0289 Harry Klein [New Sound] FLAC 2(10.59)

Contributed by bellawoods, who writes:-
This is probably the rarest of the 4 eps that Klein made as leader and, like some of the others, it has never been re-issued in any form. This original ep issue dates from 1955 and now BritJazz has posted them all.
This is a biggish band with some of the big names of the day and the music can be perhaps described as 'experimental'. Both tracks were arranged by trumpeter Jimmy Watson.
FLAC from ep with cover scans.

Jimmy Watson - trumpet, arranger
Keith Christie - trombone
Ken Wray - valve trombone
Jim Powell - tuba
Dougie Robinson - alto
Harry Klein - baritone
Benny Green - baritone
Jack Ellory - flute
Derek Smith - piano
Sammy Stokes - bass
Allan Ganley - drums

01 Big Ben (Klein) (6:10)
02 Nightwork (Watson) (4:49)

Label: Nixa NJE 1009
Recorded: November 28 1955
Lineage: EP>FLAC

0174 Vic Ash Harry Klein [The Five of Us] FLAC 6(43.03)

Contributed by bluebird, who writes:-
If you've never heard Vic Ash on tenor during the early part of his career then this will be a treat for you. This was a working group jointly led by Vic and Harry Klein and here 5 of the 6 tunes are written by the band members. Vic is heard mainly on tenor, an instrument he had recently taken up, with just one clarinet outing but the whole groups swings in this very attractive programme recorded originally for Tempo.
The Americans must obviously have been impressed because Riverside issued this on their label in the USA, it being their first imported music. For some reason they re-titled the lp 'The Hooter' and re-named the tune ' Hootin' also as 'The Hooter'.  They also referred to it as a 'Soul' album which probably amused Vic and Co.
Tempo producer Tony Hall wrote a completely different set of sleeve notes but the music remained the same except for the track 'There It Is' being nearly half a minute shorter on the Riverside issue.
But never mind the detail, just enjoy the music.
FLAC with original Tempo front cover picture and original Riverside (US) front and back cover pictures and pdf file.

(01-04)
Vic Ash - tenor, clarinet
Harry Klein - baritone
Brian Dee - piano
Malcolm Cecil - bass
Bill Eyden - drums
(05 06)
Vic Ash - tenor, clarinet
Harry Klein - baritone
Brian Dee - piano
Malcolm Cecil - bass
Tonny Mann - drums

01 There It Is (Dee) (7:01)
02 The Five Of Us (Dee) (7:10)
03 'Pon My Soul (Cecil) (7:44)
04 Hootin' (Ash) (9:31)
05 Autumn Leaves (Kosma, Mercer, Prevert) (6:14)
06 Still Life (Cecil) (5:23)

Label: Tempo TAP 32 Riverside (US) 361
Recorded: October 23 (01-04) November 12 (05 06) 1960
Lineage: CD>FLAC

0108 Harry Klein [Brash Baritone] FLAC 3(12.03)

Contributed by delmonico, who writes:-
Another helping of Harry Klein and probably the last we have available of him as leader. A much under rated player and sadly, not often recorded.
Original sleeve cover picture and sleeve notes.

Harry Klein - baritone
Max Harris - piano
Sammy Stokes - bass
Eddie Taylor - drums

01 I'll Remember April
02 I Can't Get Started With You
03 I'm Coming Virginia

Label: Polygon ep JTE 105
Recorded: May 25 1955 London
Lineage: EP>FLAC

0093 Harry Klein [Baritone Sax] FLAC 4(10.17)

Contributed by delmonico, who writes:-
Two sessions from two different Harry Klein Quintets from 1954 and 1955 on a 1956 ep.
Harry (who died recently) recorded little as leader so it is good to hear him in this context.

(01 02)
Harry Klein - baritone
Vic Ash - clarinet
Dill Jones - piano
Sammy Stokes - bass
Eddie Taylor - drums
Leslie Weeks - bongos
(03 04)
Harry Klein - baritone
Vic Ash - clarinet
Stan Tracey - piano
Sammy Stokes - bass
Eddie Taylor - drums

01 Pentagon
02 Poinciana
03 Monument
04 Euphony

Label: Columbia ep SEG 7647
Recorded: October 26 1954 (01 02) January 19 1955 (03 04)
Lineage: EP>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

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)