New Terry Smith CD
van
Records, a new British jazz label started by the British drummer (who
also plays on the CD), Don Burrell.
The name of the CD is "Tenderly", and he plays that tune and other
jazz standards ("In Your Own Sweet Way, Killer Joe, My Funny
Valentine, etc...) plus two originals.
It's an organ trio record, so there's probably a lot of TS blowing on
it.
I say probably, because I can't find it anywhere in the US yet, so if
anyone's found it, let me know.
There's a picture of him playing a 175 at the Actone website, so maybe
he's finally put down that 335 he used to play in the jazz-rock band
IF.
I have his only other jazz recording as a leader "Fallout" from 1968,
originally on the Phillips label (he played on a live trio CD that RM
of down under so kindly sent me, but that wasn't as a leader).
"Fallout" (a great, straight-ahead jazz LP) was produced by a pop
singer that Smith served as guitarist and musical director for named
Scott Walker of the Walker Brothers, a band popular in the 1960s.
Walker casually asked TS if he wanted to do a solo LP, and the next
thing he knew, he was standing in front of a big band with Brit jazz
greats like Gordon Beck and Kenny Wheeler!
Scott Walker has had an interesting career in music, opting out of the
pop thing and getting into jazz, Brel, and contemporary music (there's
a video of him whacking a big slab of pork in the studio for a
percussion part in one of his pieces!).
I think Smith is probably the greatest single-line British jazz
guitarist, but that isn't saying too much considering his only
competition is/was: Martin Taylor (stick to chords), Johnny Mac (stick
to fusion), the late Frank Evans (too many notes) and the late Dave
Goldberg (good, but not as technically adept
as TS).
Guy
wrote:
Terry also appears on another Actone CD - Don Burrell's "Bittersweet
Blue". IIRC He used to play a Gibson 330 - thin semi without a centre
block - rather than a 335.
There are many other excellent but not terribly well known British
jazz guitarists - Jim Mullen's name springs immediately to mind.
Trefor Owen and Gary Potter are others. Some of the younger guys such
as Nigel Price, Colin Oxley, Mike Outram, Phil Robson, and Andy Hulme
are great players also.
Sadly the Sunday lunchtime gig at the The Grand Junction Arms is to
cease in the near future - yet again jazz is pushed aside by the lure
of large screen football in our pubs. We used to attend fairly
regularly even though it was a 100 mile round trip. Hopefully another
venue will be found.
Guy
van
> On Sat, 23 Aug 2008 15:41:03 -0700 (PDT), van <cimir...@newschool.edu>
>
> - Show quoted text -
Oh yeah, I forgot about Mullen- but wasn't he Scottish? ; ' )
I finally heard a cut of the Morrissey/Mullen Band- great fusion with
a lot of blowing!
I don't even want to think about jazz being pushed aside by large
screen football- that book I mentioned by Peter Ind about Lennie
Tristano was sobering enough about the British jazz scene...
fpla...@googlemail.com
Yeeeeees... and?
Scotland is part of Great Britain. I think you're being humorous
judging by the smiley, but I think it's worth summarising because it
seems to be a subject that North Americans (Canadians too!) are a bit
hazy on.
Great Britain consists of Scotland, England and Wales. The main island
of you will.
United Kingdom consists of Scotland, England, Wales and Northern
Ireland.
Therefore, Guy was quite correct to mention Jim Mullen in a
conversation about British guitarists. All of us located on the north
end of the island, if you will, are Scottish because it is a separate
country (different legal system, different education system) but we
all hold British passports.
Confusion solved.... until the next conversation about Martin Taylor,
Jim Mullen etc. Oh well. It keeps life interesting.
JNugent
I recall seeing TS a few times at solo gigs (with pick up bands) around
the north of England in the 70s. He was still playing his 330, though
some of the knobs had disappeared and been replaced by clothes-pegs
(don't ask...).
I can still recall hearing a fewe BBC in-studio broadcasts (including
Django's "Nuages") by Dave Goldberg just prior to he death in '68. Dave
was a Liverpool local-boy-made-good and his passing rocked a few players
of about the same age (including my then teacher). Are there any
available recordings by Dave?
TIA.
van
>
> - Show quoted text -
I first saw him on a short clip of a Stephan Grapelli performance- it
might be on youtube.
Then I saw him on a youtube video of Benny Golson conducting an
English big band where DG was the featured soloist.
Great stuff- search youtube.
Some jazz books say that he died young of an OD, but actually he lived
well into his 50s.
The only recordings of him I've heard of are only available in the UK.
JNugent
> On Aug 27, 10:51 am, JNugent <J...@NPPTG.com> wrote:
[ ... ]
>> I can still recall hearing a fewe BBC in-studio broadcasts (including
>> Django's "Nuages") by Dave Goldberg just prior to he death in '68. Dave
>> was a Liverpool local-boy-made-good and his passing rocked a few players
>> of about the same age (including my then teacher). Are there any
>> available recordings by Dave?
> I first saw him on a short clip of a Stephan Grapelli performance- it
> might be on youtube.
> Then I saw him on a youtube video of Benny Golson conducting an
> English big band where DG was the featured soloist.
> Great stuff- search youtube.
Thanks for the tip - I shall.
> Some jazz books say that he died young of an OD, but actually he lived
> well into his 50s.
> The only recordings of him I've heard of are only available in the UK.
<http://vzone.virgin.net/davidh.taylor/goldberg.htm>
There are a few clues about available records there - "Proper Records"
box-sets are usually four-disc collections and sell for about £14 ($27 -
$28).
As for Dave himself - born 1922. That makes him 46 or 47 when he died
(which I said was 1968 - but it was 1969).
He was a near-contemporary of my guitar teacher of the time - he was
aged 43 or 44. I remember he also got a shock when Wes died.
JNugent
Sorry for replying to myself, but that YoTube vid is at:
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srXtl0QQaJM>
Many thanks for that tip. A lot of the UK's best-regarded players of the
day there - and that's the first video I have ever seen of Dave G.
Interesting to see the Guild archtop (Stewart?) with the DeArmiond model
1000 pickup - and the blonde/fawn Vox Ac15 (Dave was a Vox endorser).