[Dixielandjazz] Kenny Ball

[Eric Holroyd]

I called Ken at his home near London four or five nights ago.

(To call UK from Australia you need to do that as the time is topsy turvy).

Ken says that his health is just fine and that he has recovered completely 
from the surgery he had a year or so back.

He's 75 now - and I know he won't mind me publishing that - and says that 
he's playing better than ever, which all good musicians will recognise as 
something that only another musician would say.

In all honesty, we are our own worst critics, so to say that to another 
musician is just a good honest statement.

Ken is still running his band of course, and playing gigs and festivals all 
over the place. Bob Barnard met up with him at the Edinburgh Festival.

In addition, Ken does quite a bit of 'featured soloist' work and has four 
such gigs this week - and he's doing a cruise too.

I have that LP with the wonderful 'High Society', with Dave Jones on 
clarinet.

The cover picture is just great, and has Ken and the boys in smart grey 
suits with very slim ties.

He's always been a great player and I remember listening to many BBC 
broadcasts as a youngster in UK.

Ken played with the Sid Phillips band on those broadcasts and made some 
recordings with them.

Unfortunately, I left all my 78s behind - including the Sid Phillips ones - 
when we moved from UK to Australia in the mid-60s.

Kind regards,  Eric
Web:  http://members.optushome.com.au/eholroyd/