BillF

The back of my head is visible on the Boplicity clip posted 10 hrs ago.

No, I didn't get to see Herman till the 70s, but it was in the Free Trade Hall.

Yes, RNCM used to have a great jazz policy, but since the retirement last year of Mike Hall who headed that part of the college's activities, I haven't found any gigs I want to go to. https://www.rncm.ac.uk/people/mike-hall/ Mike is now leading a great little band called Boplicity, which I saw at Malcom Frazer's house on March 15th, just before the great lockdown. Probably the last jazz gig for a long time. Here's a clip from that gig: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkxbXp_iPps

It always struck me that jazz and opera were poles apart (and I certainly don't dig both), but didn't I read somewhere that someone phoned Ben Webster (or was it Hawkins) and could hear he was listening to opera?

Sadly, not. I could put it down to my absence from Manchester during the Easter university vacation, but I'm afraid it's more likely to have been the result of my shunning "West Coast" jazz in my youthful ignorance.

Lovely album!

Eddie "Lockdown" Davis, "Viral Blues"

Listening to this for the first time in a long time. How "modern" Hawkins sounds in his brilliant long solo on "Bird of Prey Blues"! Even double-tempo runs! Reminds me that back in the days when all music was on vinyl someone said that if you played a latter-day Hawk L P at 45 rpm, it sounded like Bird. Heard that one before?

Any examples? Anything caught on record?

Prince Charles is isolating at Balmoral with Covid-19 Prince Andrew is isolating at Windsor with Jennifer 14

Yes, Ronnie's gifts as a stand up comedian equalled his gifts as a tenorman, and they were great. The last time I saw him - with a quintet in the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester in about 1993 - the first half hour of the first set was just that - stand up comedy. The music came later.

On listening to this album for the first time I was struck by how sensationally good on alto the 22-year-old Tony Coe was! For a long time I thought I was listening to Bruce Turner! Coe was a great discovery by Lyttelton. I think I remember reading that Humph rescued the youthful Coe from some sort of trouble with the authorities.