This is one of a series of taped interviews with musicians who are asked to give a snap opinion on a set of records played to them. Although no previous information is given as to what they are going to hear, they are, during the actual playing, handed the appropriate record sleeve. Thus in no way is their judgement influenced by being unaware of what they are hearing. As far as possible the records played to them are currently available items procurable from any record shop.
Having played in the bands of Lew Stone, Jack Hylton and Ambrose and been lead trumpet for Ted Heath, Kenny’s name is almost a household one. His trumpet has also been heard on the sound tracks of many films, including Genevieve and Red Shoes. Aside from his more commercial activities, Kenny is a first-rate trumpeter, with a keen insight into the real jazz knowhow – he is also fully armed with the technique and ability to play it. His Baker’s Dozen radio programmes were always full of interest, but he probably reached his jazz peak with the small band records he made for Denis Preston on the Polygon and Nixa labels. The album After Hours (Polygon JTL 4) is certainly worth a place in any jazz collection and shows Mr. Baker as a jazz musician of rare taste and ability. – Sinclair Traill
Love Is Just Around The Corner. Eddie Condon – That Toddlin’ Town. Warner WM 4009
Well, I must admit to liking that kind of jazz. And of course Condon and the boys do this kind of thing so particularly well. So many groups try and follow this formula, but it gets out of hand – gets untidy. But these boys are never in the way of each other, it all fits together like a jig-saw puzzle, and yet it manages to be free and easy and very relaxed. So many British groups trying to play this way never get this cohesiveness – they solo well, but are apt to go off the rails in the blowing parts. They play hell for leather all the time and in doing so, overdo it. Here there is a formula that takes place – the drummer will do something when the clarinet does something, and they will build to a peak. Then stop and start and build another peak. Everybody has freedom of thought and yet they are chained to this certain formula. Condon of course always picks men for these sessions who thoroughly understand each others’ playing. They don’t ever have to nudge one another, to indicate what they are going to do – they know instinctively. And it’s not all that easy; but they have been doing it for so long that they can’t help putting it over. All the players here are so very expert. Pee Wee is… well, just Pee Wee – what else can one say? Unique. Max Kaminsky the perfect lead trumpet for a session like this. I have always thought very highly of his playing. Warm and very thoughtful.
Hello, Dolly! Duke Ellington – Ellington ’65. Reprise R 6122
I like the band of course, and as a matter of fact I like Ellington’s approach to commercials, but I get the feeling listening to this that he had to do a record session, had nothing new of his own to record, so was persuaded into making this lot of pops – merely to satisfy the record company. I rather expect he’d play some of these when he plays dances – could sound very good that way. But I do get the feeling that if Ellington doesn’t play Ellington, then it is not true Ellington – I feel cheated somehow. It is his compositions and the compositions of those around him, Strayhorn etc., who make Ellington what he is, the greatest jazz orchestra. I don’t dislike this, it is clever and comes out as a better version of this tune than anyone else will play, but I don’t like to think of Duke as just another dance band – it destroys the idea of my ideal jazz orchestra.
Chasin’ At Newport. That Newport Jazz. CBS BPG 62395
I used to like McGhee when he first came into prominence, but I went off him because I thought he was becoming too technically clever. This is the sort of record I would never buy. I would probably have liked it had I been at the concert and seen it going on – it’s that sort of jazz. The atmosphere is good but hearing it kind of second-hand on a record destroys what was good and exciting when it was visual. Frankly neither McGhee nor Terry play exceptionally well. It was no doubt a case of ‘Now we’ll show the customers what we can do,’ without any reference to good taste and stability. The rhythm section is very good, but the soloists are merely swanking. A funny thing for me to say, because I like anything that Clark Terry does – he is a wonderful player. I don’t think you can have played me the best track, for I am sure both trumpeters could have played much better than this. Exhibitionistic and especially laid on as a fast number to close the set.
Before leaving that record I must ask the company who produced it, why they had to reverse the photograph of Dizzy on this sleeve. It makes him into a left-handed trumpet player, which he is not! The record companies often do this, and it’s so stupid; don’t they know any better?
Duke’s Awakening. Dizzy Gillespie – The Cool World. Phillips BL 7636
Dizzy so often strikes me as striving for the impossible. I would much rather hear him like this, where he has got to stick to some definite formula, playing some specific thing. He creates a terrific atmosphere here and plays exceedingly well. Sometimes listening to a Dizzy record I get the impression that it is a complete throw-away – he didn’t care if he made it or not; but not here. I like Dizzy when he gets way-out, but I prefer him when what he plays falls into a nice pattern, as this does. The music for this film strikes me as being quite outstanding. I must certainly get this. Of course Dizzy’s style is quite unique in his approach. Whatever he plays he gets it out! If he runs off the rails it doesn’t matter, he tries. I think one can forgive Gillespie his mistakes more than anyone else. Everyone thinks of him as a brash, couldn’t-care-less individual with tremendous jazz feeling and the courage to try anything – so one forgives his mistakes. Amongst his records there have been some real gems and even on the not so good ones one can usually find something of unusual interest. But this must be one of his very best. Everything was so completely under control, and everyone plays well. Somebody will probably tell you that Dizzy plays out of tune; well, he does at times. But I can easily forgive him that because of what comes out of the instrument. So many jazz musicians play out of tune. Charlie Parker for one – always on the sharp side. I think he did it purposely, as no doubt for some reason does Gillespie. Louis is another who intentionally plays a little sharp. It adds brightness and somehow it is in keeping with that jazz tone. Never flat (that really spoils it), but that sharpness is so often there. Before leaving that record I must ask the company who produced it, why they had to reverse the photograph of Dizzy on this sleeve. It makes him into a left-handed trumpet player, which he is not! The record companies often do this, and it’s so stupid; don’t they know any better?
It’s Been A Long, Long Time. Louis Armstrong – Hello, Dolly! Decca SH-R 8190
He’s nothing but amazing, isn’t he? Still going as strong as ever. Of course I have always admired him right from the word go, but I have also liked his work best with a group such as this, or the earlier small bands. I never have liked too much those things he did with strings – they were commercial things. Also, put Louis in the middle of a bunch of academic musicians and he stands out like a sore thumb – which isn’t good. His music is definitely the way it is played here, with a group who feel the way he does and understand his approach to jazz. Some of those commercial things with strings made him sound even more out of tune than he really was; they made him sound as if he was growing old and going off. So it is amazing when you play this, a recent recording, that you hear Louis as fresh and as clean and as enthusiastic as ever. He obviously enjoyed doing this, it shows both in his singing and his playing. A beautiful character – there is only one Louis Armstrong. A great, great artist who no one has really been able to copy, however hard they tried.
The Sidewinder. Lee Morgan. Blue Note BN 4157
Directly that record started off you could hear the modern trend, and I mean the trend of the commercial field. The rhythmic side of the commercial field; not the twangy guitars but the same beat, the rock rhythm. Lee Morgan sounds to me like a modern Rex Stewart – all those half-valve effects, the squeezing, the bending. Playing in the instrument, not so much the actual notes that the instrument will make but making a lot more besides. I like him a lot, he’s good. Although modern, this is far away from the other modern school, the Miles Davis following. This is much more brash and rhythmically direct. The approach is good, they all play together as a small group should, and the sound is lively and happy. Splendid drums and bass incidentally. I think I shall have to get that.
Someday My Prince Will Come. Miles Davis at Carnegie Hall. CBS BPG 62081
Miles Davis can play an awful lot of trumpet when he’s in the right mood. On Miles Ahead he plays some most beautiful trumpet, but this… well, I don’t like it at all. It’s a strange tune to pick anyway, most odd. I don’t like the doomy atmosphere he creates on some of his records. Gil Evans writes some beautiful scores, but Miles here spreads that doomy influence, which I don’t like. I think jazz should sound happy and sincere, and above all warm. This is literally the cool school. I like Miles, I really do, but I don’t like this approach, for he certainly can play much better than this. There were four bars there when he didn’t know what to say, so he said nothing. I much prefer the brash Gillespie to this doomy Miles.
