[Dixielandjazz] Jarry James

[ROBERT R. CALDER]

Or Jarring James!  
The Harry James performances I referred to as ultrasaccharine were certainly unlike anything I had ever heard, but the amusing thing relates to  Steve's reminiscence of James being proud of every record he ever made. None of the music I was referring to was among the records James ever made. 
They were all broadcast recordings, radio or TV!  
I do remember Albert McCarthy blenching slightly as he remembered genuine studio recording sessions of the 1950s  in the course of which, initially to his surprise, it was necessary to convince contemporaries and compatriots of James that jazz was wanted, and not some soppy sop to supposed mass preferences among the wider public. 

And then there was Shorty Rogers, telling an interviewer he'd kept a lot of scores, he couldn't think why. Sentimentalism, perhaps, a hollow nostalgia?  This was before Shorty came to Britain and well before a wonderful concert I attended, sometime later in his restored jazz career.
What the HELL was COOL about that! my friend seated next to me asked, much enthused. 

We had also at that concert witnessed at close hand the alarming-comic spectacle of Bill Perkins, who demonstrated why it is unwise to dance wearing loosely located spectacles while stood up to solo on baritone sax.  The dance became more intricate after -- following some alarming bounces and slippages -- the specs eventually fell off and the wonderful Perkins, unable to stand still while improvising (behind a desk and in a very confined space!) had to avoid standing on the specs which were near his feet, and which , because they had fallen off, he could not see.  Fully a match for anything in those lists of Great Operatic Disasters some people compile.  Perhaps the accident added a further edge of nervous energy? 
Robert R. Calder