[Dixielandjazz] American Musicians Banned In UK?

[Marek Boym]

I have read "I Play as I Please" more than once, but it was a long
time ago, so I did not remember.
I had an EP, which I paseed on to a friend upon purchasing the Savoy
"twofer."  While not memorable, those sides are not worse tahn many of
Bechet's French recordings, and better than many (I've got a lot,
perhaps most).  As a Jazz Journal critic remarked once (albeit about
BG), "(Bechet's) mediocre is better than other people's best" (quoting
from memory, but that's the gist of the matter).
Cheers

On 27/04/2008, Bill Haesler <bhaesler at bigpond.net.au> wrote:
> Marek Boym wrote:........the recording with Bechet WAS legal.
> > What was illegal was Bechet's playing with the band at a concert.
> > Bechet was in the hall, and Humph had the limelights directed on him.
> > Then came the public demand "Play for us, Sidney," and Bechet obliged.
> >  It might have been prearranged.
> >
>
> Dear Marek,
> It was, and resulted in a court case with £100 fine for the promoter.
> John Chilton in his 1987 book 'Sidney Bechet. Wizard of Jazz' devotes the
> whole of Chapter 21 ('Beating The Ban') to Bechet's London visit in Nov
> 1949.
> Jim Godbolt's 1984 book 'A History of Jazz In Britain, 1919-1950' also
> provides some 'words & Music' (Chapter 14 - 'Jazz Comes To Britain by
> Stealth').
> Also worth reading is Humph's own account of it all in his 1954 autobiograpy
> 'I Play As I Please" [pages 174-78].
> The Melodisc sides from the 13 Nov 1949 record session have been reissued on
> LP and CD.
> I'm playing the Savoy CD at the moment. (The 6 sides are also on French
> Classics 1223.)
> I have never thought of them as being memorable, so haven't listened to them
> in a long time.
> Surprisingly, notwithstanding a chunky rhythm section, they stand up much
> better that I had recalled.
> Kind regards,
> Bill.
>
>