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JJ 10/64: The birth of the BBC’s Jazz 625

Sixty years ago Jazz Journal welcomed the arrival of BBCTV's Jazz 625 series, which would turn out to be historic. It's been variously reshown, but why not now in place of endless TOTP, Queen and Bowie reruns? First published in Jazz Journal October 1964

Who would have thought, even a short while ago, that jazz would have a TV programme in this country all to itself? A real jazz programme, featuring some of the best American artists, together with their British counterparts – it certainly seemed unlikely.

But times have changed, jazz is no longer the black sheep of the musical family, American musicians visit us with such regularity that they are no longer a novelty, and the BBC have unearthed a producer with a keen and knowledgeable outlook on Jazz. Producer Terry Henebury has not always been a jazz follower. His interest in the music was first aroused when he met Ronnie Ross at a BBC audition for an under twenty-one programme. After a spell in the forces where he played clarinet in an army band, Henebury joined the BBC and worked on Jazz Club for six years. From radio he moved to TV last year to help launch the new iazz programme Jazz 625.

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As assistant to Miss Yvonne Littlewood, Henebury’s opening assignment was the first Duke Ellington show – and what better introduction could he possibly have had? Since then he has been in charge of programmes featuring Oscar Peterson Trio, Henry ‘Red’ Allen, Dave Brubeck Quartet, Modern Jazz Quartet, Caiinonball Adderley, Art Farmer, Woody Herman Band, Jimmy Witherspoon and Mel Tormé. From our British stable have come before the cameras Tubby Hayes, Kenny Baker, George Chisholm, Freddy Randall, Lennie Felix, Humphrey Lyttelton and Johnny Dankworth’s Orchestra.

Terry Henebery holds the view that there is a vast untapped audience for jazz, whose interest could be stimulated if the music was presented to them in the right way

The ordinary TV approach to jazz, good although it has been, will not be the be all and end all of 625’s present producer. He has in mind several novel ideas for the future. He is keen to bring over more American musicians, but not only to play by themselves. What he would like to see are Americans working alongside British musicians, with new scores especially written by such people as Benny Golson, who would also arrange and conduct. He is also sure that Europe boasts many wonderful musicians whom we should know more about, and whom he is keen to feature on 625.

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In addition he has a wish to build a programme around such expatriate Americans as Don Byas, Bill Coleman and Kenny Clarke, and by way of something entirely fresh, Henebury has the novel idea for a new kind of magazine programme – a kind of visual Jazz Scene, using live performers, critics and others. He holds the view that there is a vast untapped audience for jazz, whose interest could be stimulated if the music was presented to them in the right way.

In fact, in Terry Henebury, Jazz 625 are lucky enough to have found a producer, who in addition to having a keen insight into the music has also some original conceptions as to how it should be put over in this comparatively new medium.

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Finally, what we may look forward to in the near future: programmes by Erroll Garner, Miles Davis, Carmen McRae and, perhaps who knows, around Christmas time a very special Jazz 625 featuring the one and only Louis Armstrong. Maybe the wish here is father to the thought – but it is certainly producer Henebury’s hope, and it is a wish which, needless to say, is heartily seconded from this corner.

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