NEW RELEASES PKCD-304 The Lains Barn Allstars “Laughing At Life ”
PKCD-305 Mike Lovell Allstars with Rosie “Hot Dance Music From The 20s 30s & 40s ”
PKCD-306 Paul Munnery's Swing Street “Stumbling Into Paradise ”
PKCD-307 Richard Leach's 7 Stars Of Jazz “Chicago Echoes” (Full details of these albums are given on the "New Releases" Page)
KING OLIVER'S CREOLE JAZZ BAND (CD Reissue)
In the March issue of Just Jazz Magazine (essential reading for all fans of British Traditional Jazz) there’s a mention of a new double CD release containing all 37 tracks by the King Oliver Creole Jazz Band, recorded in 1923, and sympathetically and skillfully remastered in 2006. Now, as you can imagine, I don’t often buy CDs - I spend too much time listening to my own recordings - but I have just bought this double CD from Jerry Brown (Jazz ‘n’ Blues Records at Norwich) and I have to say they are sensational. These ancient recordings have been remastered and reissued before, most notably by John R. T. Davies several years ago; I never heard any of these reissues (my Oliver collection being on old Philips, Columbia and London LPs which I bought about 45 years ago). But now - WOW - the shades have been lifted from my ears and I can hear these fabulous recordings with a clarity that I never imagined possible. I urge those of you who, until now like me, have never heard the more recent reissues of this great band’s work to get straight on the phone to Jerry Brown and buy this new double CD. (At just under £17 it’s a bargain!) By the way it comes with a very informative 32 page booklet.
Mentioning Just Jazz Magazine reminds me that my recording of The Ken Colyer Legacy New Orleans Jazz Band (PKCD-300 “Some Changes Made”) has a rave review in the March issue. Thoroughly deserved I think; it’s a superb band. Go and see them if you have a chance.
Just Jazz Magazine costs £34 for a year’s subscription (UK readers); send your cheque to:-
29, Burrage Place, London, SE18 7BG
You can contact Jerry Brown on :-01633-467777 www.jazznblues.co.uk
BUDE JAZZ FESTIVAL
You will find, enclosed with this mailing, a leaflet about the 2007 Bude Jazz Festival. This will be the 20th Bude Festival and, as ever, there will be a galaxy of British and overseas talent for our enjoyment during the eight-day Festival, starting on August 25th. There will be no fewer than 167 jazz events mostly at indoor venues in and around Bude, with jazz available practically non-stop from late morning to around midnight each day.
One surprising omission from the list of musicians at this year’s Festival is John Maddocks. It seemed almost a Bude tradition that the Festival opened on Saturday lunchtime with The John Maddocks Jazzmen at The Falcon Hotel. I for one am very disappointed that he will not be there. I understand it was not John’s decision to miss this year’s Festival, and of course with John absent there can be no Maddocks/Huxley Reeds United at Bude this year.
Festival Stroller Tickets are on sale now and if you want to go you really should not delay because tickets and accommodation in Bude tend to sell out pretty quickly.
MICK BURNS
I am very sad to hear the news that Mick Burns died on February 13th. I only knew him slightly, so I’m not in a position to write an obituary, but I had great respect for his vast knowledge and love of New Orleans and its music. He was a dedicated musician and an accomplished writer. It was largely due to Mick’s efforts that the benefit concert took place in Lincoln on December 4th 2005 to raise funds for stricken New Orleans musicians, following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. It was his suggestion that I record the concert; sales of the resulting CD raised over £1100.
Mick will be greatly missed throughout the jazz world.
BAND NEWS
You may already be aware that Mark Challinor has disbanded The Wabash Jazzmen. The band had a unique style, created largely by having a two-piece rhythm section (no drummer), but also by the amazing rapport between Mark on banjo and Howard Worthington on double bass. Since about 1997 this excellent band recorded nine times for P.E.K. and seven of their CDs are still in the catalogue. I know their many fans will be disappointed at this news and it is to be hoped that, in due course, Mark will reform the band.
Jim Shelly has retired from playing and his Frisco Jazz Band is no more. It was formed in 1986 out of Jim’s enthusiasm for the “Frisco” style of jazz exemplified by Lu Watters in the 1940s. Jim is to be congratulated and thanked for giving us twenty years of top class Frisco-style jazz. This is a style of jazz which few bands play and the loss of Jim’s band leaves a big hole in the British jazz scene.
FAULTY CDs
I take great care to ensure that every CD I sell is of the highest quality, but as with any business, large or small, things can very occasionally go wrong. The business of the small independent record label is further complicated by the fact that, of necessity, because we manufacture small quantities of CDs, we record onto CD-R discs (recordable CDs). Even today there is a very small number of CD players which have difficulty playing some CD-R discs - it’s not a fault with the player and not faulty discs - just a compatibility issue.
I hope, if at any time you have a problem with one of my CDs, you will let me know so I can replace the CD and investigate the problem.
LOOKING AHEAD
New CDs by Hokum, Ken Pye’s Creole Serenaders and The Antique Six Jazzband are in production and should be complete in time for the June Newsletter. I hope also that Dave Brennan’s Jubilee Jazz Band CD will see the light of day fairly soon.
By the time you read this I will have recorded a new CD for The Ken Colyer Legacy New Orleans Jazz Band. Later in March I am booked to record The John Maddocks Jazzmen and The Millennium Eagle Jazz Band.
I have some interesting bands lined up to record at Keswick - namely Brian Carrick’s Algiers Stompers, Steve Graham’s Classic Jazz, The Tony Oreshko Trio with John Hallam and possibly The Dave Donohoe Band, and The Rae Brothers New Orleans Jazz Band (these last two are not yet confirmed however).
I have also had enquiries from The Deeside Dixies and The Silver Leaf Jazz Band to record them later in the year.
If all these come to fruition it will keep me busy until the end of the year.
I must soon start thinking about who to record at Bude. Time passes so quickly that the Bude Festival, the Autumn and then Christmas (!!) will be on us before we know it.
Enjoy your jazz, live if possible or on CD from P.E.K. Sound.
