BillF

I knew Dave when he was a student in the 60s at Leeds College of Music, the first jazz course in the UK. Peter Ind was on the teaching staff and brought over Lennie Tristano to the Harrogate Festival. One of my great jazz moments - being backstage with the maestro.

I saw the same rhythm section in 1984 at the Exchange Theatre, Manchester with a front line of Jimmy Deuchar, Slide Hampton and Johnny Griffin. Needless to say, it was an excellent session.

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No one has yet told me if the expression "stupid berk" was known in the US in 1950.

Ditto The not-particularly-jazz audience (it was at a college of music) seemed quite happy with it. Old wine, new bottle, but what wine!!

On a broadcast with Bird and Diz from Birdland 1950/51(?), Symphony Sid Torin addresses Diz as "Birks" and is told by Diz to "Watch your language!" And doesn't Sid reply "I said Birks, not berk"? Can it be that Cockney rhyming slang (berk for 'c' word that rhymes with Berkshire Hunt) had crossed the Atlantic?

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Happy Birthday!

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