0431 Derek Smith Tony Kinsey [National Jazz Federation Modern Jazz Concert Volume 1] FLAC 6(40.55)

Contributed by Rodney, who writes:-
This album was previously available on the Ronnie Ross Music blog but the version offered here is a new rip. No replay gain and remastered by bluebird. The original recording was not of good quality and the condition of the vinyl did not help but we've done the best we can on what was I think an historical jazz occasion.
The cover too has been rescanned and improved by jazzandylan.

(01-04)
Don Rendell - tenor
Ronnie Ross - tenor
Derek Smith - piano
Jack Fallon - bass
Lennie Hastings - drums
(05 06)
Tommy Whittle - tenor
Dill Jones - piano
Sammy Stokes - bass
Tony Kinsey - drums

01 Best Keller (Rendell) (6:18)
02 China Mina (Ross) (4:45)
03 Hearsay (Rendell) (4:48)
04 Minor Tor (Rendell) (4:58)
05 Zoot's Suite (Holman) (8:14))
06 Dood I Dee (9:43)

Label: Esquire 32 004
Recorded: February 28 1954 Royal Festival Hall London
Lineage: LP>FLAC

0281 Derek Smith [Jazz at the Flamingo Vol 3] FLAC 4(13.24)

Contributed by bellawoods, who writes:-
The third and final ep from this session recorded on March 15 1955. The Derek Smith Trio plays two tunes alone and is then joined by baritone player Harry Klein for a further two tunes.

Harry Klein - baritone
Derek Smith - piano
Freddie Logan - bass
Allan Ganley - drums

01 Smooth Talk (Smith) (2:43)
02 Let's Call the Whole Thing Off (Gershwin) (3:03)
03 Everything Happens to Me (Adair, Dennis) (3:35)
04 Candy (David, Whitney, Kramer) (4:03)

Label: Decca DFE 6297
Recorded; March 15 1955
Lineage: EP>FLAC

0229 Derek Smith [British Jazz Trio] FLAC 4(11.03)

Contributed by bluebird, who says:-
Pianist Derek Smith emigrated to the USA in 1957 and played with all the great musicians in a long and successful career. He is still active in the States.
Here  he joined up with two other British expatriates to form the short lived British Jazz Trio and recorded these 4 sides in New York in 1961. There are no other known recordings of this trio although they did play extensively in public.
Do I detect a note of nostalgia in the choice of tune titles?
FLAC with ep cover picture, track details and a contemporary review of the record. Alun Morgan was not impressed.

Derek Smith - piano
John Drew - bass
Kenny Harris - drums

01 The White Cliffs Of Dover (Burton, Kent) (3:28)
02 Ilkley Moor Baht 'At (2:35)
03 London Pride (Coward) (2:26)
04 Charlie Is My Darling (2:34)

Label: Ember EMB 4517
Recorded: 1961
Lineage: EP>FLAC

0203 Derek Smith [Jazz At The Flamingo Volume 2] FLAC 4(13.19)

Contributed by bluebird, who writes:
Another volume in this series - there is a 3rd ep to come later.
FLAC with ep cover scans and pdf file.

Harry Klein - baritone
Derek Smith - piano
Freddie Logan - bass
Allan Ganley - drums

01 Sweet Georgia Brown (3:33)
02 Play Fiddle, Play (3:24)
03 They Can't Take That Away from Me (2:54)
04 Our Love is Here to Stay (3:28)

Label: Decca DFE 6266
Recorded: Winter 1954 or perhaps March 15 1955
Lineage: EP>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

0043 Derek Smith [Swingin' with Derek] FLAC 8(26.27)

Contributed by delmonico, who writes:-
Derek made his recording debut on a Vogue recording called 'Music In The Making' and in pretty fast company too. Jimmy Deuchar, Don Rendell, Ronnie Ross and Keith Christie being some of the other musicians who played in various combinations in a one day recording session on 12 January 1954. We shall see this recording later.
He went on to play with John Dankworth and Kenny Baker amongst others but made few recordings under his own name. Here are two of those sessions recorded a year apart and originally on two Nixa eps.
After the 1957 session Derek emigrated to the USA (yes, another pianist 'lost') where he continues to enjoy much success. The Japanese cd re-issue refers to him as 'Drek' Smith which makes him sound a bit like something out of Transylvania.
Two good driving and swinging sessions with Derek in his best Horace Silver bag. A bit relentless in places and some variety in tempo would have been nice.

Derek Smith - piano
Sammy Stokes - bass
Allan Ganley - drums

01 Any Questions
02 Silverside
03 Blue Concept
04 Cutie
05 Wee Cuff
06 Love for Sale
07 Alan's Pad
08 Carioca

Label: Expert NOCD-5614 Nixa NJE 1018/1036
Recorded: January 27 1956 (01-04) January 23 1957 (05-08)
Lineage: CD>FLAC

0003 Various Artists [Jazz At The Fabulous Flamingo 10th Anniversary Tribute] FLAC 10(39.37)

Personnel:
Track 1
Jimmy Deuchar, trumpet; Tommy Whittle,
Don Rendell,  tenor; Benny Green, baritone;
Bill Le Sage, piano; Sammy Stokes, bass;
Tony Crombie, drums.

Track 2
Alan Branscombe, alto; Tubby Hayes, vibes;
Tony Crombie, piano; Jack Fallon, vibes.

Track 3
Bert Courtley, mellophonium; Ronnie Ross, baritone;
Eddie Harvey, piano; Pete Blannin, bass;
Andy White, drums


Track 4
Eddie Thompson, piano; Arthur Watts, bass; Andy White, drums.

Track 5
Tommy Whittle, tenor; Harry Klein, baritone; Eddie Thompson, piano; Ken Sprang, bass;
Jackie Dougan, drums.

Track 6
includes:-
Les Condon, Stan Roderick, Ronnie Simmonds, trumpet; George Chisholm, Ray Premru, trombone;
Alan Branscombe, alto; Tommy Whittle, tenor; Tony Crombie, drums.

Track 7
Harry Klein, baritone; Derek Smith, piano; Freddie Logan, bass; Allan Ganley, drums.

Track 8
Alan Branscombe, alto; Tubby Hayes, vibes; Tony Crombie, piano; Jack Fallon, bass.

Track 9
Eddie Thompson, piano; Arthur Watts, bass; Andy White, drums.

Track 10
Tubby Hayes, Ronnie Scott, tenor; Terry Shannon, piano; Phil Bates, bass; Bill Eyden, drums.

Tracks:
01 All Star Special
02 Wait and See
03 Red Prune
04 Moveable
05 12 by 5
06 Interpol Chase
07 Let's Call the Whole Thing Off
08 Fishin' the Blues
09 Just Play
10 The Serpent

This is a compilation album by various artists recorded for the Ember label after the Club opened in 1952. The Krugers, mentioned in the sleeve notes, owned both the Club and the Ember record label. Ember was never very good (and still isn't) about the details in its sleeve notes but these tracks were recorded between 1953 and 1959. They provide a fine representative sample of the British modern jazz scene in the 1950s.

I recall going to the Flamingo in the mid 1950s to see a Tubby Hayes group and another led by Ronnie Ross. It was a dismal, dark cellar-type room full of smoke and young stylish 'mods' and their equally stylish girls - but the music was great. I seem to remember being turned out into the street well before midnight. Happy days.

Contributed by Delmonico (ripped to flac format from LP c/w cover scans)