BRITISH MODERN JAZZ PIANISTS 1948-62 - So Much, So Quickly
Acrobat ADDCD 3240
CD1
1. Idabop (Feat. Ralph Sharon) - The Esquire Five; 2. The Man from Minton's - George Shearing Trio; 3. Too Marvelous for Words (Feat. Tommy Pollard)- Ronnie Scott Quartet; 4. The Nearness of You - Ronnie Scott with The Ronnie Ball Trio; 5. Fools Rush In (Feat. Victor Feldman) - Ronnie Scott Quartet; 6. Chelsea Bridge - Damian Robinson Trio; 7. May-zee - Dill Jones Trio; 8. Bluebird (Feat. Terry Shannon) - Dizzy Reece Quartet; 9. Opus Untitled - Derek Smith; 10. Sweet Lorraine - Lennie Felix Trio; 11. Moveable - Eddie Thompson Trio; 12. Autumn in Cuba (Feat. Alan Branscombe) - London Jazz Quartet; 13. We'll Call You - Stan Tracey Trio; 14. Cheek to Cheek - Dave Lee & His Orchestra
CD2
1. There It Is (Feat. Brian Dee) - The Jazz Five; 2. All the Things You Are - Harry South Trio; 3. Willow Weep for Me - Stan Jones Trio; 4. Portrait (Feat. Bill Le Sage) - Tony Kinsey Quintet;
5. Manumission (Feat. John Burch) - The New Don Rendell Quintet; 6. Drop Me Off in Harlem - Norman Stenfalt Quartet; 7. Pictures (Feat. Pat Smythe) - The Joe Harriott Quintet; 8. In the Night (Feat. Gordon Beck) - The Tubby Hayes Quartet; 9. Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams (Feat. Colin Purbrook) - The Tony Coe Quintet; 10. I Get a Kick Out of You - Dudley Moore Trio
The title sums up what you will find on the this 2 CD compilation. The question is: who will buy this? Crammed full of great pianists from George Shearing through Victor Feldman, Eddie Thompson to Stan Tracey and Dudley Moore. What the CDs do is remind us what great pianistic riches were produced in the UK at that that period.
The pianists do not play alone so in the course of the two discs we also get to hear : Ronnie Scott, Tubby Hayes, Dizzy Reece, Jimmy Deuchar, Don Rendell, Joe Harriott and Tony Coe.
I started by picking out artists that I have enjoyed. Eddie Thompson is today almost forgotten. His seemingly middle of the road jazz was deceptive. You can hear on ‘Moveable’ a pianist who has litres of technique, and yet , you know there is so much kept in reserve. He did have a light touch, a mischievous sense of musical humour and a yen to please his audience.
Humour is not much in evidence with Stan Tracey, sardonic might be closer. On this disk, he is like finding an uncut diamond. Even in 1959 Stan sounded idiosyncratic with that amalgam of Monk and Duke that he managed to forge into his own style. One bonus here is the propulsive drumming of Phil Seamen.
Pat Smythe’s work with Joe Harriott is featured in a contemplative piece ‘Pictures’. His quiet playing in the centre of a maelstrom characterised his work, indeed, the whole group sounds as though they were recorded just last week.
‘The Man From Mintons’ by the George Shearing Trio shows in 1948 a mastery of a new idiom and you can hear stylings that would become the basis of one of the most popular groups in jazz. George was just one of the musicians that eventually moved to the USA. Victor Feldman, Ralph Sharon and Dill Jones also made the move.
The USA was also the destination of Dudley Moore. The multi-talented playing exudes pleasure as he races through ’I Get A Kick Out of You’ with verve and panache. Never taken completely seriously because of his comic talent, Moore was, and still is, criminally under-rated.
There is much food for thought on these two fascinating CDs. Have we ever been as pianistically rich as we were during this period?
Initially, I asked the question: who will buy this? One answer is: fans of Simon Spillett’s writing. As usual, Spillett’s notes are full, informative, rich in detail and anecdotes so that everyone will gain more insights.
Reviewed by Jack Kenny
Acrobat ADDCD 3240
CD1
1. Idabop (Feat. Ralph Sharon) - The Esquire Five; 2. The Man from Minton's - George Shearing Trio; 3. Too Marvelous for Words (Feat. Tommy Pollard)- Ronnie Scott Quartet; 4. The Nearness of You - Ronnie Scott with The Ronnie Ball Trio; 5. Fools Rush In (Feat. Victor Feldman) - Ronnie Scott Quartet; 6. Chelsea Bridge - Damian Robinson Trio; 7. May-zee - Dill Jones Trio; 8. Bluebird (Feat. Terry Shannon) - Dizzy Reece Quartet; 9. Opus Untitled - Derek Smith; 10. Sweet Lorraine - Lennie Felix Trio; 11. Moveable - Eddie Thompson Trio; 12. Autumn in Cuba (Feat. Alan Branscombe) - London Jazz Quartet; 13. We'll Call You - Stan Tracey Trio; 14. Cheek to Cheek - Dave Lee & His Orchestra
CD2
1. There It Is (Feat. Brian Dee) - The Jazz Five; 2. All the Things You Are - Harry South Trio; 3. Willow Weep for Me - Stan Jones Trio; 4. Portrait (Feat. Bill Le Sage) - Tony Kinsey Quintet;
5. Manumission (Feat. John Burch) - The New Don Rendell Quintet; 6. Drop Me Off in Harlem - Norman Stenfalt Quartet; 7. Pictures (Feat. Pat Smythe) - The Joe Harriott Quintet; 8. In the Night (Feat. Gordon Beck) - The Tubby Hayes Quartet; 9. Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams (Feat. Colin Purbrook) - The Tony Coe Quintet; 10. I Get a Kick Out of You - Dudley Moore Trio
The title sums up what you will find on the this 2 CD compilation. The question is: who will buy this? Crammed full of great pianists from George Shearing through Victor Feldman, Eddie Thompson to Stan Tracey and Dudley Moore. What the CDs do is remind us what great pianistic riches were produced in the UK at that that period.
The pianists do not play alone so in the course of the two discs we also get to hear : Ronnie Scott, Tubby Hayes, Dizzy Reece, Jimmy Deuchar, Don Rendell, Joe Harriott and Tony Coe.
I started by picking out artists that I have enjoyed. Eddie Thompson is today almost forgotten. His seemingly middle of the road jazz was deceptive. You can hear on ‘Moveable’ a pianist who has litres of technique, and yet , you know there is so much kept in reserve. He did have a light touch, a mischievous sense of musical humour and a yen to please his audience.
Humour is not much in evidence with Stan Tracey, sardonic might be closer. On this disk, he is like finding an uncut diamond. Even in 1959 Stan sounded idiosyncratic with that amalgam of Monk and Duke that he managed to forge into his own style. One bonus here is the propulsive drumming of Phil Seamen.
Pat Smythe’s work with Joe Harriott is featured in a contemplative piece ‘Pictures’. His quiet playing in the centre of a maelstrom characterised his work, indeed, the whole group sounds as though they were recorded just last week.
‘The Man From Mintons’ by the George Shearing Trio shows in 1948 a mastery of a new idiom and you can hear stylings that would become the basis of one of the most popular groups in jazz. George was just one of the musicians that eventually moved to the USA. Victor Feldman, Ralph Sharon and Dill Jones also made the move.
The USA was also the destination of Dudley Moore. The multi-talented playing exudes pleasure as he races through ’I Get A Kick Out of You’ with verve and panache. Never taken completely seriously because of his comic talent, Moore was, and still is, criminally under-rated.
There is much food for thought on these two fascinating CDs. Have we ever been as pianistically rich as we were during this period?
Initially, I asked the question: who will buy this? One answer is: fans of Simon Spillett’s writing. As usual, Spillett’s notes are full, informative, rich in detail and anecdotes so that everyone will gain more insights.
Reviewed by Jack Kenny
