[Dixielandjazz] Kenny Baker & Chris Barber

[Keith Garner]

Hi All

Ken Mathieson wrote

> To pick up on a couple of threads currently running, I remember hearing 
> some of the Kenny Baker recreations of the Hot 5s and 7s (The Louis 
>  >Armstrong Connection) when they first came out and remember thinking 
> "interesting experiment, but why bother?"

I'm fairly certain that Kenny Baker was also involved in another recreation 
project involving the music of Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers. I have 
the resulting LP but cannot put my hands on it at present so I am working 
from memory.  In this case I believe that the music was required for a 
modern dance show involving Twyla Tharp - possibly for the BBC. It was felt 
that thr original recordings weren't suitable for use so the recreation was 
commissioned.  The result makes interesting listening, but I share Ken's 
view about the polished (and studied) performances lacking the feel and 
immediacy of the originals.  Of the other players I can only recall that 
Judd Proctor played banjo but I do remember that, brilliant player though he 
was, Kenny Baker sounded nothing at all like George Mitchell - but then who 
does!

Regards
Keith Garner
www.jazzpzazz.co.uk