Here is a rare, unissued broadcast of "Riverboat Shuffle" from "BBC Jazz Club", a radio programme broadcast on the BBC's Light Programme on September 4th, 1948. Subtitled "A Tribute to Bix Beiderbecke", this particular edition of "Jazz Club" features a guest appearance by the composer, Hoagy Carmichael, with trumpeter Jack Jackson in the role of Bix Beiderbecke, recreating Bix's 1927 solo (from the Frankie Trumbauer OKeh recording) note for note.
Presenter of the show, clarinettist Harry Parry, introduces Hoagy, who gives some background information about the number and in particular mentions its close association with Bix and The Wolverine Orchestra, before joining the band to sing the rarely heard lyrics. His reference to "Mr Gardner on the tenor" in the vocals is a nod to Freddy Gardner, who can be heard noodling away behind Hoagy.
I'm afraid I don't know who the other members of the band are, apart from the fact that they were drawn from the pool of musicians that producer Mark White called upon when assembling the band for these programmes and for the recordings they made for Decca during this period (the personnel, which varied from session to session, was named on the Decca record labels). The photograph I have provided was taken during one of these BBC broadcasts - Freddy Gardner is there, but not Jack Jackson (the trumpeter shown is Duncan Whyte).
This is the only part of the broadcast that seems to exist. It was sent to me over 20 years ago by the late trumpeter, bandleader and author John Chilton.
30 сен 2024
