Record Reviews

GEORGIE FAME ~ THE COMPLETE LIVE BROADCASTS I RHYTHM AND BLUES 065 (Barcode: 5060331752226) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1964 - 1967 Released: 2021 This is an archival 2CD album presenting the BBC broadcasts by the British vocalist / organist / songwriter Georgie FameFind albums by this artist and his group The Blue FlamesFind albums by this artist. The first CD presents thirty-three tracks recorded between December 1964 and December 1965. The second CD presents thirty-one tracks recorded between February 1966 and July 1967, and includes four tracks recorded with the vocalist LuluFind albums by this artist and eight tracks recorded with The Harry South Big BandFind albums by this artist. Fame, my all-time favorite British vocalist, was quite a strange phenomenon on the burgeoning local Rhythm And Blues scene, which give birth to an immense number of groups like The Rolling StonesFind albums by this artist and eventually the entire British Rock scene. While the majority of these musicians followed initially the Blues trail, Fame (and a few others) was much more involved with Jazz influences, which are clearly evident on the tracks present here. The Blue Flames included a three-man horn section with trumpeter Eddie ThorntonFind albums by this artist and saxophonists Peter CoeFind albums by this artist and Glen HughesFind albums by this artist, as well as Jazz drummer Bill EydenFind albums by this artist, guitarist Colin GreenFind albums by this artist, bassist Tex MakinFind albums by this artist and percussionist Speedy AcquayeFind albums by this artist. In time saxophonists Lyn DobsonFind albums by this artist and Johnny MarshallFind albums by this artist, trombonist Derek WadsworthFind albums by this artist and drummers Mitch MitchellFind albums by this artist and Hughie FlintFind albums by this artist all played in Fame’s band. The material includes a mixture of Fame’s early hits (“Yeh Yeh” and “In The Meantime”) and less know material, all perfectly recorded and although in mono, sound brilliantly fresh, and considering the fact that this is the first time they can be enjoyed in full, this album is worth its weight in gold. Since I was convinced that I owned everything Fame has ever recorded, this was a huge surprise and the fact that a second volume of stuff is in preparation is even more exciting. Can’t wait! For Fame followers this stuff is absolutely essential and none of them would like to miss this (or the next volume) in their collections. Heaven on earth!

Updated: 08/05/2023Posted: 12/08/2021

CD 2 Recommend To A Friend

JOE HARRIOTT ~ CHRONOLOGY LIVE 1968-69 JAZZ IN BRITAIN 09 (Barcode: 5060774190241) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 1968 - 1969 Released: 2021 This is an archival album by the British saxophonist / composer Joe HarriottFind albums by this artist. The album presents five tracks by Harriott’s quintet with trumpeter Kenny WheelerFind albums by this artist, pianist Pat SmytheFind albums by this artist, bassist Ron MathewsonFind albums by this artist and drummer Bill EydenFind albums by this artist and two tracks recorded with the Harry South Big BandFind albums by this artist, which included many of the top British Jazz players of the time. One of the tracks is a Harriott original and another is a Wheeler original and the rest are standards. Although Harriott passed like a comet over the British Jazz firmament, he was certainly a key figure, a sage and a pioneer, light-years ahead of most of his peers. His own original Free Jazz ideas, some of the earliest on the global Jazz timeline, were so advanced and unique that even the shortsighted American Jazz clique recognized them as revolutionary and Harriott was the first British Jazz musician to receive a five-star review in the US DownBeat magazine. His first two albums, including the iconic “Free FormFind albums with this title” (1960), were also released in the US, followed by two UK releases: “AbstractFind albums with this title” (1962) and “MovementFind albums with this title” (1963), a threesome that defined the British Jazz emancipation. His involvement in the pioneering Jazz-World Fusion with John MayerFind albums by this artist, which resulted in the “Indo-Jazz Fusions” recordings was another glorious achievement. The music present on this album is one of the latest evidence of his recording career, which completely ceased by 1970, and his last years, ridden by illness remain tragically silent until his death in 1973. By the late 1960s Harriott returned to play conventional, Bebop based music, often with some Caribbean influences, which is what we can hear here. He is still a brilliant saxophonist by all means, and his performances, as well as those of his quintet members and the Big Band, are all definitely worth hearing, albeit by far less exciting than his earlier work. Although the recordings are mono, the sound quality is acceptable and allows the listener to enjoy the music in full. Kenny Wheeler does steal the show here and there, as expected. Considering the fact that this music was previously unreleased, this is a worthy edition to Harriott’s recorded legacy. This CD release, made following an earlier LP release of this material, is a step in the right direction, which means that the people behind the Jazz In BritainFind albums on this label listen to our voices and are not completely blinded by the vinyl hype. Good work Guys!

Updated: 24/07/2021Posted: 24/07/2021

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

TUBBY HAYES ~ LIVE AT THE FLAMINGO 1958 RHYTHM AND BLUES 092 (Barcode: 5060331753445) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 1958 Released: 2023 This is an archival album by the iconic British Jazz saxophonist / composer / bandleader Tubby HayesFind albums by this artist. It presents a previously unreleased live recording at the legendary Flamingo club in London, captured during the early days of Hayes’ career, before he achieved the top rank on the British scene. The music is performed by a formidable octet, with trumpeters Les CondonFind albums by this artist and Stuart HamerFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Alan BranscombeFind albums by this artist, Ronnie ScottFind albums by this artist and Hayes, pianist Terry ShannonFind albums by this artist, bassist Jeff ClyneFind albums by this artist and drummer Bill EydenFind albums by this artist – a band that in fact existed only once for that particular concert. Three additional musicians guest on selected tracks. The album presents nine tracks, seven of which are standards and two are originals, one by Jimmy DeucharFind albums by this artist and another by Hayes. The accompanying booklet offers an informative essay by Simon SpillettFind albums by this artist, who is the author of the Tubby Hays biography, which of course is worth reading. The music is of course still mostly in the American Bebop tradition, but clearly shows how the British musicians adopted that tradition and added a very specific “British touch” to it, already at that early stage. The individual performances are nothing short of brilliant and the octet arrangements are clever and sophisticated. The club atmosphere is a reminder why the Flamingo was a place to be in late 1950’s London, when one wanted to hear some great music (and for other less cultural reasons). The recording is mono, but offers quite reasonable sound quality, which enables everything to be heard properly, even if the drums are sometimes a tad too high in the mix, a small price to pay for the splendid music, which lost nothing of its vitality in the sixty-five years since it was recorded. Overall, this is a superb piece of British Jazz history, and a splendid reminder of the great talent of one of its most impressive heroes. Hayes was undoubtedly one of the greatest European saxophonist, and his talent was recognized also on the other side of the pond, which happened rarely. His pioneering ability to combine the Jazz tradition with modernism and even early Avant-Garde Jazz approach, in addition to his superhuman performing skills, makes him a legendary figure, which should be remembered by all, especially since he left us tragically way to prematurely.

Updated: 24/10/2023Posted: 19/10/2023

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

DICK MORRISSEY ~ AT THE BBC 1967 RHYTHM AND BLUES 074 (Barcode: 5060331752608) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 1967 Released: 2021 This is an archival album by seminal British saxophonist / composer / bandleader Dick MorrisseyFind albums by this artist. The album presents two BBC sessions captured in June and October 1967 performed by his quartet, with included pianist Harry SouthFind albums by this artist, bassist Phil BatesFind albums by this artist and drummer Bill EydenFind albums by this artist. The two sessions produced twelve tracks, with three tunes repeated in both sessions, most being Jazz standards and just one original by South. The music is all well within the mainstream Jazz idiom, but formidably performed by the quartet and presents Morrissey as a wonderfully talented player, considered at the time as second only to the legendary Tubby HayesFind albums by this artist. Morrissey fans should definitely put their hands on the VocalionFind albums on this label twofer reissue “Here And Now And Sounding Good / Storm Warning!Find albums with this title” of his 1965/66 studio albums, which offer similar music to what can be herd here. The sound quality of these recordings if excellent, which of course makes listening to the music a true pleasure. Following his Bebop / Hard Bop period, by the end of the 1960s Morrissey switched to the Jazz-Rock Fusion idiom, first with the brilliant group IfFind albums by this artist, which lasted till 1975 and recorded eight albums and later with the Morrissey-Mullen BandFind albums by this artist, formed with guitarist Jim MullenFind albums by this artist, which lasted for fifteen years and recorded seven excellent albums. Morrissey died from cancer in 2000 at the age of 60, as usual in such cases way too early, as his glorious recording legacy proves.

Updated: 10/08/2021Posted: 10/08/2021

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

DICK MORRISSEY ~ HERE AND NOW AND SOUNDING GOOD / STORM WARNING! VOCALION 8479 (Barcode: 765387847920) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 1965 - 1966 Released: 2011 This exquisite reissue brings to life two extremely rare mid-1960s quartet recordings by the great British saxophonist Dick MorrisseyFind albums by this artist, one of the great representatives of the British Jazz scene at its peak in the 1960s / 1970s. Earning respect and admiration as a Hard Bop player (as documented on these two albums) Morrissey later formed the fantastic early Jazz-Rock ensemble IfFind albums by this artist and after it disbanded he formed the Morrissey-Mullen BandFind albums by this artist (with guitarist Jim MullenFind albums by this artist), which lasted for almost two decades as one of the best and most stable British bands. Sadly Morrissey died in 2000, losing his battle with cancer. A brilliant player with enormous sensitivity and beautiful tone, Morrissey remains a symbol of the times, when music sounded better and girls looked prettier (to old farts like myself of course). This album is sweet and mellow, with superb performance by pianist Harry SouthFind albums by this artist, who also contributed several original compositions, bassist Phil BatesFind albums by this artist and drummers Bill EydenFind albums by this artist (first album) and the legend Phil SeamenFind albums by this artist (second album). Disregarding the element of nostalgia, this is a damn great Jazz album, which swings like mad and makes life worth living. The recording quality (and the superb remastering by Michael J. DuttonFind albums by this artist) is simply breathtaking. So in short: don’t you dare to miss this beauty!

Updated: 12/06/2018Posted:

CD 2 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

RONNIE SCOTT QUARTET ~ BBC JAZZ CLUB 1964-1966 RHYTHM AND BLUES 063 (Barcode: 5060331752219) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 1964 - 1966 Released: 2020 This is an archival album by the British Jazz quartet led by legendary saxophonist Ronnie ScottFind albums by this artist, known worldwide as the co-owner / co-founder (with Pete KingFind albums by this artist) of London’s most iconic Jazz Club, established in 1959 and located first at 39 Gerrard Street and in 1965 moved to the nearby current location (yes the club is still functional today) at 47 Frith Street. In all those years the Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club became the de facto European Mecca not only for British Jazz, but for top Jazz Artists from all over the world. The album presents three sessions featuring the quartet: three tracks from 1964 (with an announcement by Scott) with pianist Stan TraceyFind albums by this artist, bassist Malcolm CecilFind albums by this artist and drummer Jackie DouganFind albums by this artist; three tracks from 1965 with Tracey, bassist Rick LairdFind albums by this artist and drummer Ronnie StephensonFind albums by this artist; and finally five tracks from 1966 (with announcements by Humphrey LittletonFind albums by this artist) with Tracey, bassist Freddy LoganFind albums by this artist and drummer Bill EydenFind albums by this artist with great American vocalist Mark MurphyFind albums by this artist (resident at that time in UK) on two tracks, accompanied only by the piano trio. The music is all mainstream Jazz and all the tracks are standards, but it shows Scott as an excellent player with a personal delivery and a keen eye (well ear) for the musicians he selected for the quartet, which were definitely some of the finest players around at the time. Tracey of course was also a full-fledged composer and leader of his own, and was the house pianist at Ronnie’s Jazz Club for over seven years (1960-1967), definitely not by chance. Although Scott himself was not swept by the charms of the British Jazz revolution, which created a new sound and approach to the music, and remained faithful to the American (mostly Bebop) tradition, he was very open-minded as a person and respected the young and experimenting generation. He offered the club at the old location for as long as the lease lasted, which was named the “Old Place”, to be used by young musicians to rehearse and perform and the “house musician” position was offered to such distinguished modernist as Tony OxleyFind albums by this artist. Overall this album is a nice reminder of Scott – the saxophonist and is a valuable addition to his recorded legacy, especially since this material is available here for the first time and offers quite reasonable sound quality.

Updated: 10/07/2021Posted: 10/07/2021

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

STAN TRACEY ~ LAUGHIN` AND SCRATCHIN` JAZZ HOUSE 608 (Barcode: 751848670824) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 1965 Released: 1997 This is an album which presents archival / informal recordings by the Godfather of modern British Jazz, pianist / composer Stan TraceyFind albums by this artist, recorded live in a trio format at the famous Ronnie Scott´s Club in London, featuring bassist Rick LairdFind albums by this artist (later of Mahavishnu OrchestraFind albums by this artist fame) and drummers Ronnie StephensonFind albums by this artist or Bill EydenFind albums by this artist. The trio performs seven pieces, two of which are originals by Tracey and five are standards. Between 1959 and 1965 Tracey and his trio served as the house band at the Ronnie Scott´s Club (the original one at Gerrard Street) and accompanied scores of visiting musicians, mostly from the US, such as Johnny GriffinFind albums by this artist, Sonny RollinsFind albums by this artist, Ben WebsterFind albums by this artist, Stan GetzFind albums by this artist, Wes MontgomeryFind albums by this artist, Roland KirkFind albums by this artist and many, many more. Playing with these Giants obviously served as a wonderful opportunity for Tracey to polish his chops, but more importantly to develop his own style as a player and composer, which differed from the standard American Bebop approach. The selections included on this album are all pretty long in duration and as such are wonderful documents of Tracey´s idiosyncrasies as a piano player, with his quite unique approach to the instrument, similar in some ways to what Thelonious MonkFind albums by this artist was doing. Tracey plays mostly chords, vamping and boogieing all over the keyboard, only occasionally playing out the melody notes. His interpretation of the Monk tune present here is simply amazing. The rhythm section bravely keeps up with the governor, standing with him shoulder to shoulder even during the unexpected twists and turns he takes along the way. Although the sound quality of this album is far from ideal, the music is absolutely stunning and more than compensates for the technical limitations. Albums like this are precious pieces of Jazz history captured for eternity, which are still valid today and are definitely worth listening to, especially by the young generation, which missed it in real time. Great stuff!

Updated: 24/03/2016Posted: 24/03/2016

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend