0046 Tony Crombie [Atmosphere] FLAC 12(37.54)

Contributed by delmonico, who writes:-
First issued in 1959 on the Colombia label and then re-issued in 1989 on the Renaissance label to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Tony Crombie's recording career, these sessions from June and July 1958 bring together some of the top  British jazz modernists in Octet, Quartet and Trio format.
Added interest here is Tubby Hayes playing, unusually for him, baritone sax on the Octet tracks. He plays vibes on the Quartet and Trio tracks.

(01 02 07 11 12)
Les Condon - trumpet
Stan Roderick - trumpet
Bob Burns - alto
Ronnie Scott - tenor
Tubby Hayes - baritone
Norman Stenfalt - piano
Lennie Bush - bass
Tony Crombie - drums
(03 04 06 08 09)
Les Condon - trumpet (03 06 08 09)
Jimmy Watson - trumpet (03 06 08 09)
Bob Burns - alto (03 06 08 09)
Tommy Whittle - tenor (03 06 08 09)
Tubby Hayes - baritone, vibes (04)
Norman Stenfalt - piano
Lennie Bush - bass
Tony Crombie - drums
(05 10)
Tubby Hayes - vibes
Tony Crombie - piano
Jack Fallon - bass

01 Beryl's Bounce
02 Ninth Man
03 St James Infirmary
04 Invitation
05 Stompin' At The Savoy
06 Duke's Joke
07 Panic Stations
08 I'll Close My Eyes
09 Small Talk
10 Perpetual Lover
11 Shapes
12 Copy-Cats

Label: REN 002
Recorded: June 18 (01 02 07 11 12) July 23 (03 04 06 08 09) 30 (05 10) 1958
Lineage: LP>FLAC

0045 Mary Lou Williams [In London 1953] MP3 VBR 6(13.35)

Contributed by Azule Serape, who writes:-
Just qualifying for BritJazz by the appearance of Mary Lou's two different British rhythm sections in these  London dates from March and June 1953. Mary Lou was living in Europe around this period, based in France, and made a number of recordings there and in the UK. 
The first date (ex London label) is somewhat unusual in that she plays two ragtime pieces on what sounds like a 'honky-tonk' piano and one wonders which audience she was trying to reach.
The other date (ex Esquire and unissued until the mid 1980s) is more conventional with two of the pieces being dedicated to the British musical press of the day.
All 6 tracks are in mp3 format at 192 VBR with cover and track details.

(01 02)
Mary Lou Williams - piano
Jack Fallon - bass
Gerry McLaughlin - drums
(03-06)
Mary Lou Williams - piano
Ray Dempsey - guitar
Rupert Nurse - bass
Tony Kinsey - drums

01 Laughlin Rag
02 Rag of Rags
03 Melody Maker
04 Musical Express
05 Sometimes I'm Happy
06 Monk's Tune (Monk's Mood)

Label: London 1174 Esquire 304
Recorded: March 19 (01 02) June 26 (03-06) 1953
Lineage: Unknown

0044 Jimmy Deuchar [Showcase] FLAC 8(27.54)

Contributed by Cornelius

Jimmy Deuchar - trumpet
Derek Humble - alto
Don Rendell - tenor
Dill Jones - piano
Sammy Stokes - bass
Phil Seamen - drums

01 Climbin' The Bush
02 Stormy Weather
03 Early
04 Spain
05 Time Was
06 Magoo
07 Someone To Watch Over Me
08 Toot Sweet

Label: Vogue LDE023 Discovery DL2004
Recorded: January 27 1953
Lineage: Unknown>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

0042 Tito Burns and Norman Burns [Meet the Burns Tito and Norman] FLAC 8(25.15)

Contributed by bluebird, who writes:-
1954 recordings by two almost forgotten figures in the history of British Jazz. 
Tito Burns was a jazz accordionist and ran a very progressive jazz sextet between 1947 and 1955 employing many of the future stars of British modern jazz but the musicians here are not too well known on this septet recording. Tito later left full time playing and  became a successful jazz agent and promoter. He was married to vocalist Terry Devon who can be heard on 'Modern Mixture' elsewhere on this blog.
Norman Burns (no relation to Tito) was a drummer playing with many of the dance bands in the 1940s. He led his own quintet from 1951. He subsequently left full time music, moving to Australia where he died in 1994. On this 1954 recording he leads a septet with musicians who again were not well known.

(01-04)
Amy Tweed - trumpet
Don Savage - alto
Norman Gondall - tenor
Tito Burns - accordion
Johnny Weed - piano
Stan Wasser - bass
Dougie Cooper - drums
(05-08)
John Harris - trumpet
Gordon Langford - vibes
Dave Davani - accordion
Les Allen - piano
Barry Fox - guitar
Brian Short - bass
Norman Burns - drums

01 Midnight Sun
02 Budo
03 Pinky
04 Riff Concoction
05 Jeepers Creepers
06 Happy Lobster
07 Three O'Clock in the Morning
08 I Get a Kick Out of you

Label: Esquire 20-029
Recorded: February 26 (01-04) April 09 (05-09) 1954
Lineage: LP>FLAC

0041 Don Rendell [Meet Don Rendell] FLAC 21(1.12.39)

Contributed by grumpy
These 21 tracks constitute a fine slice of mid-1950s Rendell, with good-quality, lightly but firmly swinging accompaniment throughout (pianist Damian Robinson, in particular, impresses). If the spirit of Lester Young is to the fore, particularly in the relaxed, rhythmic suppleness of Rendell's lines, there are plenty of moments when one senses the growing depths of this sterling saxophonist's own personality. This is especially the case on the 1955 quartet sides: listen to Yesterdays, New Orleans, From This Moment On or Body And Soul, for example. With some nice touches from Hogg and Ross—the four concluding sides, on which the latter participates on baritone, are some of the most foot-tappingand smile-inducing here—this is a most enjoyable dip into early British modernism, complete with an original cover photo and edited melding of the original Tempo EP and LP sleevenotes by Mike Butcher and Alun Morgan.
Michael Tucker ~ Jazz Journal June 2002
Now in his eighties, Don is still active, advertising his services as a saxophone tutor in Jazz Journal.
Good as Rendell was in the 50s his best work lay in the future. The five albums he co-led with Ian Carr stand as a landmark in late 60s jazz; all are currently available on three CDs - well worth buying and Don deserves those royalties!

(01 02)
Dickie Hawdon - flugelhorn
Don Rendell - tenor
Ronnie Ross - tenor
Damian Robinson - piano
Ashley Kozak - bass
Derek Hogg - drums
(03)
Damian Robinson - piano
Pete Elderfield - bass
Don Lawson - drums
(04-07)
Dickie Hawdon - trumpet, flugelhorn
Don Rendell - tenor
Ronnie Ross - baritone
Damian Robinson - piano
Pete Elderfield - bass
Don Lawson - drums
(08-11)
Don Rendell - tenor
Damian Robinson - piano
Pete Elderfield - bass
Don Lawson - drums
(12-17)
Don Rendell - tenor
Damian Robinson - piano
Sammy Stokes - bass
Benny Goodman - drums
(18-21)
Don Rendell - tenor
Ronnie Ross - baritone
Damian Robinson - piano
Sammy Stokes - bass
Benny Goodman - drums

01 My Heart Belongs to Daddy
02 Little Boy Green
03 Sinbad the Tailor
04 Didn't We
05 Muskrat Ramble
06 Thames Walk
07 Dance of the Ooblies
08 You Stepped Out of a Dream
09 Sometimes I'm Happy
10 On a Slow Boat to China
11 Yesterdays
12 Top Hat, White Tie and Tails
13 That Old Feeling
14 New Orleans
15 From This Moment On
16 Body and Soul
17 Blow, Mr Dexter
18 The Griffin
19 Cool Sparks
20 Carolet
21 Some of Us

Label: JASCD 613
Recorded: London June 9 1954 (01 02) February 22 (03-11) May 2 (12-17) May 16 1955 (18-21)
Lineage: CD>FLAC Frontend

0040 Spike Robinson [The Guv'nor] FLAC 16(53.53)

Contributed by delmonico, who writes:-
All the tracks here have alternate takes and all were only previously issued on 78 rpm records. Spike was an American by birth and after leaving the US Navy ended up in London in 1951 where he made these records. The recordings on 18 April 1951, under the leadership of Tommy Pollard, are his first and the tracks recorded on 7 July 1951, under his own name, were his last for over 25 years. Spike, perhaps better known for his later playing on tenor, plays alto here on all tracks and Tommy Pollard has his only date as leader here. Ripped in FLAC from lp with cover scans. Forgot to mention that the Spike music is as it comes off the lp. The noise, clicks etc are on the original recordings - the lp is in mint condition. I have not attempted to do anything with it on the basis of  'if the Esquire engineers can't do it then I certainly can't.'

(01-08)
Spike Robinson - alto
Victor Feldman - vibes
Tommy Pollard - piano
Lennie Bush - bass
Tony Crombie - drums
(09-16)
Spike Robinson - alto
Ronnie Ball - piano
Sammy Stokes - bass
Victor Feldman - drums

01 East of the Sun
02 East of the Sun
03 Just Friends
04 Just Friends
05 Lover Come Back to Me
06 Lover Come Back to Me
07 The Way You Look Tonight
08 The Way You Look Tonight
09 Bluebird
10 Bluebird
11 The Guv'nor
12 The Guv'nor
13 Spike's Choice
14 Spike's Choice
15 Spike's Delight
16 Spike's Delight

Label: Esquire 318
Recorded:April 18 (01-08) July 07 (09-16) 1951
Lineage: LP>FLAC