KENNY BALL & HIS JAZZMEN

Back at the Start

Lake, 1999 LACD 114, 20 tracks, 66min

Black Bottom Stomp, Baby Doll, Hiawatha Rag, Waltzing Mathilda, Nuages, Chimes Blues, Livery Stable Blues, American Patrol, Black & Tan Fantasy, I’m Satisfied With My Gal, High Society, Dark Eyes, You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby, Tin Roof Blues, Putting On The Roof, Putting On The Ritz, Lumbered At The Lotus, Beale Street Blues, Louisiana, Snag It, Margie

To some Kenny Ball was the epitome of bland British commercial Trad; to others he was the British Louis ‘Satchmo’ Armstrong. Well, maybe ‘Sachmoish’ in my mind, but a big plus is that whereas Satchmo’s All Stars tended to be more of a backing group to his brilliant trumpet playing Kenny Ball’s Jazzmen are very much a true all stars band. To understand what I mean listen to ‘Baby Doll’ or ‘Black & Tan Fantasy’. Clarinettist Dave Jones gets to shew his skills on “High Society’ and a favourite of mine from 1961 ‘Nuages’, which was the B side of the hit single ‘I Love You Samantha’. John Bennett features with his wonderfully liquorish trombone on the really beautifully arranged ‘Tin Roof Blues’. Kenny’s trumpet shines on ‘Lumbered At The Lotus’, which is somewhat spoilt by its fade out ending.

This CD was issued to celebrate the 40^th anniversary of the band’s first recording. The CD is a mix of B sides, live tracks and odd tracks and has avoided the ‘hit’ material. There are some rather ‘traddy’ tracks such as “Waltzing Matilda’ or ‘Margie’. The ‘B side’ element is apparent in the shortness of many of the tracks and the band often disregards the old adage that traditional jazz should never be faster than a quick walk and literally fly along with ‘Beale Street Blues’ being done & dusted in a mere 1min 58 sec.

Despite some shortcomings I love the CD and play it regularly.

***

KENNY BALL & HIS JAZZMEN

1960-1961

Lake, 1997, LACD76, 18 tracks, 67min

Hawaiian War Chant, Them There Eyes, Georgia Swing, Riverside Blues, Sorry, Original Dixieland One Step,

Teddy Bears Picnic, I Got Plenty Of Nuthin’, Dinah, Lazy River, 1919 March, South Rampart Street Parade, Savoy Blues, Ostrich Walk, Blue Turning Grey Over You, Finger Buster, Big Noise From Winnetka, Potato Head Blues

‘Thanks’ for coming tonight, I know its been cold sitting out there in the park. We are going back to the dressing room now; if you’d like to join us for an autograph or a chat, you are most welcome.’ Like his music, Kenny Ball was always friendly, open and pleasant. When you went to see Kenny, you knew you would get trad and trad at its best played by some of the best musicians in the country. This jazz is lightly orchestrated, yet with sufficient room to allow freedom of movement. As time has gone by trad has started to become rehabilitated, and I for one am glad, for it was good happy music that paid more than a courtesy nod to New Orleans jazz. I already had these tracks on either compendium LPs, or tapes, but getting them on CD is well worth while for the improved sound. There are some gems here; “Riverside Blues’, original Dixieland One Step’, ‘Blue Turning Grey Over You’ and ‘Potato Head Blues’ in particular. I must also mention ‘South Rampart Street Parade’, the tune where Kenny always insisted that clarinettist Dave Jones tried to lose his fingers down the holes. The only tune I find duff is ‘I Got Plenty Of Nuthin’, which is over orchestrated and very much in the style of Syd Phillips’ band, where Kenny had played before forming his own outfit.

You should buy this CD, it reflects Kenny Ball and the boys very much as they performed live on stage, as opposed to the slightly more trite pop singles they issued to pay the rent.