959
Lineage: EP>FLAC

0131 Kenny Graham [Presenting Kenny Graham] FLAC 11(37.49)

Contributed by delmonico, who writes:-
These are the last recordings of Kenny Graham as leader and of his group, the Afro-Cubists. It was also the last time he was recorded commercially as a musician.
Thereafter he concentrated on his writing and arranging for others including Humphrey Lyttelton and Ted Heath. 
The music here is heavily influenced by the music of Duke Ellington and there are some fine solos by trumpeter Jo Hunter, which is short for Jolyon, (not Joe as listed) .  Jo is believed to be still playing somewhere in the South Coast area of the UK at the age of 84.  He was 30 when these recordings were made.
Phil Seamen, who shows up all over the place during this period of the late 1950s, drives the whole proceedings along in his customary style.
FLAC with track/personnel details and front cover picture.

Jo Hunter - trumpet
George Chisholm - trombone
Laddie Busby - trombone
Jackie Armstrong - trombone
Kenny Graham - tenor
Cliff Townsend - baritone
Stan Tracey - vibes, piano
Sammy Stokes - bass
Phil Seamen - drums
Jack McHardie - conga drum

01 Tuxedo Junction
02 Cuban Fantasy
03 Swallowin' The Blues
04 Olwen's Dream
05 Don't Get Around Much Anymore
06 Rockin' In Rhythm
07 I'll Get By (As Long As I Have You)
08 Monkey Business
09 Time's A-Wasting
10 Bongo Chant
11 I Dreamt I Dwelt In Harlem

Label: Nixa NJL 12
Recorded: January February 1957

0130 Sandy Brown [Sandy Brown's Jazz Band] FLAC 4(12.11)

Contributed by azule serape, who writes:-
Sandy Brown had one of the better 'traditional' bands and at times he sounded very modern in outlook and approach.
The music, most of which was written by him, was fresh, original and full of interest.  Here he is at his very best in 1955 and the African influence to his writing during this period is evident on this Tempo recording.
FLAC with cover scans.

Al Fairweather - trumpet
John R T Davies - trombone
Sandy Brown - clarinet, vocal
Alan Thomas - piano
Mo Umansky - banjo
Brian Parker - bass
Graham Burbage - drums

01 African Queen (Brown) (3:04)
02 Special Delivery (Traditonal) (3:17)
03 Nothing Blues (Brown) (3:07)
04 Africa Blues (Brown) (2:43)

Label: Tempo ep EXA 33
Recorded: September 28 1955
Lineage: EP>FLAC

0129 Various [Modern Jazz at the Royal Festival Hall] FLAC 11(43.49)

Contributed by delmonico, who writes:-
This is part of a Modern Jazz Concert recorded on 30 October 1954 at the Royal Festival Hall, London with three different groups being featured.  This was the afternoon session of the concert, the evening being devoted to traditional jazz.
Don Rendell's Sextet (track 3 previous appeared on a Tempo ep and was not on the original Decca lp) is first up followed by the Ken Moule Seven and finally the newly formed Tony Crombie Orchestra for their first recording session.
The Swedish baritone sax player, Lars Gullin, made a guest appearance at this concert but due to MU rules was not allowed to be recorded. 
FLAC with lp cover picture and track/personnel details.

(01 02 04)
Dickie Hawdon - trumpet
Don Rendell - tenor
Ronnie Ross - baritone
Damian Robinson - piano
Pete Elderfield - bass
Benny Goodman - drums
(03)
Damian Robinson - piano
Pete Elderfield - bass
Benny Goodman - drums
(05-07)
Dave Usden - trumpet
Keith Barr - tenor
Roy Sidwell - tenor
Don Cooper - baritone
Ken Moule - piano
Arthur Watts - bass
Lennie Breslow - drums
(08 10 11)
Dizzy Reece - trumpet
Les Condon - trumpet
Joe Temperley - tenor
Sammy Walker - tenor
Lennie Dawes - baritone
Harry South - piano
Ashley Kovak - bass
Tony Crombie - drums
Bobby Green - bongoes (08)
(09)
Dizzy Reece - trumpet
Joe Temperley - tenor
Harry South - piano
Ashley Kovak - bass
Tony Crombie - drums

01 My Honey's Lovin' Arms
02 Give Me the Simple Life
03 Chelsea Bridge
04 Roomin' with Moomin
05 Hallelujah
06 I'm Beginning to See the Light
07 Waterloo Bridge
08 Good Bait
09 Ahmed
10 Compos Mentis
11 Down Under

Label: Decca LP LK 4087
Recorded: October 30 1954

0128 Ken Colyer [This is Jazz Volume One Part One] FLAC 4(13.20)

Contributed by Brufan

Ken Colyer - trumpet
Mac Duncan - trombone
Ian Wheeler - clarinet
Ray Foxley - piano
Johnny Bastable - banjo
Ron Ward - bass
Colin Bowden - drums

01 Sweet Fields
02 Salutation March
03 Riverside Blues
04 Dusty Rag

Label: SEG 8038
Recorded: September 1959
Lineage: EP>FLAC

0127 Bill Le Sage [Bill's Recipes] FLAC 12(42.35)

Contributed by bluebird, who writes:-
This is not often seen and this lp is the only issue.
The Tom Lord discography is a bit vague about the recording date but opinion has it that it was late 1956 or early 1957. The pianist Derek Smith who appears here emigrated to the USA and actually recorded there in June 1957 so it must have been before then.
Bill Le Sage (pianist, vibes player, composer, arranger) was one of Britain's Bebop pioneers and has played with almost everyone worth mentioning in the UK. He formed his own band at the age of 18 and played with many now long forgotten groups before becoming a founder member of the Dankworth Seven in March 1950.
He had a long association with Tony Kinsey (who appears here) and later, Ronnie Ross.
I saw Bill sometime around 1985 when he was playing one nighters around the country with local rhythm sections.  He was the perfect gentleman and a great entertainer, very professional, introducing his musicians and announcing the tune titles with a touch of humour. He was immaculately dressed with sharply creased trousers, sports jacket, tie and highly polished shoes - a far cry from some of today's younger musicians.
And the music was great too. After the gig I got him to sign this album and for the next twenty minutes he told me about the tunes (eight of which are his on this lp), when and where they were written, about the musicians on the record and about life in general. He was still so enthusiastic about his music and said he would continue to play as long as he could draw breath.
Well,  Bill drew breath for a long time after that one night in a small Nottinghamshire town and died in 2001. He made two fine albums with just guitar and bass a few months before his death but never got to hear the last one in it's published form.  They are worth seeking out (The Right Vibes 1 and 2).
The cover picture is the icing on this very tasty BritJazz 1st Birthday Cake.
FLAC with front and back lp cover scans.

Eddie Blair - trumpet
George Chisholm - trombone
Laddie Busby - trombone
Ken Goldie - trombone
Jack Armstrong - trombone
Tommy Whittle - tenor
Henry Mackenzie - clarinet
Bill Le Sage - vibes, piano, accordion
Derek Smith - piano
Lennie Bush - bass or Pete Blannin - bass
Tony Kinsey - drums

01 First Night (Le Sage) (3:13)
02 Blues (Le Sage) (4:02)
03 Finders Keepers (Weissmantel) (3:38)
04 Pict's Lament (Le Sage) (4:00)
05 Snow Face (Le Sage) (3:09)
06 Little Bop Poose (Weissmantel) (4:40)
07 Shade Of Spring (Le Sage) (3:06)
08 Lazy (Le Sage) (3:12)
09 Cloud Frolic (Weissmantel) (:3)43
10 Cambridge Blue (Le Sage) (3:25)
11 Rain On The Seine (Michel, Strop) (2:43)
12 Chirra Cahua (Le Sage) (3:44)

Label: Saga STM 6019
Recorded: 1956 or 1957
Lineage: LP>FLAC