Contributed by bluebird, who comments:-
This was recorded at the end of Ted Heath's first tour of the USA in 1956. The tour was a huge success for Heath and the band who remained popular in the USA for many years thereafter.
Some tracks are obviously crowd pleasers. The 'humerous' interplay between bassist Johnny Hawksworth and drummer Ronnie Verrell featured at all Heath's concerts in one version or another and it does not bear repeated playing. It hardly bears playing at all.
But there is some fine swinging music here and Kenny Graham's opener 'Kings Cross Climax' is heard in yet another version.
What is particularly interesting to hear is part of a 4 piece suite written for Heath by Bill Russo in 1955 and called 'The English Suite'. Two titles are heard here, 'Stonehenge' and 'Procession' but the other two titles are not known. 'Stonehenge' was recorded only once more by Heath (an airshot) and Russo himself recorded 'Procession' with the London Jazz Orchestra in January 1963 (a BBC broadcast) but there were no other recordings of the Suite as far as is known.
Russo did record a suite called 'Stonehenge' written by Richard Peaslee and played by The London Jazz Orchestra in 1964 but there is no similarity.
Russo's music makes Heath sound like the Kenton Orchestra which is not really surprising.
FLAC from OOP re-issue cd with booklet notes.
Ted Heath - leader
Bobby Pratt - trumpet
Bert Ezzard - trumpet
Duncan Campbell - trumpet
Eddie Blair - trumpet
Wally Smith - trombone
Don Lusher - trombone
Jimmy Coombes - trombone
Ric Kennedy - trombone
Ronnie Chamberlain - soprano, alto
Les Gilbert - alto
Red Price - tenor
Henry Mackenzie - tenor, clarinet
Ken Kiddier - baritone
Frank Horrox - piano
Johnny Hawksworth - bass
Ronnie Verrell - drums
01 Listen To My Music (Heath) (0:33)
02 Kings Cross Climax (Graham) (2:16)
03 Memories Of You (Razaf, Blake) (2:42)
04 R. J. Boogie (Hawksworth) (3:57)
05 Perdido (Drake, Lengsfelder, Tizol) (2:44)
06 Autumn In New York (Duke) (4:39)
07 Carioca (Eliscu, Kahn, Youmans) (3:01)
08 Just One Of Those Things (Porter) (2:22)
09 Lullaby In Rhythm (Goodman, Profit, Sampson, Hirsch) (2:39)
10 Stonehenge (Russo) (3:11)
11 Procession (Russo) (3:05)
12 I Remember You (Mercer, Schertzinger) (2:59)
13 Hawaiian War Chant (Freed) (2:53)
Label: Decca LK 4165
Recorded: May p1 1956
Lineage: CD>FLAC
It has been suggested by some of those on this recording that it was all created in London a month after the tour. Ted's announcements give the game away.
ReplyDeleteAlgy.
Never heard this before! Who said it? When? Has it ever been proved? The recording and Ted's announcements do not"give the game away" to me or friends who listen. I do think the programme played was not the best example overall of Heath's playing. Great to have it on this blog. Many thanks
DeleteMany thanks for Ted!
ReplyDeleteIt's strange, I remember listening to Ted Heath in the late 50's early 60's, on the radio and thinking how fuddy duddy, whereas now I think he's gear! Many thanks for the posting. Paul
ReplyDeleteGosh. I've never been that familiar with ted Heath - really he's just a name from my childhood in the 1950s - so I had a go at this. And didn't enjoy any of it at all. I'm pretty sure this is the first of very many BritJazz downloads that I've completely given up on, so conclusively as to have deleted it. I have a feeling you had to be there, timewise.
ReplyDeleteThank you bluebird
ReplyDeleteThis is just the music my parents listened to, being a rebelious teenager it was "not on" to appreciate a parental education in such things, specially when the likes of Bill Haley and Gene Vincent were there to excite us... However time has a way of making the impossible come true, or is it that with age we DO become wiser? what ever, taking a listen to this did not bring back such rebelious thought, rather an appreciation that my father may have had some taste in music afterall, funny thing age isn't it?
ReplyDeleteWell done Bluebird, you scored ONE hit anyway..
Gonz.
Thank you for this ! I've been looking for this recording for years and years.
ReplyDeleteThought i had this one on CD but seems i don't, so thanks for the re-post :)
ReplyDeletehttps://cjoint.net/?o2jm6257up
ReplyDelete