0453 Louis Stewart [With The Tony Lee Trio And Ronnie Scott] FLAC 7(42.51)

Contributed by bluebird, who writes:-
Here's the Irish guitarist Louis Stewart recorded in the mid/late 1970s during his stay in the UK.
It's not clear whether these sessions come from the same radio broadcast and the personnel on the first session with Ronnie Scott is speculative.
The sound is generally good with just a few glitches on 'Perdido' which were on the original tape and there are some fades in or out in places which are indicated in the track details.
The taped sessions were converted to digital sound and provided by an anonymous donor.  I have tidied up the recordings with some minor restoration, track separation etc and provided what details there are together with a 'cover' picture.

(01 02)
Ronnie Scott - tenor
Louis Stewart - guitar
Tony Archer (?) - bass
Martin Drew (?) - drums
(03-06)
Tony Lee - piano
Louis Stewart - guitar
Tony Archer - bass
Martin Drew - drums
(07)
Louis Stewart - guitar

01 Invitation (Bronislau, Kaper) (9:20)
02 Naima (Coltrane) (6:39)
03 Bags' Groove (Jackson) (4:17)
04 Perdido (Tizol, Lenk, Drake) (5:10)
05 Blue Bossa (Dorham) (7:49)
06 Four On Six (Montgomery) (5:42)
07 Here's That Rainy Day (Van Heusen, Burke) (3:53)

Label: BBC Broadcasts
Recorded: Mid to late 1970s
Lineage: BBC broadcasts>tape>CDR>FLAC

Brian Lemon: 11 February 1937 - 11 October 2014

Brian Lemon, one of the leading pianists and arrangers on the British Mainstream jazz scene died on 11 October 2014 aged 77 at Bexhill
For the last 10 years or so Brian had suffered with osteoarthritis in his hands which prevented him from playing and which must have been the cruellest blow to someone who depended upon his hands to earn a living.
Nottingham born, he played firstly on the local jazz scene and moved to London in 1956 to join the Freddy Randall band and then never looked back, being a permanent fixture on the London jazz scene thereafter. He appeared to be a musician who was never short of work, either leading his own groups, or with others and as first choice pianist for many of the visiting American musicians such as Benny Goodman, Milt Jackson and Ray Brown.
He was a founder member of the Pizza Express All-Stars in 1980 and featured regularly in 'The Best Of British Jazz' package into the 1990s.  Whilst working mainly in the mainstream jazz idiom he was equally at home playing with musicians with a more modern approach even appearing with Art Pepper on his first British tour in 1979.
In 1994 a new label was formed,  Zephyr,  to specifically feature Brian either leading his own groups or as sideman to others and the ensuing 27 cds produced over the next 6 years are a superb legacy to this outstanding pianist. Even the cd booklet covers were lemon coloured.
Our featured track has Brian playing at Ronnie Scott's in 2001 with Dave Green on bass and Charlie Watts (yes, he of the Rolling Stones) on drums.  It was one of his last recorded performances.

R.I.P. Brian Lemon  -  11 February 1937 - 11 October 2014

Body And Soul with Brian Lemon

0452 Johnny Keating [Swinging Scots] FLAC 9(43.40)

Contributed by bluebird

Johnny Keating - conductor
Bobby Pratt - trumpet
Tommy McQuater - trumpet
Eddie Blair - trumpet
Duncan Campbell - trumpet
Jimmy Deuchar - trumpet
Jock Bain - trombone
Jimmy Wilson - trombone
Wally Smith - trombone
George Chisholm - trombone
Burt Harden - tuba
George Hunter - alto
Ronnie Baker - alto
Tommy Whittle - tenor
Duncan Lamont - tenor
Ronnie Ross - baritone
Andy Dennits - piano
Alan Metcalfe - guitar
Jack Seymour - bass
Bobby Orr - drums

01 Hampden Roars (Keating) (3:40)
02 Down South Blues (Keating) (4:51)
03 Thistle Song (Keating) (3:51)
04 Headin' North (Keating) (7:51)
05 Tam O' Shanter (Keating) (4:38)
06 Double Scotch (Keating) (4:03)
07 Kiltie (Keating) (5:01)
08 Loch Ness Monster (Keating) (6:17)
09 Clachnacudan Canal (Keating) (5:49)

Labels: London LTZD15122 (UK) Dot DLP 3066 (USA)
Recorded: April 29 30 1957 London
Lineage: CD>FLAC

0451 John Taylor [As It Is] FLAC 9(57.18)

Contributed by jazzandylan

John Taylor - piano
Palle Danielsson - bass
Peter Erskine - drums

01 Glebe Ascending
02 The Lady In The Lake
03 Episode
04 Woodcocks
05 Esperança
06 Touch Her Soft Lips And Part
07 Au Contraire
08 For Ruth
09 Romeo & Juliet

Label: ECM 1594
Recorded: September 1995
Lineage: CD>EAC>FLAC Frontend Level 6

Bernard Stanley (Acker) Bilk : 28 January 1929 - 2 November 2014

Acker Bilk one of the 'Three Bs' from the trad age of the 1950s (Barber, Ball and Bilk) died yesterday aged 85.
Clarinettist Acker,  Somerset born,  was one of our best known and best loved traditional jazzmen who enjoyed a long and full career in the musical entertainment business. The purists might argue that that he was not primarily a jazzman, more of a popular light entertainer but underneath the bowler hat, fancy waistcoat and West Country burr there was a serious and committed jazz player.
His tone was exceptional and his hit single 'Stranger On The Shore' displays this to perfection. His more modern jazz outings away from The Paramount Jazzband included working with the Stan Tracey Big Band ('Blue Acker' and 'We Love You Madly') and in this short musical tribute from 1967 posted here, Ronnie Ross is added to Acker's regular band.
Only Chris Barber nows remains from the 'Three Bs'.

R.I.P. Acker Bilk : 28 January 1929 - 2 November 2014

Acker's Personal Jungle

Victor (Vic) Ash: 9 March 1930 - 24 October 2014

Vic Ash, one of the early pioneers of modern jazz in Britain has died aged 84.
Vic, East End born, started out on the clarinet aged 14 and then moved on to playing the saxophone, first alto and then tenor.
Vic's career was at the centre of modern jazz in Britain from the early days at Club Eleven to associations with Tubby Hayes, Vic Feldman, Ronnie Scott, John Dankworth and a short but productive spell with Harry Klein in the Jazz Five. His later career found him supporting visiting popular US stars such as Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Ray Charles and many others.
Surprisingly, his recorded output as a leader was quite small although he had a long and fruitful recording career with others.
For many years he was associated with the BBC Big Band in it's many formats.
His autobiography, co-written with his former pupil and fellow saxophonist Simon Spillett and his wife Helen, was published in 2006. One of the revealing pieces of information contained there was that his parents, both profoundly deaf, never heard him play although they encouraged  and supported  him in his musical career.
The photograph we show has Vic with a very young (16 or so) and star-struck Simon Spillett.

R.I.P. Vic Ash:  9 March 1930 - 24 October 2014

You can read here what Vic Ash wrote for the Ronnie Ross Home Page some years ago, a contribution I am always grateful for. Rodney

0450 Ken Peplowski [All This... Live In The U.K. Volume 1] FLAC 7(53.07)

Contributed by alfonso

Ken Peplowski - tenor (01-03), clarinet (05-07)
John Pearce - piano
Dave Green - bass
Martin Drew - drums

01 Can't We Be Friends
02 Sonny side
03 All This And Heaven Too
04 I'm Walkin'
05 Now And Then There's A Fool Such As I
06 Le Scurier Velours
07 The Lady's In Love With You

Label: Koch Jazz KCD-CD-8581
Recorded: January 13 1999
Lineage: Not known - Audiochecker 92%
Scans: front cover, inside and tray