Guy Jones Interviews Jim Tomlinson in Stockholm, Parts II and III

Jim Tomlinson photographed by Goio Villanueva

As noted in earlier posts in Jazz Flashes, my Stockholm-based confrère Guy Jones, founder of the reissue label Fog Arts Records, has had the chance to interview Jim Tomlinson on three separate occasions that the British saxophonist/flutist visited the Swedish capital along with his wife, American vocalist Stacey Kent. You will find the first part of their conversation here. Back in 2018, a mere five months after their first meeting, Guy recorded a follow-up to their conversation, pretty much picking up where they'd previously left off. The second part of their chat was recorded at Stockholm's Humlegården and is a perfect companion to the first, since the two of them cover some different ground, but it was not to be the last. Being a frequent visitor to Scandinavia, Tomlinson met up with Guy for a third time at the same spot a year later, in October 2019, and on that occasion the discussion centered around British jazz greats such as Dudley Moore, Tubby Hayes, Johnny Dankworth, and Cleo Laine, among many others. All three podcasts, which may be found on the Fog Arts YouTube channel, should be of interest to serious jazz enthusiasts. The second part is available at the end of this post for your listening pleasure, while the third installment may be accessed here.

JIM TOMLINSON IN CONVERSATION WITH GUY JONES, Part II

Chris Barber Live in East Berlin, 1968

Along with Humphrey Lyttelton, Ken Colyer, Kenny Ball, and Acker Bilk, among others, trombonist Chris Barber is one of the elder statesmen of British trad jazz, which was all the rage in the United Kingdom throughout the 1950s and would spawn and help popularize other styles such as skiffle and the British beat of the 1960s. Yet though his music is undeniably inspired by the classic New Orleans tradition, Barber has always had the ability to change with the times, which explains why he's managed to build up a following and stay current for such a long time. That may also go a long way toward explaining the international appeal of his band, which, as we can see from the title of the album we're presenting here, extended even beyond the old Iron Curtain. Barber was born in Hertfordshire in 1930, and after developing an interest in New Orleans jazz and the blues, he formed his first band while still a teenager. Barber had his biggest hits in the 1950s, among them the smash "Petite Fleur," with a memorable appearance from Monty Sunshine on clarinet. Scottish banjoist Lonnie Donegan played with Barber for several years, and his version of "Rock Island Line" hit the charts while he was still a member of Barber's outfit, thereby prompting the short-lived skiffle craze of the mid-'50s. The sound of Barber's band was always tight and exciting, and his affinity for the blues led to many gigs backing American bluesmen who were on tour in Britain. Barber even organized some of these tours, helping bring excellent blues artists such as Muddy Waters and Big Bill Broonzy to the British Isles and helping pave the way for R&B-inspired bands like the Yardbirds and the Rolling Stones.

The first time I ever heard Barber was on a two-volume vinyl album that my father had and that included a late-'60s live appearance by his band in East Berlin, and I was impressed by the irresistible sound of a band that seemed to be having a ball on stage that day at the Friedrichstadt Palast. Fortunately, that concert was reissued on CD by the Black Lion label in 1990 as Live in East Berlin, with excellent sound, and from the very beginning of the record we quickly realize that we're in for a treat. The band uses "I Never Shall Forget" as a vehicle for a German announcer to introduce each musician individually, after which they launch into an infectiously joyful reading of "Royal Garden Blues." Barber, of course, is on trombone, and the group includes fine trad musicians like trumpeter Pat Halcox, altoist / clarinetist John Crocker, guitarist John Slaughter, banjoist Stu Morrison, bassist Jackie Flavelle, and drummer Graham Burbridge. The repertoire includes New Orleans staples such as "Royal Garden Blues" and "Wild Cat Blues," some popular standards like "Lazy River" and "Makin' Whoopee," and even some sacred numbers such as "Over in Gloryland" and "God Can Do Anything." There are tips of the hat to Barney Bigard ("Saratoga Swing"), George Lewis ("St. Phillip Street Breakdown"), and early Johnny Hodges ("Sweet as Bear Meat"), and there's even time for Barber's own "Battersea Rain Dance." Barber uses Hoagy Carmichael's "Lazy River" to showcase his warm, blues-inflected trombone style, and Bigard's "Saratoga Swing," one of the many highlights of the concert, becomes a nine-minute tour de force with outstanding bluesy solos from Halcox and Slaughter. For over sixty years now, Chris Barber has been leading one of the best jazz outfits to come out of Britain, and this live recording in East Berlin catches the band in its prime in 1968 and is as good an introduction to Barber's sound as any compilation of his studio recordings.

Buddy Tate & Humphrey Lyttelton in London, 1974

The first Jazz Flashes post of 2016 is devoted to a little-known collaboration between trumpeter Humphrey Lyttelton and saxophonist Buddy Tate, a session held in London in the 1970s. Happy New Year full of great jazz to everyone!

Not only was British trumpeter Humphrey Lyttelton a fine musician, but he was also a tireless promoter of and advocate for good jazz in the British Isles, engaging in all sorts of activities, from making popular records like "Bad Penny Blues" to organizing jazz festivals to hosting radio and television shows. Steeped in New Orleans jazz and swing since he taught himself to play the trumpet, Lyttelton became one of the most prominent figures of the so-called trad jazz movement in Britain in the 1950s along with other big names such as Chris Barber and Ken Colyer. By the mid-1970s, when he cut this session with tenorist Buddy Tate, he'd been active in British jazz circles for well over 20 years and was highly respected. Born in Sherman, TX, in 1913, Tate came straight out of the Swing Era and soon became prominent through his work with the Count Basie Orchestra, where he replaced tenor saxophonist Herschel Evans. Throughout his career, Tate led a number of fantastic recording sessions, fronted a band for over 20 years at the Celebrity Club in Harlem, and was a frequent visitor to Europe. It was precisely during one of these visits, when he played the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1974, that this little-known session with Lyttelton and a host of fine British musicians took place.

The eight tracks that comprise Swinging Scorpio (Black Lion) were recorded at London's Pye Studios on July 3, 1974, and find Lyttelton (trumpet, clarinet) and Tate (tenor sax, clarinet) in the company of Bruce Turner (alto sax, clarinet), Kathleen Stobart (tenor and baritone saxes, clarinet), Mick Pyne (piano), Dave Green (bass), and Tony Mann (drums). This is the type of studio band that Lyttelton often put together for specific recording sessions, and all musicians involved have a thorough understanding of the swing idiom and are able accompanists to a giant like Tate. Legendary trumpeter Buck Clayton contributed all the original compositions and arrangements for the date, mostly because by the mid-1970s, he'd retired from playing and had concentrated on writing and arranging for medical reasons. In fact, Clayton wasn't able to attend the session due to health problems, but the charts he devised here are all the work of a master arranger with very clear ideas about how a small swing band should sound. The blues inflections we can hear on Clayton's own playing can be heard throughout this session, from "Kansas City Woman," with a lovely baritone sax solo from Stobart, to "Swinging Scorpio," which features a solid piano solo from Pyne. Clayton's ensemble writing is very exciting on uptempo numbers ("Outswinger," "Steevos," "Clarinet Lemonade") and his charts leave quite a bit of room for solos by Tate and Lyttelton. The only ballad that came out of this session, "The One for Me," shows that Clayton could also turn in sensitive slow tunes, and this one benefits from some highly restrained contributions from Lyttelton, Tate, and Pyne. All in all, this session is the work of a master saxophonist who was still in fine form in his sixties and is supported by a very sympathetic group of outstanding British musicians, and as such, it deserves to be heard.

Humphrey Lyttelton with Duke Ellington.

Harry Parry & His Radio Sextets

If ever anybody was more deserving of being described as a multi-instrumentalist, that musician was Harry Parry, the Welsh bandleader who mastered all sorts of instruments, from reeds to brass to drums to the violin, before settling for a career as a clarinetist leading several trio and sextet combos on highly popular BBC radio shows throughout the 1940s and '50s. Not only was Parry an accomplished musician, but his vast knowledge of the history of jazz made him a perfect host for the BBC's Jazz Club series as well. His rise to stardom was preceded by a period of apprenticeship within the ranks of several dance bands led by then-popular names such as Oscar Grasso, Charles Shadwell, and Louis Levy, among many others. Parry, who sang occasionally, also had a fine ear for talent, and some of the small swing groups that he fronted when popular acclaim beckoned included a young George Shearing on piano. Shearing was also featured on some of the trios and sextets that Parry put together for broadcasting purposes during the World War II years.

The war and postwar period of Parry's career is precisely what is captured on the 2004 Dutton Vocalion release, Parry Opus. The 26 tracks included on the CD were recorded between 1942 and 1946 are perfect examples of Parry in his prime, playing the clarinet and leading sextets that often feature Shearing on piano and Ben Edwards on drums. As a clarinetist, Parry was obviously influenced by Artie Shaw and Benny Goodman, so it's no wonder that he chose to record songs that were closely associated with Shaw and Goodman, such as "Frenesi," "Moonglow," "Runnin' Wild," "After You've Gone," and "Body and Soul." As these sides show, there is always a sort of restrained elegance to Parry's playing, and he leads his sextets with great conviction and charm. The collection also features some of his own compositions, including "Parry Opus" and "Potomac Jump," the latter written during a highly acclaimed engagement at London's Potomac restaurant. Both the contents and the fantastic sound make this release the perfect introduction to Parry's sound, which still comes across as fresh and exciting all these years later. Parry, who also dabbled in acting and television, passed away in London in 1956, due to a heart attack, when he was only 44 years old.