[Dixielandjazz] Acker

[Gary Lawrence Murphy]

Acker Bilk explains the waistcoats:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4858qdllxk#t=57

On Mon, Nov 3, 2014 at 6:20 AM, Marek Boym <marekboym at gmail.com> wrote:

> Acker Bilk was an extremely funny person.
> At some time, he had a regular programme on the BBC, "Anchors aweigh."  The
> routine was one jazz number, one popular, often extremely humorous, song,
> and funny remarks by Bilk in between.  I was addicted.  And I'll never
> forget "My English Country Garden!"
> As to waistcoats - they were a part of his pop star image rather than his
> jazz side.  After all, for a long time Acker Bilk was extremely popular
> with non-jazz audience, and recorded lots of non-jazz albums.  But his
> greatest hit, "Stranger on the Shore," still sounded a lot like a jazz
> musician with strings.
> Cheers
>
> On 3 November 2014 12:55, Patrick Ladd <patrickjladd at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> >
> > Acker lived at Pensford. About 8 miles from my home and within easy reach
> > of Bath and Bristol. I couldn`t claim to have known him but he was always
> > around  `the scene`.
> >
> > Although `Stranger on the Shore` which was only the background music for
> a
> > TV series will always remind me of him, his appearance on  local TV News
> > with his band when he had just returned from a tour in Germany which
> really
> > established him was the defining moment for me. His interview was
> > hilarious. His thick Somerset accent and his sense of humour came through
> > clearly. The interview  closed with the expected `Will you play something
> > for us`. Acker picked up his clarinet, turned to the band and said `Blow,
> > you buggers` and played the show out.
> > I knew a guy from Pensford who was in Ackers early group. He told me that
> > the band won a local talent contest in the very early days, and part of
> the
> > prize was the opportunity to play at the dance which followed the
> contest.
> > Unfortunately the band only knew two tunes, one of which they had won the
> > contest with and were stuck trying to be a `real  band ` for the evening,
> > more or less making it up as they went along. I was also told that before
> > the band had settled into its regular combination various musicians came
> > and went and it was not unusual that an instrument which no one could
> play
> > was required for an arrangement.  Acker would depute someone to be able
> to
> > play  by next Saturday and an instrument would be borrowed or hired and
> > someone in the band would learn the simple fingering  or a couple of
> chord
> > shapes well enough to be able to get through the number.
> >
> > One thing Acker never had a problem with was the waistcoats and bowler
> > which seems to worry some of our listmates so much.
> >
> > Pat
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