What Jazz are you listening to now?

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Gene Ammon's, "My foolish heart" a 2 minute,50 seconds 1950 Chess single and big juke box hit. Billie Holiday said it was one of her favourite records. It's remarkable how many juke boxes there were in the US and their record buying influence.

http://youtu.be/e8AmQlsrcG4?feature=shared

[Serial_Apologist]

Gene Ammon's, "My foolish heart" a 2 minute,50 seconds 1950 Chess single and big juke box hit. Billie Holiday said it was one of her favourite records. It's remarkable how many juke boxes there were in the US and their record buying influence.

http://youtu.be/e8AmQlsrcG4?feature=shared

There's some nice old footage from one of those Look At Life interval fillers at the local fleapit of a coffee house in London in the 1950s - yes of course, the bobby socks, pony tails and quiffs, but a surprising amount of sartorial creativity and colour combos on the male side of the formica table tops than one would see in today's fashion standardised age of ill-fitting suits, hoodies and trainers, given the postwar austerity then prevailing. A bit like jazz, really...

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

There's some nice old footage from one of those Look At Life interval fillers at the local fleapit of a coffee house in London in the 1950s - yes of course, the bobby socks, pony tails and quiffs, but a surprising amount of sartorial creativity and colour combos on the male side of the formica table tops than one would see in today's fashion standardised age of ill-fitting suits, hoodies and trainers, given the postwar austerity then prevailing. A bit like jazz, really...

This is true!

And....from Organissimo,

"The iconic Blue Note jazz label certainly found value in aiming their product at this kind of j(uke box) market. Mosaic Records founder and former Blue Note employee Michael Cuscuna told me that “In the fifties, jukeboxes that carried jazz were very popular in urban areas. The fact that (Blue Note producer) Alfred Lion did sessions that were just for 45 releases underlines their profitability. Jukebox services paid for the single that they got from companies so there was money to be made. And the fact is that cuts from albums edited down or broken into parts one and two helped expose a lot of jazz and contributed to album sales. I often ran into jukeboxes as late as the early 1980s that still had John Coltrane’s Blue Train in them! This went on for quite a while. When I joined Atlantic in 1972, they we still issuing jazz singles. It was there that I learned that you could still sell 5000 jazz singles to jukebox operators and turn a profit out the door.”

I remember being really surprised on a early trip to London c1961, that the Freight train cafe had the Muddy Waters Chess "Evans Shuffle) ep proudly on the juke box along with all the Billy Fury stuff etc. Maybe not a surprise as it was owned by Chas McDavitt of "le skiffle'. And French jukeboxes had the 45s of My Favourite things, Ray Charles, Mose Allison and Jimmy Smith etc. I even bought a just released Bluenote 45 of Donald Byrd's Amen in Cardiff when it came out. Those were the days.

[Serial_Apologist]

This is true!

And....from Organissimo,

"The iconic Blue Note jazz label certainly found value in aiming their product at this kind of j(uke box) market. Mosaic Records founder and former Blue Note employee Michael Cuscuna told me that “In the fifties, jukeboxes that carried jazz were very popular in urban areas. The fact that (Blue Note producer) Alfred Lion did sessions that were just for 45 releases underlines their profitability. Jukebox services paid for the single that they got from companies so there was money to be made. And the fact is that cuts from albums edited down or broken into parts one and two helped expose a lot of jazz and contributed to album sales. I often ran into jukeboxes as late as the early 1980s that still had John Coltrane’s Blue Train in them! This went on for quite a while. When I joined Atlantic in 1972, they we still issuing jazz singles. It was there that I learned that you could still sell 5000 jazz singles to jukebox operators and turn a profit out the door.”

I remember being really surprised on a early trip to London c1961, that the Freight train cafe had the Muddy Waters Chess "Evans Shuffle) ep proudly on the juke box along with all the Billy Fury stuff etc. Maybe not a surprise as it was owned by Chas McDavitt of "le skiffle'. And French jukeboxes had the 45s of My Favourite things, Ray Charles, Mose Allison and Jimmy Smith etc. I even bought a just released Bluenote 45 of Donald Byrd's Amen in Cardiff when it came out. Those were the days.

I think from out of all the late 50s/early 60s pop dross it was probably Fats Domino's version of "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans ", with that fantastic break riff it is possible to sing alternating between the interlockings in its construction, that first (before Ray Charles) diverted me away from the twangy guitar cum cowboy film rhythms and prepared my way into Brit so-called R&B through Georgie Fame, then Graham Bond and later Brian Auger and Julie Driscoll rather than the Yardbirds/John Mayall/Cream axis, thereby initiating a search for my own ideal for the later link that became Jazz Rock and Fusion. That opening theme to Antonioni's Blow-Up (and later passages of Herbie Hancock's music throughout the film) still haunted me 20 years on when I finally succeeded in finding the film track album at HMV Bristol. Further still along the road meeting Ian Carr and hearing about the British musicians' involvement in that, and Alan Skidmore's actually featuring on the funkiest track, has been one of life's blessings I can now smile back on.

*Teenaged discoveries were very tentative in my case, partly a matter of money, partly having to deal with the internalised musical snobbery I had been raised on, thus explaining my total ignorance back then of Alexis Korner, and even Joe Harriott, though as an aspiring Mod one knew about the Skatalites, naturally!

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

My elder brother by ten years was in the merchant navy, first to the West Indies and then sometimes back and forth to Canada and the States. He brought back the usual musical soundtracks, Pajama Game, Carman Jones etc and Elvis & Sinatra LPs but on one trip he brought back the second Imperial Fats Domino album "Reeling & Rocking" (1956) and I was hooked. The piano and the saxes and the entire feel. Magical stuff. He also brought back a ten inch LP of Dizzy Gillespie from New York. "You won't like this one", he said, "It's way over my head, just for musicians". Took me a while.

[Serial_Apologist]

My elder brother by ten years was in the merchant navy, first to the West Indies and then sometimes back and forth to Canada and the States. He brought back the usual musical soundtracks, Pajama Game, Carman Jones etc and Elvis & Sinatra LPs but on one trip he brought back the second Imperial Fats Domino album "Reeling & Rocking" (1956) and I was hooked. The piano and the saxes and the entire feel. Magical stuff. He also brought back a ten inch LP of Dizzy Gillespie from New York. "You won't like this one", he said, "It's way over my head, just for musicians". Took me a while.

You were fortunate then in many ways - similar to the Liverpool, Belfast and Newcastle groups who profited so much musically from fraternising with visiting US service men who wanted their own music heard while here, and by implication popularised.

Is he still living, your elder brother?

[Ian Thumwood]

Southampton was part of the same route to America and bands like Basie and Ellington performed here.

I am surprised that the jazz scene in Southampton does not feature so much in histories as there was a big influx to jazz musicians from the States who played in London via Southampton. There was an old established Trad group called the Gateway Jazz Band who existed fir 30 odd years and the trombonist played an Instrument gifted to him by a sailor who worked on the boats. His name was Claude Jones who was one of the first trombonists to develop the horn into a solo instrument with the likesof McKCP and Don Redman.

The Dolphin in Botley was popular jazz venue and my piano teacher told me about the room being full to hear Earl Hines perform

There is so little live jazz in Southampton now. It seemed to stop in 2000 but was still vibrant through 80s and 90s.

[Serial_Apologist]

Southampton was part of the same route to America and bands like Basie and Ellington performed here.

I am surprised that the jazz scene in Southampton does not feature so much in histories as there was a big influx to jazz musicians from the States who played in London via Southampton. There was an old established Trad group called the Gateway Jazz Band who existed fir 30 odd years and the trombonist played an Instrument gifted to him by a sailor who worked on the boats. His name was Claude Jones who was one of the first trombonists to develop the horn into a solo instrument with the likesof McKCP and Don Redman.

The Dolphin in Botley was popular jazz venue and my piano teacher told me about the room being full to hear Earl Hines perform

There is so little live jazz in Southampton now. It seemed to stop in 2000 but was still vibrant through 80s and 90s.

That is so contrasted with Bristol, which was lively in the 1980s and 80s, and seems to be undergoing another renaissance right now. London seems to be all about all the new kids on the block everybody hears about these days!

[Ian Thumwood]

Incredible if you think about Joe Harriots association with the city.

I think Covid killed off alot of live music. Pubs closing down hasn't helped but I loved the scene in 1990s when my piano teacher was doing a regular gig in the basement at Goblets wine bar.

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Fats Domino "So long" 1956. Always loved this record and the simple but perfect alto solo which just floats in. Walter Duconge who apparently worshipped Charlie Parker and lived a similar lifestyle.

http://youtu.be/iCyOpexzmys?feature=shared

[Jazzrook]

Inspired by S_A’s post #8599, here’s Bobby Hutcherson with Herbie Hancock, Albert Stinson & Joe Chambers playing ‘Theme From Blow Up’ from the great album ‘Oblique’, recorded in 1967 but not issued until 1979(in Japan):

https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=LuJD8cB_NmM

JR

[Ian Thumwood]

Inspired by S_A’s post #8599, here’s Bobby Hutcherson with Herbie Hancock, Albert Stinson & Joe Chambers playing ‘Theme From Blow Up’ from the great album ‘Oblique’, recorded in 1967 but not issued until 1979(in Japan):

https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=LuJD8cB_NmM

JR

That is a great album but Happenings by an al ist identical line up is even better.

Now playing Ask the ages by Donny Sharrock. Just realised that all 4 musicians are no longer with us.

[Jazzrook]

Sun Ra and his Arkestra playing ‘Enlightenment’ from the 1959 album ‘Jazz in Silhouette’. I love Hobart Dotson’s trumpet on this:

https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=RHgNtAwg2B4

JR

[Serial_Apologist]

Thanks for Msg 8606 JR - much appreciated!

[Serial_Apologist]

Sun Ra and his Arkestra playing ‘Enlightenment’ from the 1959 album ‘Jazz in Silhouette’. I love Hobart Dotson’s trumpet on this:

https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=RHgNtAwg2B4

JR

Lovely indeed - and amazing to see some of the personnel in that line-up, though not sure they would have been donning the cosmic Egyptian look that early. Pyramid sales had not yet been invented.