Contributed by bluebird, who writes:-
Kenny Graham wrote this suite for Ted Heath in readiness for the Band's Australian Tour in 1955. There were six movements but only four are recorded here. The other two movements did not prove popular. One was 'Kangeroo' and the other 'Lovers On Bondi Beach'. 'Kangeroo' has disappeared without trace and was never recorded.
Kenny used the theme from 'Lovers...' in another song he wrote for Heath and it was re-titled as 'Beaulieu Abbey' - sometimes just called ' The Abbey'. Heath recorded this in 1959 on his album 'In Concert- Beaulieu Jazz Festival' (although it was a studio recording and not recorded at the Festival. It might have been played there though).
We shall hear this Beaulieu album in a later post but here are the 4 surviving titles from the 'Australian Suite'.
'Kings Cross Climax' stayed in the Heath book and there is a further recording of it from Carnegie Hall in New York but the other titles fell into obscurity. Kenny Graham also recorded this title with his Afro-Cubists and this again we shall hear in another post.
The sleeve note writer thought it was a piece of train music and went into raptures about steam, pistons and wheezing into a small station but he got it completely wrong. It has nothing at all to do with trains or the mainline railway station of Kings Cross in North London, as the song is named after the bohemian entertainment district of Sydney in Australia.
How wrong can you be?
Ted Heath - leader
Bobby Pratt - trumpet
Bert Ezzard - trumpet
Duncan Campbell - trumpet
Eddie Blair - trumpet
Don Lusher - trombone
Wally Smith - trombone
Ric Kennedy - trombone
Jimmy Coombes - trombone
Roy Willox - soprano, alto
Les Gilbert - alto
Danny moss - tenor
Henry Mackenzie - tenor, clarinet
Ken kiddier - baritone
Frank horrox - piano
Johnny Hawksworth - bass
Ronnie Verrell - drums
01 Kings Cross Climax (2:18)
02 Boomerang (2:13)
03 When a Bodgie Meets a Widgie (2:52)
04 Dance of the Dingos (1:32)
Label: Decca DFE 6300
Recorded February 14 (01) May 31 (02 04) June 08 (03) 1955
Lineage: EP>FLAC
Thanks a lot!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
ReplyDeleteI know this is not directly linked to this recording, but this request IS directly linked to the artist Kenny Graham.
ReplyDeleteWay back in the 1960's Kenny composed a suite of music inspired by the 12 labours of Herecles (or for the non-Greeks) the 12 labours of Hercules.
The first I ever came across this was in an obituary for Kenny Graham in the Independent.
"Obituary: Kenny Graham "The Independant" 1997
Kenny Graham composed music for film and later experimented with electronic keyboards. His most inspired work included an orchestral suite, The Labours of Heracles, commissioned by the BBC and given one performance on radio before disappearing for ever."
I had this recording, taken from the BBC Light or Third program? it existed in my archive on a reel tape, sadly this tape was lost in a fire and no other copies can be found, I was sure I had a cassette copy too, but sadly it appears not.
I know this is not the modus of the blog to accept direct requests, but someone somewhere must have taken this recording too, it would be nice to get the chance to hear it again, as a prime example of the composing expertise of Kenny Graham. What a poor show that the BBC should go to the trouble to record this work, air it probably only once, and then bin it!
I've asked Geoffrey Smith the presenter of Jazz record Requests if a copy exists in the archive, could it be scheduled at some time as a special broadcast, so far no response other than the usual auto one. This really a request for anyone that reads this blog, do you have a copy, I am sure I, BJ and many others would love to hear one...
https://cjoint.net/?ojnyuh9xv6
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