[Dixielandjazz] Acker Bilk

[Bert]

Last week in Ireland there were two concerts sceduled with both the Acker Bilk and the Chris Barber bands.
Alas Acker's health at that moment didn't allow him to fly over to Dublin, so we had to do the concert without him.
40 minutes before the show started, they asked me to play Stranger on the Shore, as a tribute to Acker.So that was a bit stress situation, but I did it. The audience went totally wild!
Had to repeat it the next day in Belfast.
The last time I saw him was the Jazz Festival Edinburg , last summer.Hope he will recover and to see him soon playing again.
Kind regards,
Bert Brandsma



> Date: Sun, 8 Dec 2013 18:33:09 +0200
> From: marekboym at gmail.com
> Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Acker Bilk
> CC: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
> To: mister_bertje at hotmail.com
> 
> How deceptive memory is!
> According to Chilton's "Who Is Who in British Jazz," as well as to other
> sources, Bilk toured Poland in 1956.  I was there when heis band played in
> Wroclaw to some 20,000 fans, who went wild lie at Elvis Presley's shows.
> Men's jackets and women's purses were flying in the air; how many ended up
> back with their owners will probably remain unknown.  Yet, I thought it was
> back in 1954 or 1955.  I spoke to Acker at the musicians lounge in the
> Caledonian Brewery in Edinburgh just before he went on stage, and, to the
> best of my memory, he confirmed 1955.
> I still have a soft spot for Acker, and I'll never forget the excitement or
> the performance, and that little man standing in the middle of the huge
> stage, surrouned by his much taller musicians.  He didn't wear the bowler
> hat or the stripped waiscoat that were to become his trademarkm nor was he
> referred to as "Mister," although the band already was The Paramount Jazz
> Band.  Probably the greatest experience of my life (and I've since had
> children and grandchildren, an took part in all our wars until final
> release from the reserves in 1994).
> Cheers for Acker Bilk!
> _______________________________________________
> To unsubscribe or change your e-mail preferences for the Dixieland Jazz Mailing list, or to find the online archives, please visit:
> 
> http://ml.islandnet.com/mailman/listinfo/dixielandjazz
> 
> 
> 
> Dixielandjazz mailing list
> Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com