[Dixielandjazz] Judith Durham

Bill Haesler bhaesler@nsw.bigpond.net.au
Thu, 04 Jul 2002 12:11:13 +1000


Dear friends,
Herewith some information regarding the Judith Durham CD query passed on by
Sheik.

Judith Durham. The Jazz Collection 1973-1978. A 3 for one box set (Cat. No.
8573888252) released by Musicoast Pty Ltd and marketed by Warner Music Group.
(An AOL Time Warner Company). Although dated 2001 I have only recently bought
it. Do not look in the jazz section of the record stores. It will be found in
the nostalgia section!

CD 1. Cat. No. 3984262992 OMCD1310 (a reissue of an Interfusion LP L35098, NSPL
18431). Judith Durham and the Hottest Band in Town.
Recorded Feb/March 1973 at Roy Chen Studio, Chinatown, San Francisco.
Jim Goodwin, t; Jerry Butzen, tb; Phil Howe, cl/ss; Ron Edgeworth, p; Ed Turner,
bj/g; John Moore, tu/sb.
Titles: "I Wanna Dance To Your Music/Am I Blue/Gimme a Pigfoot and a Bottle of
Beer/Body and Soul/After You've Gone/Cake Walkin' Babies From Home/Sister
Kate/Mama's Got The Blues/The World's Jazz Crazy/Can't Help Lovin' That Man/I've
Got What It Takes/Oh Daddy Blue/Alexander's Ragtime Band". Plus bonus tracks "I
Love You/Gloryland".

CD 2. Cat. No. 3984266842 (a reissue of an Interfusion LP L35331, NSPL 18442).
Judith Durham & the Hottest Band in Town. Volume 2.
Recorded May/June 1974 at Pye Recording Studios, London. (the English one.)
Denis Field, c; Terry Pitts, tb; Sammy Rimmington, cl/ss; Ron Edgeworth, p; Hugh
Rainey, bj/g; Bob Taylor, sousa/sb; Phil Franklin, d/wb.
Titles: "Basin Street Blues/Papa, If You Can't Do Better/The Man I Love/Nobody's
Blues But Mine/The Hottest Band In Town/Coney Island Washboard/Down By The
Riverside/What'll I Do/Louisville Lou/It's Goin' To Be A Beautiful Day/The
Entertainer/Chase Those Blues Away/On Revival Day".

CD 3. Cat. No. 3984268752 (a reissue of an LP I do not have). The Hot Jazz Duo.
Judith Durham and Ron Edgeworth
Recorded at the Newport Jazz Festival, Waterloo Village, NJ, USA 25 June 1978
Titles: "My Buddy/Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out/Pearly Gates/A Good
Man Is Hard To Find/Just A Closed Walk With Thee/Ain't Misbehavin'".
Recorded at Australian Broadcasting Commission Odeon Theatre, Hobart, Tasmania,
Australia on 30 March 1978.
Titles: "Body And Soul/Mood Indigo/He Will Remember Me".

Judy Durham is definitely OKOM. Turk Murphy thought so too!   
Although Judy made her name with the folk group The Seekers, she started out as
a trad jazz vocalist, and never really left the genre. 
A biography "Colours Of My Life - The Judith Durham Story" by Graham Simpson was
published in1994 by Random House Australia and tells all about the Melbourne
(Australia)jazz scene when she joined it as a teenager. (I am quoted on pages
41-42!) 
Judy has been a dear friend of ours from the late 1950s when she first came on
to the Melbourne jazz scene. I well remember one night in 1963 when Judy asked
me if she should go overseas with the Seekers and give up her trad jazz gigs. My
advice was to go for it, as jazz would be here when she got back. It took
international acclaim and years on the road before she did.
We do not see Judith that often these days, as she in seme-retired and lives
about 1000 miles north. But when we do meet up it is always the same friendly
hug. She is still the lovable kid we knew in the 1960s. 
PS: Judy was a trained pianist and singer. Her sister Beverly (Sheehan) is still
singing on the Melbourne jazz scene. 
Kind regards,
Bill.