BillF

A very long career. I first heard him on the Voice of America Jazz Hour (introduced by Willis Conover) in the mid-60s. I saw him once - at the Wigan Jazz Festival in the 1990s. Phenomenal trombone technician. The only thing I could fault him on was his haircut.

Item the other week on the BBC radio Today programme (audience 7 million). Yes, big money is being spent and I suppose it will be the highest grossing jazz album of the year (doesn't take much), but when the product is so good (see me above), I have no complaint about this. Do you know, one or two young people might even buy it !!! (But only one or two.)

Thanks for a very good BFT. Bud Powell's "The Fruit" is written into my brain, but as with so many tunes nowadays, I couldn't put a name to it. I will be catching up with the Dawson, Gonsalves, Farmer and Jazz Band Ball via Spotify. I already know the Hall and Webster from the same source. Thanks again.

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I remember seeing him - way back in his jazz days.

Wonderful music. Superbly co-ordinated jazz group (and it must be one of the greatest in the music) playing with incomparable relaxed swing. Yes, nothing startlingly new here; there are echoes from several of the many albums they made, but where are we going to hear music of this quality today? What we have here is like the beginnings of an album: tunes yet to be titled, perhaps a theme and title for an album to be found, several takes from which to make a final selection. So it's an insight into the album process. I love it!

Ed Dipple was a few years later - university, not school (along with Brian Priestley). Now playing:

Apropos of nothing in particular: Arthur Brown went to the same school as me, as did The Magnificent Goldberg. I knew Arthur Brown at school, but didn't know Goldberg. Just thought you'd like to know.

Now Winter Hill's burning as well, so we're ringed by fire! Now playing:

This morning's Stagecoach driver was suitably shorted, so perhaps the battle has been fought and won.

I should think not!

I checked out the evacuated area on Street View. Very recently built. The locals say that moorland fires are almost a yearly occurrence, though not as serious as this, of course. Just another case of present-day house building in areas (cf. flood plains) that the "ancients" in their wisdom wouldn't touch?

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