All That Jazz

Because I have been ill in bed, and because BBC Radio 4 has hacked me off (see previous post) I have spent many pleasant hours listening to Jazz on my MP 3 player. When my dad died in 2004 I inherited his record and CD collection. Thousands of tracks, just thousands. The records, well I didn't know what to do with those. Archaic technology. I  rehomed the better ones. I am afraid that my dad was never a careful collector and many of the discs were scratched to billy oh so out they went. Some went to charity shopsThe CD's I transferred to my PC and I have a great collection.

I never get much time to listen to Jazz these days. My dad was a great afficionado. Was a regular at the "100 Club" in Oxford Street. He didn't think much to Ronnie Scotts, too expensive and too full of 'toffs' for his liking. No, dad liked Jazz to be the music of the people, a tradition which the 100 club has always tried hard to fulfill. Listening to the Count Basie Orchestra, circa 1963, playing "Sunday at the Savoy" as I write this reminds me of many pleasant Sunday lunchtime sessions in pubs around the East End and into the Essex countryside listening to amateur players and up and coming young stars 'strutting their stuff'.

Now the ttrack has jumped into the next Basie Album - and what a jump! Atomic Basie is circa 1959 and starts with a very lively, driving, pounding rendition of Kid from Redbank. Can that cat play piano. Awesome stride piano. Loud brass section. Makes one glad to be alive. Neal Hefti was the arranger. He was brought in by the record company to 'relaunch' the Basie brand which was getting a bit tarnished by this stage. And what a job he did. Their is a most definite west coast 'cool' take to many of the tracks which are very post bebop. On this album is a most wonderful version of "L'il Darlin" . We played it at Dad's funeral wake. Memories

Comments

[Sharon]

Man Cold

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mz6DktXFvg4

[la mamma]

Just found you via Mac's plug. Hope you get better soon. I sympathise completely, as I'm in the same boat (though I was v. v. naughty and went out to the Easter Vigil. I sat, I didn't say, let alone sing a word but now, though I'm glad I went, I really hope I didn't infect anyone else). Well done you for staying in. That would have been infinitely more sensible.

Good luck with the blog...