These tracks date from when the trad boom in Britain was at its height and some bands were churning out poor commercial jazz to satisfy public demand. The majority of the material presented here is what I call ‘mechanical’ jazz, restricted and lacking in originality or imagination.
It is tempting to describe it as background music because that is what it becomes when there is practically nothing to hold your interest.
Sandy Brown’s one contribution is the best track. It has a lively piano solo and competent clarinet blowing from the leader. I have always been impressed by Kenny Ball’s controlled trumpet playing, and on Savoy Blues he maintains his usual high standard.
Elsewhere on the record there is nothing of outstanding quality to interest the serious jazz student. Terry Lightfoot’s band plays very sub-standard music with ragged ensembles which are full of mistakes. The rest of the bands suffer from the ever obtrusive banjo dominating the rhythm sections.
There may be some faithful trad fans left who would want this, but then I would imagine they would have most of these tracks already.
Discography
(a) Easter Parade; (b) Yellow Dog Blues; (c) Big Noise From Winnetka; (d) My Bucket’s Got A Hole In It; (e) Go Ghana; (f) Lord Let Me In The Lifeboat; (g) Wild Cat Blues (22½ min) – (c) Savoy Blues; (f) Perfect Rag; (d) Good Time Swing; (g) Careless Love; (h) Zambesi; (h) Brown Skin Mama; (a) Willie The Weeper (23 min)
(a) Mr. Acker Bilk & His Paramount Jazz Band.
(b) Ian Menzies & The Clyde Valley Stampers.
(c) Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen.
(d) Terry Lightfoot & His Jazzmen.
(e) Sandy Brown’s Jazz Band.
(Pye Golden Guinea GGL 0259 12inLP 19s.)
