UK Old Codgers Reminiscences Corner

[A Lark Ascending]

To avoid derailing other threads, the moment we drift off, refer here....

[Jazzjet]

To avoid derailing other threads, the moment we drift off, refer here....

Good idea. If only I could remember what I was going to say....

[A Lark Ascending]

To avoid derailing other threads, the moment we drift off, refer here....

Good idea. If only I could remember what I was going to say....

...you what?

[JohnS]

I definitely qualify here.

[BillF]

Why don't you start a Youth Section so I can join?

[Hot Ptah]

Hey, are American Old Codgers excluded? Is it UK only, like one of those exclusive rich men's clubs you see in movies about England?

If so, we American Old Codgers will have to press our noses against the glass and wistfully try to gaze inside, wondering what tremendous fun must be going on in there.

[A Lark Ascending]

Hey, are American Old Codgers excluded?

All welcome who need to ramble down memory lane about jazz (or music in general) in Britain. The Stanley Cowell thread developed an off-shoot about the wonderful UK presenter Charles Fox. Seemed to make sense to have a place to divert to rather than getting in the way of the main theme.

Is it UK only, like one of those exclusive rich men's clubs you see in movies about England?

I doubt if anyone here has seen the inside of a rich man's club! Given the fact that all our money goes on recordings and concert tickets we'd never get close to the fees.

Edited April 29, 2011 by A Lark Ascending

[Shawn]

I'd say somewhere around 70% of the music I've loved in my life has come from the UK, so I feel qualified to crash the party.

[sidewinder]

Trainee codger checking in here. I'm ashamed to say a certain event is on the TV, however in partial mitigation I have a Hank Mobley record playing in the background.

Talking of Charles Fox, I remember when he once played both of the side 2 tracks from the (at the time) just released Miles' 'Water Babies' album, in full and back to back, on his show. Now where would you get that these days?

Anyone remember his 'The Arranger In Jazz' series? Covered everyone from Jelly Roll Morton to George Russell in 1 hour episodes.

Edited April 29, 2011 by sidewinder

[Jazzjet]

Trainee codger checking in here. I'm ashamed to say a certain event is on the TV, however in partial mitigation I have a Hank Mobley record playing in the background.

Radio broadcaster Danny Baker has just tweeted that all the animals in Britain's zoos are looking around and saying to each other 'very mild for Christmas Day isn't it?'

[A Lark Ascending]

I've been trying to remember the theme tune(s) to Jazz on 3. I get them mixed up with the late night Peter Clayton programme.

I know at various points the following were used on one or the other:

• 
  
  
• Westbrook - 'Outgoing Song' from Citadel/Room 315 (think this was Clayton)
  
• Loose Tubes - 'Yellow Hill' from the first album (probably Fox)
  
• Stan Sulzmann - 'On Loan with Gratitude' from that album (almost certainly Fox)
  

I think my listening started c. 1977. I recall being intrigued but mystified by things by Braxton and Arthur Blythe and the Loft Session records. The name 'India Navigation' cast a spell over me but I could never find the records.

Wouldn't it be good if some obsessive somewhere had catalogued the programme playlists? Not the sort of thing the BBC would hang on to, I suspect.

[Jazzjet]

To avoid derailing other threads, the moment we drift off, refer here....

Good idea. If only I could remember what I was going to say....

...you what?

Anyone remember that wonderful jazz bookshop that was just opposite Great Ormond Street hospital in Holborn? I think it was run by Theresa Chilton, John Chilton's wife. Wonderfully dusty place where you could get all kinds of second hand bargains including Brian Rust discographies etc.

[BillF]

I'm ashamed to say a certain event is on the TV, however in partial mitigation I have a Hank Mobley record playing in the background.

Very hard to escape it, isn't it? Wife and I have a media blackout in the house today, but I then find part of the street closed off for a party!!! However, this afternoon I'm going to see L'affaire Farewell, a French Cold War espionage thriller - suitably off message for today's events, don't you think?

[A Lark Ascending]

To be clear what a codger is. You are a codger if some (not necessarily all) of the following apply to you:

1. 
   
   
2. You are over 50
   
3. You go to jazz concerts with one of the following - a goatee beard, a beret, a duffle coat, a 'Ban the Bomb' badge, a slim, 20-something French poppet
   
4. You tut when you see a laptop on stage
   
5. You tut when you hear a synth or drum machine or a rapper on a record
   
6. You talk about records instead of songs
   
7. You tut when you see an electric bass on stage
   
8. You tut when you see a double bass and guitar on stage instead of a tuba and banjo (Gold Class Codger there)
   
9. You think Miles sold out when he went electric
   
10. You thing Wynton sold out when he refused to go electric
    
11. You remember buying records in Collets
    
12. You now look like James Bolam on 'The Beiderbecke Affair'
    
13. You have ever, in any context, used the phrase 'And you call that music?'
    
14. You are watching the Royal Wedding (regardless of the Che Guevara poster you still keep from your student days)
    

Edited April 29, 2011 by A Lark Ascending

[sidewinder]

I've been trying to remember the theme tune(s) to Jazz on 3. I get them mixed up with the late night Peter Clayton programme.

I know at various points the following were used on one or the other:

• 
  
  
• Westbrook - 'Outgoing Song' from Citadel/Room 315 (think this was Clayton)
  
• Loose Tubes - 'Yellow Hill' from the first album (probably Fox)
  
• Stan Sulzmann - 'On Loan with Gratitude' from that album (almost certainly Fox)
  

I think my listening started c. 1977. I recall being intrigued but mystified by things by Braxton and Arthur Blythe and the Loft Session records. The name 'India Navigation' cast a spell over me but I could never find the records.

Wouldn't it be good if some obsessive somewhere had catalogued the programme playlists? Not the sort of thing the BBC would hang on to, I suspect.

Charles Fox used to play the first track of Henry Lowther's 'Child Song' as his theme for 'Jazz Today'. Liked that one ever since.

I have to admit that I'm quite enjoying listening to the service, now that the Mobley CD has ended. Kate Middleton's dress is nice..

Edited April 29, 2011 by sidewinder

[Big Beat Steve]

Anyone remember that wonderful jazz bookshop that was just opposite Great Ormond Street hospital in Holborn? I think it was run by Theresa Chilton, John Chilton's wife. Wonderfully dusty place where you could get all kinds of second hand bargains including Brian Rust discographies etc.

The BLOOMSBURY BOOK SHOP!

Discovered it during my school class visits there in 1976/77, went there several times during my brief stays in London in those years, bought a load - for my student's purse anyway - of music books (including "Catalyst", the first SUN label bio by Escott/Hawkins - yes, they DID carry that sort of stuff too!) there and had nice talks with that friendly shop keeper (who later turned out to be Theresa Chilton indeed) who seemed to be pleased to give advice to this (relative) newbie.

Later on I bought the Leadbitter/Slaven blues discog from her via mail order and remember I also iniqured about that huge "To Bird With Love" book (where else to shop for such specialist items in Europe in those pre-internet days). I still have The Bloomsbury Book Shop's book sale list (that they circulated regularly) with Theresa Chilton's answer to my query about that Bird book scribbled on the front page: "We can obtain "To Bird with Love". Price £56 - UGH!!!" :D (Remember this was in U.K. currency of 1980 or so!)

And nearby the Bloomsbury Book Shop there was a nice secondhand record store where I remember I bought the Vogue 3-LP set with the Clifford Brown Paris sessions. Still a cherished and often-listened to item in my racks.

When I got back to London the next time in 1992 I was sorry to see that book shop had long gone but was pleased to discover the Compendium Book Shop in Camden Town (now also long gone) that seemed to have continued where the Bloomsbury Book Shop had left off.

[sidewinder]

And nearby the Bloomsbury Book Shop there was a nice secondhand record store where I remember I bought the Vogue 3-LP set with the Clifford Brown Paris sessions. Still a cherished and often-listened to item in my racks.

Yeah ! Bought that one when it came out and still have it - time to dig it out again !

[A Lark Ascending]

Charles Fox used to play the first track of Henry Lowther's 'Child Song' as his theme for 'Jazz Today'. Liked that one ever since.

I'll have to play that next - see if it rings any (non-wedding) bells.

[BillF]

Charles Fox used to play the first track of Henry Lowther's 'Child Song' as his theme for 'Jazz Today'. Liked that one ever since.

I'll have to play that next - see if it rings any (non-wedding) bells.

"Sippin' at Bells" for me!

[A Lark Ascending]

Charles Fox used to play the first track of Henry Lowther's 'Child Song' as his theme for 'Jazz Today'. Liked that one ever since.

I'll have to play that next - see if it rings any (non-wedding) bells.

"Sippin' at Bells" for me!

At noon? Hate to think what state you'll be in at 6.00! Always keep clear of the spirits, myself.

[sidewinder]

Very hard to escape it, isn't it? Wife and I have a media blackout in the house today, but I then find part of the street closed off for a party!!! However, this afternoon I'm going to see L'affaire Farewell, a French Cold War espionage thriller - suitably off message for today's events, don't you think?

What you need is that 48 hour Total Immersion Contraption that was in the Private Eye spoof this week. Sort of an enclosed bath with blackout !

[BillF]

Charles Fox used to play the first track of Henry Lowther's 'Child Song' as his theme for 'Jazz Today'. Liked that one ever since.

I'll have to play that next - see if it rings any (non-wedding) bells.

"Sippin' at Bells" for me!

At noon? Hate to think what state you'll be in at 6.00! Always keep clear of the spirits, myself.

"Sippin' at Bells", recorded NYC August 1947 by Miles Davis (tpt), Charlie Parker (tnr), John Lewis (pno), Nelson Boyd (bs) and Max Roach (dms), does great things for the spirit!

[JohnS]

To be clear what a codger is. You are a codger if some (not necessarily all) of the following apply to you:

1. 
   
   
2. You are over 50
   
3. You go to jazz concerts with one of the following - a goatee beard, a beret, a duffle coat, a 'Ban the Bomb' badge, a slim, 20-something French poppet
   
4. You tut when you see a laptop on stage
   
5. You tut when you hear a synth or drum machine or a rapper on a record
   
6. You talk about records instead of songs
   
7. You tut when you see an electric bass on stage
   
8. You tut when you see a double bass and guitar on stage instead of a tuba and banjo (Gold Class Codger there)
   
9. You think Miles sold out when he went electric
   
10. You thing Wynton sold out when he refused to go electric
    
11. You remember buying records in Collets
    
12. You now look like James Bolam on 'The Beiderbecke Affair'
    
13. You have ever, in any context, used the phrase 'And you call that music?'
    
14. You are watching the Royal Wedding (regardless of the Che Guevara poster you still keep from your student days)
    

I can only manage eight out of thirteen. But I'm an old codger in most respects.

Edited April 30, 2011 by JohnS

[Shawn]

Not sure if we're dealing with a Codger here or not....but this guy's sense of humor kills me.

Check out this Ebay listing.

http://cgi.ebay.co.u...#ht_1727wt_1179

Edited May 28, 2011 by Shawn

[sidewinder]

I'd like to see what the definition of 'b*llocks' is

Not the Donald Byrd album, surely?

"This meant that as well as sh*t taste in music, he had appalling taste in clothes too. Pringle jumpers, pleated Farrahs, shoes that looked like pasties, white socks, revolting shirts and a comical wedge-cut hairdon't. Add to this 80s fashion horrorshow a Ford Capri and Super Mario-style moustache underlining his bulbous nose, and you get an object lesson in tw*tdom."

Must be...

Edited May 28, 2011 by sidewinder