[Dixielandjazz] Acker in Poland

[Marek Boym]

Dear Bill,
You might as well be right.
As to discographical evidence, the first recording listed by Derard
Bielderman is the June 25, 1954 one with Colyer.
But that may only mean that Acker did not record right away.  And even
some of his early records were not all that good - the development
came later!  I have an LP  with tracks recorded August 1, August  28
and December 10, 1957, and they leave a lot to be desired!
Cheers

On 17/09/2007, Bill Haesler <bhaesler at bigpond.net.au> wrote:
> Marek Boym wrote:
> > Your sources may be right, but I don't think so.
> > I spoke to Acker Bilk about that tour, and he corroborated an earlier
> > date.  But he was not all that young, so he might have been wrong.
>
> Dear Marek,
> The official Acker Bilk web site, which I also checked (and dismissed)
> the other day, says [in part]:
>   "Demobbed, Acker formed his first Band in Bristol, but then he and
> Jean moved to London so he could become the clarinettist with the Ken
> Colyer Band, but he hated London and returned to Bristol to form the
> Bristol Paramount Jazz Band. In 1951 [so the home page says] this Band
> came to London and Acker and Jean survived in a factory attic in
> Plaistow until the Band got their first big break - six weeks constant
> playing in a beer bar in Dusseldorf."
> Which implies much earlier dates than Acker's usual biographical
> accounts and the discographal evidence.
> With respect, I would rather trust researchers like John Chilton,
> DJMLer Brian Wood and the early LP album notes than a musician's
> impromptu memory.
> Having written 100s of musical biogs, I know what their memories are
> like, including my own.
> 8>)
> Listmate and broadcaster Brian Harvey was involved with Doug Dobell
> (who has put the Polish trip in 1957, before Dusseldorf) in producing
> Acker's first records in the mid 50s. What say Brian?
> Kind regards,
> Bill.
>
>