STV's The Jazz Series now available online

[Guest]

Nothing good on TV? Scottish ITV's late-70s/early-80s jazz series, simply but accurately named "The Jazz Series", is now available online.

24 half-hour programmes in all. Presenters are Annie Ross (Series 1), George Chisholm (Series 2) and Ronnie Scott (Series 3 and 4).

Musicians featured include Jimmy Deuchar, George Coleman, Bob Brookmeyer, Jim Hall, Stan Tracey, Kenny Wheeler and Johnny Griffin plus some of the better Scottish acts of the time (Bobby Wishart, Jimmy Feighan, jazz-rock group Head).

Can you imagine any TV company doing something like this nowadays?

Go to http://www.youtube.com/show?p=BNWalbhlSqo&s=1 and enjoy. (In typically low-budget fashion, STV put their archive stuff out on YouTube rather than hosting it themselves).

And thanks to Bill Kyle of The Jazz Bar in Edinburgh (and drummer in Head) for bringing this to my attention.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

many thanks Byas'd - a total gasser innit

[grippie]

<quote>And thanks to Bill Kyle of The Jazz Bar in Edinburgh (and drummer in Head) for bringing this to my attention. </quote>

Yes many thanks & very nice too.

[Ian Thumwood]

Byas

There is another series of jazz DVD's that has emerged on Amazon which appear to be solo recitals by a variety fo musicians. This is of interest to me insofar that I am a huge fan of three of the featured players, Bill Frisell, John Aebercrombie and Andrew Hill.

Not aware of the Scottish series but the local BBC station did run a jazz programme in the early 80's and can recall hearing Benny Walters playing with a British band on one occasion. There is a local jazz programme on the radio too but the presenters always put you off. Seems a far cry from the 70's when my piano teacher had a regular programme on the local independent radio station where he performed music with his trio each week. You would be stretched to fing this kind of programme now albeit there is a woman on BBC TV / Radio down here who champions local bands on her Saturday morning radio show. However, given that she specialises in folk, this is a big turn off.