[Dixielandjazz] BBC's Jazz Score

[Ken Mathieson]

Hi Folks,
Further squeezing  of the memory cells led me to a book on my shelves 
entitled "The Best of Jazz Score" compiled by Roy Pellett (ISBN 
0-563-36326-6) and a quick google showed that it had run On BBC RADIO 2 
in numerous short series between 3 Oct 1981 and 26 Aug 1997. The book is 
also currently listed by both amazon.co.uk and amazon.com if anyone 
wants to go chasing it. Either Roy Pellett had recorded huge swathes of 
the programme privately or he had access to BBC Library recordings when 
compiling the book. I know I've got a few cassette recordings of the 
show somewhere and, if I can find them, I'll have a listen to see if 
Slim's tiple monologue is there. What I did find in my copy of the book 
is Roy Pellett's brief precis of Slim's tiple story (I suspect Slim's 
tale was long, rambing, very relaxed and a lot funnier than it appears 
in the precis):

"Tiples were miniature guitars with ten strings - something like a 
mandolin. The brothers Wilbur and Douglas Daniels used to play them with 
the Spirits of Rhythm. Actually they were very popular with singers and 
singing groups in the 1930s."  That's it and, if that's all he said, I'm 
sure it sounded better in Slim's mellow tones. In truth, all the 
anecdotes sounded better in the words of the speakers on air - all very 
spontaneous and with natural comic timing that doesn't translate easily 
into the written word.

Regards,
Ken