Any Jazz fans left in Sheffield?

[fleetwood 10]

I've just acquired 'The Very Best of Diana Krall" CD, I spotted this in a clearance bin in a store for a couple of dollars, now that's good value with almost 80min of music. --- Now, I know i'm on (record) as saying i'm not the biggest fan, but it goes like this, i've always believed she's super talented, by her own admission she's not a great soloist, but she does'nt have to be in the commercial approach to jazz she has adopted (and that people enjoy), it goes without saying she's certainly easy on the eye and makes for a very attractive package indeed and lets face it, thousands of her fans around the world can't be wrong. --- I think my problem was, I saw her a couple of times in concert early on and it was my feeling we got short changed on the length of the shows, also she seemed to spend an inordinate and unnecessary amount of time talking about her charity work and other family matters. In all fairness to her though, I suppose she thought, i'm on home turf and among friends. Needless to say, I am enjoying the CD even though two of the tracks are from that dreaded 'Girl in the Other Room'.

Edited September 2, 2009 by fleetwood

[Texas 10]

Good to hear/read from you again fleets. So you enjoyed your trip? Too cool for me man, up tha'r. You didn't meet up with any aspiring Vice Presidents did you?

While you've been rummaging around in the 'cheapo' bins, I've recently been spending my pension money on top whack stuff like ' At the Lighthouse' with the Adderley bro's and trying to enhance my knowledge of jazz with 'Together Again' with Howard McGhee and Teddy Edwards. Oh, and I also bought an album of Dodo Marmarosa's work, which also featured Howard McGhee.

[sweetdexter 10]

Sorry wrong link see next post

Edited September 3, 2009 by sweetdexter

[sweetdexter 10]

Alas, another one gone.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/sep/02/chris-connor-obituary

Edited September 3, 2009 by sweetdexter

[fleetwood 10]

Hi Tex - Nice choice of artists, bebop was well represented there. Hi sweetdexter - As you say, another one gone 'Chris Connor'. 'Les Paul' also died a couple of weeks ago.

Edited September 4, 2009 by fleetwood
Connor not Conner

[sweetdexter 10]

Hi texas,your last post prompted me to pull out the LP Cannonball Adderly quintet live at the lighthouse.

I see Victor Feldman was on piano.

Wasn't Feldman an ex-pat?

[Texas 10]

'Live at the Lighthouse', a great album. I used to hear it a lot way back, but never got around to buying it until recently. I've been researching stuff about Vic Feldman just lately and found out that he had a trio in California back in the early 60's with Colin Bailey on drums. Now I mentioned CB a while back on here, but nobody seemed to remember him. He actually played, mid 50's at the Locarno, with a band led by (I think) a George Sumner. He was a good player back then,when he'd be in his early twenties. He told me he wanted to get back to Australia where he'd been on tour with Winifred Atwell and he eventually did, being a founder member of the Australian Jazz Quartet. After going to the U.S. with the AJQ, doing a few jobs, he wound up with Vic Feldman. And those trio records are well worth looking for, the bass player being Bob Whitlock.

They were two of a kind really, Vic Feldman and Colin Bailey, both of 'em starting on drums from a very early age, both playing piano also. And both expats. Remember the drum feature 'Agitation', by Tony Williams with the Miles Davis Quintet? Well it was Vic Feldman's arrangment and Colin Bailey did it first with Vic's trio. Since those days, Colin has accompanied a hell of a lot of famous jazz stars, the boy done good.

Yes fleets, I keep trying to fill the gaps in my jazz knowledge, from the Memphis Jug band to 'Bitches Brew'. I got listening to Howard McGhee thro' hearing a track with him and Teddy Edwards. He always annoyed the crap out of me by seemingly overeaching himself sometimes, but on the 'Together Again' album he gets it just right.

And Dodo Marmarosa. I hold my hand up and say that I'd never heard a record of his, so I thought I'd rectify the situation. His career didn't last long enough.

[fleetwood 10]

I was watching a documentary about 'Nat King Cole" the other night and while some film clips looked familiar I don't think I had seen this particular docu before. --- What a class act he was, anyway near the end of the programme it mentioned how he was attacked at a concert in Birmingham, Alabama in the mid 50's, I think these racist goons came right on stage and beat him about the head and so on. --- What was'nt mentioned Ted Heath and band were appearing on the same bill with him at the time, cannot remember if the tour ended prematurely or if the Birmingham date was the last one. --- I remember reading in the 'Melody Maker' when T.H. and guys arrived back, how everybody felt shocked and disgusted with the events that had taken place. --- Dont know for sure, but I have a very hazy recollection of Peggy Lee being on the same bill.

[Texas 10]

Class act indeed. Did you ever see him at the City Hall, fleets? One of the most memorable shows ever for me. I also remember reading about that fracas in Alabama in the MM. Only to be expected back then I suppose.

I've got loads of his recordings and really he could make a fist of the most trite of songs. The only thing he ever did that makes me grimace a bit, was a piece from a live album, I forget the venue, but the song was something called 'Mr Cole won't Rock 'n Roll'. You've probably heard it. He could do 'Lush Life' though, so that puts him up there.

[fleetwood 10]

Hi Tex - I did'nt know he had played the 'City', it mentioned his London Palladium dates from around the early 50's. They played a clip of the song 'Mr Cole won't Rock'n Roll'. --- Which reminds me of another silly song, 'Mama will Bark' which Frank Sinatra recorded, actually a duet with Dagmar (Google this to find out all the details.) In later years Sinatra felt embarrassed, disavowing and disowning the song, I think he's publicized as wanting to do harm to Mitch Miller the A&R man at Columbia Records at the time, who was responsible for the concept and introducing him to it.

[Highnote 10]

I remember clearly Nat Cole at the City Hall, a very memorable evening, and one thing is very clear, during his performance he spoke of the need for modern singers to depend on the microphone and sound equipment, and said he would give an illustration of this, and put the microphone down, the band played and he walked around the stage as normal but just mouthing the word, no sound from him at all.Brilliant.

Regarding the fracas in Birmingham Alabama, Ted Heath was so incensed he wanted to cancel the rest of the tour tour altogether, and along with Nat Cole on that tour there were the Four Freshmen and June Christy, not Peggy Lee as previously suggested.

[Texas 10]

Your mention of Peggy Lee, fleets, reminded me that I went to see her when she came over here in the early 60's. She played some theatre/restaurant, the name of which I've forgotton, but it was down Piccadilly. I went the night after 'Press' night, the place was packed, lots of famous faces, celebritys and so forth. I was probably the only one there with dirt under his fingernails. But she was tremendous, all you would imagine, great voice and sexy with it. She had a quartet accompanying her including the guitarist Denis Budimaer, who you don't hear much of nowadays. She did all the stuff you associate with her, a good night. I did contemplate suicide when I saw my bill, but I got over it.