Ken Colyer and Chris Barber. Two giants remembered from my youth. Thank you both. From an 87 year old Englishman who will never forget you..(as long as he lives!!!).
This man was stellar in his love of New Orleans jazz and his dedication to keeping the spirit of the magic of this 'liberation music' alive. Like John Brown's body, his "soul goes marching on" a hallmark of musical integrity. His timing on the trumpet was uncanny and his sense of melody and syncopated blending with the rest of the band visionary and instinctive.
This video comes from a wonderful dvd. I did it for the music. Ken Colyer and his dream of New Orleans. Recorded at the 100 club in 1987, it also includes Ken’s skiffle group at the Pizza Express in 1986. Plus a cd.
Just currently reading Peter Frame’s “The Restless Generation” you get a real sense that these were the true pioneers. Their exploits seem so adventurous in this online digital age. Being 15 in late ‘50’s London I seemed to have bypassed this genre and was immediately smitten with “R n R” having attended a Eddie Cochran / Gene Vincent concert at Finsbury Park.
Characteristic music by the Guvnor. He could pull any group of musicians together and make them an integrated whole. Don't ask me how but it was wonderful to hear. My first Colyer gig was 1956.................
Wunderbar,es muss nicht immer Chris Barber sein!Ich habe Colyer leider nur einmal hier in Hamburg im Cotton Club erleben können.Ist laange Zeit her ....
Ken Colyer came closer to giving us the real sound of New Orleans than anyone else in those early days at 100. I found that out for myself when a, few years later, my work took me to the Crescent City twice yearly for many years. One of my prized mementoes is the recording he made in New Orleans in 1953 with Emile Barnes and other locals. He will live forever in our memories.
If you haven’t come across Tuba Skinny, which is one of the new bands in New Orleans, and London base Ewan Bleach, who has played in some of the New Orleans bands, loads on RU-vid.
We all remember Ken as a trumpet player, but unless my old eyes deceive me he is playing a cornet here. Anybody agree with me? It looks very similar to the King Master which Shaye Cohn uses nowadays.
Ray Foxley on piano, I think it might be Ian Wheeler on clarinet but don't take that as gospel, Julian Twiston-Davies on bass, Les Handscombe on trombone, Pete Lay on drums, Bill Stotesbury on banjo.
Keith Bridgefoot .Ian Turner clarinet, Les Hanscombe trombone. Just watching the dvd this video came from. I did it for the music it’s called, it also has a cd.
February, 1987 to be exact - the set had to be re-recorded, as the November, 1986 set at the 100 Club was spoilt by a poor soundtrack, using mics on the cameras.
That's Ian TURNER on clarinet - not Ian Wheeler or Johnny Cole. The rest of the personnel looks correct to me as it has been mentioned: Len Handscombe, tbn; Ray Foxley, pno; Bill Stotesbury, bj; Julian Twiston-Davies, sbs; Pete Lay, dms.
I'd guess Johnny Cole on clarinet and Tony Bastable on banjo, but I'm open to correction. During the Colyer 100 Club gig I turned up at maybe five or six years earlier, soprano sax player Dudu Pukwana, who had been on earlier doing his bebop stuff, stood on one of the tables and traded call and response with the Colyer band, who quite enjoyed it!
