RogerF

This from the Ian Carr website: "The great Don Rendell passed away on Tuesday, 20 October, 2015 in London following a short illness at the age of 89. In addition to co-leading the award-winning and ground-breaking Rendell-Carr Quintet, Don had played in many groups beginning in the 1940s before joining the Johnny Dankworth Seven, after which he led several bands including The New Don Rendell Quintet with Graham Bond on alto, which recorded the seminal album Roarin'. The five truly iconoclastic Rendell-Carr Quintet albums recorded in the 1960s under the aegis of the Svengali-like Denis Preston for his Landsdowne series, catapulted the RCQ into top position for small jazz group for three years running from 1967-1969 in the Melody Maker jazz polls (British Section). Don was a major figure in British jazz and will be sorely missed." RIP Don

Turning Point's vocalist Pepi Lemer will be making a rare appearance performing numbers from her new album "back2front" at St James Theatre, 12 Palace Street, London, SW1E 5JA on Sunday 22nd November 2015 as part of the London Jazz Festival. A stalwart on the British jazz scene in the 1960s and 70s her band Turning Point, which she co-led with bassist Jeff Clyne made two excellent albums Creatures of the Night and Silent Promise. She was also a vocalist on albums by John Stevens and Neil Ardley to name but a few. Her album, released this year, received a glowing 5 star review in Jazz Journal (September 2015). Amongst the line-up of musicians playing in her band will be keyboardist Pete Lemer and veteran bass virtuoso Chris Laurence. More details can be found here: http://www.pepilemer.com/ and for a taste of how good this band sounds check this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlW8Da6a0qI

I've just been listening to Mike Gibbs' Just Ahead and Chris Spedding's contribution is astoundingly good. But like the old joke goes, what's the difference between a rock guitarist and a jazz guitarist? One plays 3 chords to thousands, the other plays thousands of chords to 3 people.

Before Chris Spedding abandoned jazz in favour of pop and rock, he made some significant contributions to British jazz on albums by the likes of Mike Gibbs, Mike Westbrook, Jack Bruce and of course, Nucleus.So it's good news to hear that the jazz album he made but never released (because it coincided with the start of his rock career) Songs Without Words is now being (re)issued on the Hux label. It was actually released naughtily in Japan but apparently it had not been sanctioned by Spedding or for that matter properly mixed. This Hux version has been properly re-mixed and edited down by him and features amongst others John Marshall and the late Paul Rutherford on trombone. Full details are here: Songs Without Words

Alto saxophonist Ray Warleigh died yesterday just a few days before his 77th birthday. He was a stalwart of the British jazz scene in the 1960s and 70s ubiquitously appearing in small combos and big bands. Hi sown debut album was produced by pop singer Scott Walker on whose records he had played. He also recorded an album with hard bop drummer Tommy chase "One Way". He was a member of the fusion band Paz and played on the last Soft Machine album "Land of Cockayne" along with a host of other jazz stars (including Jack Bruce) but minus any of the original members of the Softs! He was a very fine and versatile musician and will be greatly missed.

Finally some very interesting news on the British re-issues front! BGO is releasing these three albums on a two-fer, OOP for many years and for the first time on CD. (Catalog No. BGOCD1198). This title will be released on September 25, 2015. I think a lot of folks have been after these albums for many years, me included. For anyone unfamiliar with them, these are from Stevens' jazz rock period, but even when he was attempting to "sell out" or go more commercial on a prog label (Vertigo) he couldn't but sound his characteristically innovative and idiosyncratic self on drums. I have recordings of some of these from various sources but it will be great to have them on "proper" CDs. Long overdue and very welcome indeed. More info here: http://www.bgo-records.com/albums/bgocd1198-john-stevens-away-somewhere-in-between-mazin-ennit

What I found interesting was that on the FMR (unofficial) reissue of Pause and Think Again they got the order of tracks 1 and 3 wrong. This (Cherry Red) release is the first official one on CD and J.T. was interviewed for the sleeve notes.

I was saddened even more to read the Guildhall's concert programme for September to December this year which arrived yesterday. It advertised a concert due for November with the Big Band and guest John Taylor. But the booklet was printed prior to JT's untimely passing. It reminds me of just how premature and unexpected was this sad event. There's a brief explanation here on the Guildhall website here: Guildhall Big Band with John Taylor p.s. Accurately, the advert describes him as "Jazz legend" - he was and will remain so. His debut album "Pause and Think Again" is being reissued in a 3 box set including albums by Mike Osborne and Howard Riley, celebrating the short-lived British jazz Turtle label. It is being remastered with sleeve notes by Colin "Bathed in Lightning" Harper. Turtle box set info

Virtuoso British pianist John Taylor has died aged 72. He passed away at a concert at which he was performing in France, having suffered a heart attack. His contribution to British (and international) jazz was pivotal. He made numerous recordings, including his debut album Pause and Think Again and contributed to several of Kenny Wheeler's albums. He was also a member of the trio Azimuth with Wheeler and Norma Winstone. More here: http://www.londonjazznews.com/ RIP John

Flashback Magazine (Issue 7, Summer 2015) features an article on two of the stalwarts of the Rendell-Carr Quintet, bassist Dave Green and drummer Trevor Tomkins. Over the eleven pages of this feature, Dave Green and Trevor Tomkins discuss the albums on which they, either individually or together, played. These range from Michael Garrick’s ultra rare “Moonscape” (1964) to Garrick’s 1974 album “Troppo”. Of course there are all the RCQ albums in between and several other keys LPs too including ones by Amancio D’Silva Joe Harriott and Guy Warren. http://flashbackmag.com/

Apart from the fact that Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg were my childhood heroes (and still are), the theme tunes to The Avengers were great. The first was by John Dankworth (the series with Macnee and Honor Blackman), a very good theme which appeared on JD's The Roulette Years album, the second more famous theme was by Laurie Johnson (who also wrote The Professionals theme). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBM8GmCYcNI R.I.P. Mr Macnee / Steed

The CBBB is my all-time favourite big band - RIP Jean.

"Lullaby for a Lonely Child" was one of Jenkins' and recorded both on Graham Collier's Down Another Road and by Nucleus. http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2012/jun/18/graham-collier-lullaby-lonely-child So was "Song for the Bearded Lady" Nucleus' signature tune!

Karl Jenkins, now one of the world's most famous contemporary classical composers but formerly a jazzer and alumnus of the Graham Collier Sextet, founder member of Nucleus and former long-time member of Soft Machine has been knighted in the Queen's Birthday Honours list. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-33110468

Well said. RIP. Amen to that, RIP Ornette

Tubby Hayes Big Band at Ronnie Scott's in 1970 playing one of their most "aggressive" pieces from the album 200% Proof... "The Inner Splurge" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knybg2tJXI8 [You need to watch from 2.40 in]

Chris - I can't believe that our premier jazz composer and bandleader has to ask for gigs in the capital city. This is a ridiculous state of affairs and I know that there would be several hundred London-based fans who would willingly walk over hot coals to see the MWBB play at say the London Jazz Festival. Does Serious not have an interest? Seriously?

This fault can sometimes be ameliorated by burning onto a pc, but if the fault is, as Scott said, with the original burning then this won't work. I ripped it after first finding the fault and played it on the pc and it was still there. I am marginally relieved that this may fault may not translate to the entire batch of CDs pressed (at least I hope so).

Thanks for that review Bev, I am sorely jealous and just wish Mike would play about 100 miles further East!

In the course of reviewing a CD I noticed a distinct one second "dropout" which was disconcerting to hear as it disrupted the flow of the piece. I checked, playing it on other equipment and it was definitely a CD fault. Is this a common error, have others expwerienced this? Is "dropout" the correct technically term for this? Surprising in this digital recording age that a fault like this occurs. But at what stage, recording, mastering or burning?

Seriously, I believe this book is worth double the asking price - it was researched for over 10 years and it shows. Fascinating facts on every page.

This is getting like the stock exchange reports! I think any price for this book is worth it and I'm not even getting paid to say that!

I posted this in the Hum Dono thread but really it should go here: Tubbs news update! A very authoritative source has just revealed that Universal Music Group has now unearthed full master tapes for all of Tubby's Fontana records. Also found is the "lost" quartet session with Louis Stewart from 1969, alongside some tapes that have yet to be identified. Apparently some of this material was stored in Germany and has only latterly been brought back to the UK, hence the "lost" rumours. Additionally, some Tempo master tapes too, notably for Tubby's Groove have been located too. All the previously issued Japanese and Universal UK CDs of Tubby were dubbed from vinyl. In some cases (Return Visit and 100% Proof) from knackered vinyl!

Thanks for the info, Roger. Does the "authoritive source" say whether/when these unearthed master tapes will be reissued? Not as yet, but the fact they have been found is significant. I was beginning to despair of this ever happening.

Tubbs news update! A very authoritative source has just revealed that Universal Music Group has now unearthed full master tapes for all of Tubby's Fontana records. Also found is the "lost" quartet session with Louis Stewart from 1969, alongside some tapes that have yet to be identified. Apparently some of this material was stored in Germany and has only latterly been brought back to the UK, hence the "lost" rumours. Additionally, some Tempo master tapes too, notably for Tubby's Groove have been located too. All the previously issued Japanese and Universal UK CDs of Tubby were dubbed from vinyl. In some cases (Return Visit and 100% Proof) from knackered vinyl!