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Lake first time reissue for classic trad jazz catalogue Jazz specialist, Lake Records, gets 2004 off to a great start with a slew of classic British trad jazz reissues from the Record Supervision catalogue recorded in London during the 19050s and 60s by the prolific and increasingly cultish independent producer, Denis Preston. Five albums from the 30-title strong catalogue, licensed to Lake by Universal, see the light of the day for the first time since their first release and set out the catalogue’s stall to dramatic effect. Released January 2004 through Proper Distribution:
HUMPHREY LYTTELTON - I PLAY AS I PLEASE (LAKE LACD189) Tracks: Skid Row; Manhattan; La Paloma; Going Out The Back Way; Singing The Blues; Bodega; Looking For Turner; Sweethearts On Parade; Dixie Theme; Blues At Dawn; Buona Sera; Blues In The Afternoon I Play As I Please was the title of Humphrey Lyttelton’s autobiography. He had started off playing a classic New Orleans/Dixieland style, but soon began to break the rules: he introduced a saxophone much to the horror of the Trad Jazz fans. In the period leading up to the recording of the LP which forms the basis of this CD, Lyttelton had completely revamped his band which had taken him further away from the standard New Orleans configurations. He brought in two saxophonists Tony Coe and Jimmy Skidmore, dispensed with a banjo/guitar and added pianist Ian Armit and drummer, Eddie Harvey. None were noted traditionalists and so was formed Lyttelton’s first truely "Mainstream" band. The original LP also saw Humph playing around with West Indian rhythms with the Paseo Band and flirting with a big band. Digby Fairweather once noted "Lyttelton’s records from this period are world class". This was the start, and is a landmark British jazz album. CHRIS BARBER’S JAZZ BAND - IN BARBER’S CHAIR (LAKE LACD185) Tracks: Ory’s Creole Trombone; Come On Baby; Burgundy Street Blues; New Orleans Hula; Bagatelle; Solitariness; Mood Indigo; I Hate Myself For Being Mean to You; On The Sunny Side Of The Street; Oh Baby; Making Whoopee; Phil’s Late; Original Charleston Strut; Body & Soul; Cookie; Sweet Lorraine; It’s Only A Paper Moon; New Stack O’Lee; C’est L’Armour; Till We Meet Again Chris Barber has run Britain’s most successful jazz band since 1954. He was already in a commanding position in 1960 when the first of these tracks were recorded. In 1959 he had had a hit with Petite Fleur and was riding a crest of popularity. The band set about recording a set of EPs featuring the various soloists with the band. The obvious choice to start was Monty Sunshine, who had been the clarinet soloist on Petite Fleur. Pat Halcox had occupied the trumpet position in the Barber Band since its formation (and still does so today). Sunshine’s departure from the band caused a lot of consternation in the music media, but he was replaced by the superb, Ian Wheeler. Barber’s trombone was also featured on a fourth EP. This CD is compiled from the three EPs (a mixture of solo features and band numbers) and plus three vocal tracks from Ottilie Patterson.
MR ACKER BILK & HIS PARAMOUNT JAZZ BAND – ACKER (ACKER LAKE LACD186) Tracks: Summer Set; Tiger Rag; White Cliffs Of Dover; Lazy River; Snake Rag; 2:19 Blues; There’s A Rainbow Round My Shoulder; Milenberg Joys; Fancy Pants; Original Dixieland One Step; Goodnight Sweet Prince; Good Woman Blues; Bottom Of The Bottle; Corrinne Corrina; Should I?; Coming For To Carry Me Home; Snag It; Pretty Boy; New Orleans Stomp; Gatemouth Blues; Who Rolled That Stone Away? By 1960 Acker Bilk had already tasted chart success with Summer Set (on this CD), but had yet to achieve international fame with Stranger on the Shore. He had been effectively marketed as Mr Acker Bilk complete with Edwardian dress and bowler hats. The bowler had did tend to obscure the hot driving jazz the band was capable of. The Bilk Band was extremely popular with young people in the Jazz clubs the length and breath of the country. The band had a number of very talented members and not least Colin Smith, one of our most under-rated trumpet players. This CD charts the development of the band from a piano-less rhythm section to the inclusion of the wonderful Stan Greig on piano. This was the Bilk line-up for most of his chart-topping 60s period.
THE ARCHIE SEMPLE - ALEX WELSH BIG FOUR - NIGHT PEOPLE (LAKE LACD187) Tracks: Carolina Moon; I’ll Be Seeing You; Lady Sings The Blues; I’ll Get By; Premier Bal; What’ll I Do?; Deep Sleep; Back In Your Own Backyard; Night People; After My Laughter Came Tears; My Foolish Heart; Solitariness; Poor Butterfly; Lullaby Of The Leaves; Mean To Me; She’s Funny That Way; Summer Is A-Comin’ In; Blues For Mesmer; The One I Love Belongs To Somebody Else; Sorry, Norrie; They Didn’t Believe Me; I’m Confessin’; Just Another Day The 1960s was the era of the traditional jazz clarinet. Archie Semple never had the chart success of British clarinet players like Monty Sunshine, Acker Bilk and Terry Lightfoot, but he has become a cult figure of British jazz and is widely regarded as one of the true individualists the scene ever produced. Stylistically he took inspiration from the legendary Pee Wee Russell, but he was no mere copyist. He rose to prominence first of all in Freddy Randall’s Band (where he replaced Bruce Turner) and then Alex Welsh (with whom he had played in Edinburgh). Continual health problems and alcoholism led to his early death in 1974. The two LPs comprising this CD have long become collector’s items.
KEN COLYER’S JAZZMEN - I PLAY AS I PLEASE (LAKE LACD188) Tracks: St. Louis Blues; Aunt Hagar’s Blues; Breeze; Tishomingo Blues; Sobbin’ Blues; See See Rider; Chimes Blues; Sentimental Journey; When The Sun Goes Down; Take It Easy; Postman’s Lament; Darkness On The Delta; Bonus track: Buddy Bolden’s Blues (with Little Brother Montgomery) Ken Colyer (known as ‘the Guvnor’) was one of traditional jazz’s first legends. His presence in the influential Crane River Jazz Band in the late 40s, his pilgrimage to New Orleans and the formation of the first Ken Colyer Jazzmen with Chris Barber, Monty Sunshine and Lonnie Donegan ensured a certain position in the great scheme of things. The split with Barber et al is the subject of much folklore. He earned a reputation as a gruff, uncompromising spirit. He ploughed a lone furrow eschewing the commercialism of the Trad Boom. This gave him cult status, which continues to this day. The CD is based around the This Is The Blues LP which has never been reissued in any format and includes a very young Sammy Rimington who is one of the leading lights of the New Orleans scene today.
Issued December 2003 by Singsong Entertainment Publicity Contacts: Peter Muir tel 01296 715228 peter@singsongpr.biz Pat Tynan on 01895 636935 pat@singsongpr.biz
http://www.singsongpr.biz/
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