My father Leslie Gilbert was lead alto for Ted right from the beginning. This great music influenced me to become a lifetime professional musician. I’m still at it 70 years later. What a great life. Best Regards to all. Tony Gilbert
Ted Heath manged to keep a costly big band going for so long. But, he mainly kept to short tracks, rather commercial arrangements. Occasionally the band let rip! I was present one friday Night at the old Savoy ballroom , Portsmouth,when this happened. I still recall a brilliant extended performance of Heading North. It left us in stunned amazement. It was prime big band swing with great solos. Easily made Basie sound second! Sadly, that was a rare moment of swing magic.
'Easily made Basie sound second!' You've flipped your wig!! There never has been and never will be any big band anywhere in the cosmos that makes 'Basie sound second.'
basie was great! I've been listening and collecting big bands for over 70 years! You were not at this particular moment when Ted's boys let go! I saw basie three times. Great but they never did what I heard that night.
Just got hooked on this tune and this version is just great! I love dexter especially on ballads.I realy dig the fact he knows the lyrics, that’s an important tool to have when improvising with a real meaning.many players today learn tunes without ever listening to them sung or at all and even play them wrong sometimes.
My best time was performing memories of you whilst Duncan Campbell was sitting right in front of the band and after buying me and my late father a pint having a chat with us. Never saw them live at this time but saw them on their last ever gig in London with Don Lusher being the MD nothing will beat that 2001
Here's a clip, circa 1963, of the late, great Joe Pass playing a Fender Jaguar. Born Joseph Anthony Jacobi Passalaqua, Joe Pass claimed a ...Joe Pass and the Synanon Fender Jaguar - The Guitar Column
Joe Pass was a member of the bandstand in the woody woodbury show, one day Dick clark had guest , Wes Montgomery, Dick asked Wes.."who do you think is one of the top jazz guitar players at this time"? and Wes responded " that man with the guitar in the bandstand(joe pass)
Great story. Love Joe Pass. Saw him at Yosh’s in Berkeley. Spoke with him at the bar . Very down to earth. Whatever is less than humble, he was that night . Could play jazz in his sleep, probably did .
This Pass performance is off the charts. So lucky to have seen Joe Pass live @ Ronnie Scott's club in Soho London in 1990. He played a solo gig and his virtuoso style was on display. Video has great early '60s straightahead jazz vibe. As a Fender Jaguar owner in late '60s, it's rare to see a jazz master play Leo Fender's instrument.
Joe was stuck playing a Fender Jaguar for a couple of years because he was broke and enrolled in a Synanon drug rehab program. Joe didn’t own a guitar and played the only guitar available to him, through Synanon, at the time. Joe had a construction worker friend that eventually gave him a Gibson ES-175 for his birthday because he needed a real jazz guitar.
Can't believe "In-laws" threw out my foot locker with this rare "Pacific Jazz" label 1960's vinyl album signed by JOE PASS himself along with other rare music memorability, and my parents wedding photos/ my baby/ school days photos too.
His live albums were always my favorites with the Kingsway Hall concert my all-time favorite. Ronnie Verrell pretty much taught me how to play drums which I went on to do professionally. Every time a new album was released, I would study his playing carefully and try to duplicate it. One of my great disappoints in life was never getting to meet him, or to hear the band in person, although I did get to correspond with Ronnie's daughter for a time. Love that this group has taken up the wand from the now defunct (and sorely missed) Ted Heath Appreciation Society.
This was the full line-up for this concert which was the bands 100th Palladium appearance: Bass - Johnny Hawksworth Cover - Sanford* Drums - Ronnie Verrell Piano - Frank Horrox Saxophone - Danny Moss, George Hunter, Henry Mackenzie*, Leslie Gilbert, Roy Willox Trombone - Don Lusher, Jimmy Coombes, Ric Kennedy*, Wally Smith Trumpet - Bobby Pratt, Duncan Campbell, Ronnie Hughes, Stan Reynolds and the routine: A1 Lush Slide Written-By - Lusher*, Owen* A2 Birth Of The Blues Written-By - Sylva, Brown, Henderson* A3 Fascinating Rhythm Written-By - George & Ira Gershwin A4 Our Waltz Written By - Burton Written-By - Rose* A5 The Moulin Rouge Theme Written-By - Auric*, Engvick* A6 Viva Verrell Written-By - Owen*, Verrell* B1 Henry IX Written By - Keeping B2 Mood Indigo Written-By - Bigard*, Ellington*, Mills* B3 The Sheik Of Araby Written-By - Wheeler*, Smith*, Snyder* B4 Holiday For Strings Written-By - Rose* B5 How High The Moon Written-By - Lewis*, Hamilton*
He had amazing subtlety. A true master. I remember I first learned of him when I saw the film ``Round Midnight'' in college in 1986. Beautiful film, and I am grateful that it got me started on jazz!
Not enough appreciation that he is playing a Fender Jaguar, when they had come out with a “Jazzmaster” before this. I just love that Pass is playing a Jaguar- a guitar not synonymous with jazz by any stretch, and not playing what Fender would have probably suggested he played in a Jazzmaster haha.
Hello Wouter , super man dank je vooe het delen ..wat een tijd .. overigens speelt Eldert van Oosten Tenor Sax en niet Cees Smit . Geweldige originele opname van Hero Billy Brooks
