[Dixielandjazz] Re: Ken Colyer

[Charles Suhor]

Very informative summary and nice sound clips, John. I especially liked 
the mutual attentiveness of the front line's ensemble playing.--Charlie 
Suhor

On Jun 10, 2005, at 3:32 AM, john petters wrote:

> Judy said
> I have to state my bias, I heard him play frequently in
>> the late 70s/early 80s in London and couldn't understand what all the 
>> fuss
>> was about but hell what does a singer know?
>
> The whole Ken Colyer cult in the UK is strange indeed. Buy the 
> late'70s and
> early '80s his bands had passed their best. In the late '50s however, 
> along
> with Acker Bilk's band of the period, he got closer than most to pulse 
> and
> rhythm of New Orleans jazz. This was helped in no small measure by his
> drummer, Colin Bowden, who studied Baby Dodds. He had a good frontline 
> team
> in Ian Wheeler, clarinet and the late Mac Duncan, trombone. This was 
> not a
> Brit trad band. It was an honest attempt to play New Orleans Jazz by a 
> group
> of young men separated by race culture and distance. It was an ensemble
> music.
> When Bowden left, the band sound changed and lost its urgency. I heard 
> Ken's
> allstars in the early '70s with Colin back on drums, Ray Smith, piano, 
> and
> the wonderful Annie Hawkins on slapped acoustic bass. The magic was 
> there.
> In '85 I booked Ken as a guest at the jazz club I ran in Harlow. At 
> that
> time I had decided that I wanted to be a swing drummer and all this 
> mouldy
> fig stuff was old hat.
>
> I debated booking another drummer for the session, thing I would not 
> enjoy
> it. The need for money prevailed over artistic considerations and I 
> did the
> gig. Nervously, I asked him what style of drums he wanted me to play. 
> His
> reply, in few words, "swinging drums,man!"
>
> Contrary to my expectations, the gig was most enjoyable. It was 
> recorded and
> some of it is on my "New Orleans Revisited" CD and a clip can be heard 
> at
> http://www.traditional-jazz.com/pge_cd11.htm
> Listening back, it failed to capture the raw energy of the '50s band.
>
> Ken had a melodic and lyrical approach to playing. His models were 
> Bunk and
> Mutt Carey, but as he got older the influences were less obvious. When 
> we
> recorded the session on the CD, he had been ill for sometime. He 
> succumbed
> to cancer in 1988. Significantly, his passing was mentioned in 
> Parliament!
>
> The Ken Colyer Trust emerged soon after his death. A Band of ex Colyer
> sidemen was formed. This, over the years has been good and bad, 
> depending on
> the personnel. Many of the fans have a rather narrow view of the music,
> which Ken never had. He apparently liked Roy Eldridge. There are a 
> number of
> festivals and events staged by the Trust which conform to a very narrow
> musical policy, ie, New Orleans Revival. I have no problem with that, 
> but
> having been brought in to put some life into one of these festivals at
> Blackpool some years ago, (I organised a more musical varied festival 
> in
> another hall) I found the music on offer about as interesting as 
> watching
> paint dry. But that is personal taste. It does however say something 
> that
> Ken Colyer is still revered nearly two decades after his death. He did 
> leave
> behind some of the most memorable recordings of British Traditional 
> jazz, as
> opposed to 'Trad'.
> John Petters
> Amateur Radio Station G3YPZ
> www.traditional-jazz.com
>
>
>
>
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