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Jazz bands of Birmingham

I guess a few of our members would recognise some of these musicians.

Bud Freeman - well known American jazz musician second from left here..
0232a-bill-bickerton-1973-768x522.jpg

...and Kenny Ball on this one..3rd right...
1978-001-768x520.jpg

That's all I recognise!
 
Viv,

An interesting set of pictures and good news that they are online. Not being involved in trad and being quite a few years after I left Brum, apart from the three guests - Bud Freeman, Humphrey Lyttleton & Kenny Ball - the only one I know on there is Sleepy Reid, who was the former bass player with Andy Hamilton & the Blue Notes. I guess that Sleepy was depping for someone as trad was not his normal scene either. He did a few wedding gigs with us in the late 1950s.

In all the time I knew him, Sleepy never had his own transport and rarely did fellow musicians have a vehicle big enough to take him and his bass, so he used the BCT buses, which unless crowded, generally had space beneath the stairs to take his bass and he never had problems in those days. I'm not what the situation would be today. If his gig finished late, he would simply leave his bass at the venue and go back and collect it the next day.

The last time I bumped into Kenny Ball was in Swindon in the early 2000s when Jan & I went to see the Big Chris Barber Band and he was guesting with them, but not in good health. I'm pleased to see that Chris is still alive and kicking at the age of 90, though no longer playing. Thanks for posting that link.

Maurice :cool:
 
sospiri said:
Viv,

An interesting set of pictures and good news that they are online. Not being involved in trad and being quite a few years after I left Brum, apart from the three guests - Bud Freeman, Humphrey Lyttleton & Kenny Ball - the only one I know on there is Sleepy Reid, who was the former bass player with Andy Hamilton & the Blue Notes. I guess that Sleepy was depping for someone as trad was not his normal scene either. He did a few wedding gigs with us in the late 1950s.

In all the time I knew him, Sleepy never had his own transport and rarely did fellow musicians have a vehicle big enough to take him and his bass, so he used the BCT buses, which unless crowded, generally had space beneath the stairs to take his bass and he never had problems in those days. I'm not what the situation would be today. If his gig finished late, he would simply leave his bass at the venue and go back and collect it the next day.

The last time I bumped into Kenny Ball was in Swindon in the early 2000s when Jan & I went to see the Big Chris Barber Band and he was guesting with them, but not in good health. I'm pleased to see that Chris is still alive and kicking at the age of 90, though no longer playing. Thanks for posting that link.

Maurice :cool:
Click to expand...
I might be wrong but it looks as though Kenny Ball is with Norman Field and Derek Bennett of the Zenith Hot Stompers.
 
Loved Trad jazz and followed Hump during the 1950s. I was schooled in Classical music and really not a jazz player at all, my band played dance music, at many local pubs in the 1950s did well and had a good following, Colin Willets on piano went on to be well know and of course "Eddie" or "Ted" as I knew him "Haynes" on drums became quite famous. The "Norfolk Brummie" passed away a few years ago and is sorely missed, good mates for many years. Mac on Trumpet had his own band later on, after I left for the USA, to try my luck in the big bands. Robin Kendall on string bass is the only one left alive, well I am still alive I guess. Ride my bike now at age 87 in Colorado USA still love Jazz and Trad music 22291391_1170239906409377_7056142735932342664_o.jpg
 
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