The Bebop Shop : Compilation Albums : More General Jazz Compilations
12 page booklet and liner notes by Simon Spillett. (Rhythm & Blues Records) Price: £16.99
British jazz was growing too. Having defined itself through the razor-sharp cool of modernism, by 66 it was ready to loosen its collar and let its hair down, feeding directly from an anarchic new breed of young musicians able to move between styles as never before, allowing everything from the avant-garde to R&B colour their work.
London was now swinging in every direction, like some vast kaleidoscopic merry-go-round. This, then, is the story of those British jazzmen who came along for the ride, some clinging on with white-knuckles and gritted teeth, others enjoying the trip of their lives. (Rhythm & Blues Records) Price: £25.99
The lush orchestrations and jazz rhythms make this set a great way to sit back and relax. The music herein should be classified as (and several can now be) the very roots of what would later become known as chill out music. (Jasmine Records) Price: £11.99
This new Acrobat collection tells the fascinating story of this brave A&R initiative and rescues twenty tracks originally released on 45rpm and EP formats between 1960 and 1962 featuring such celebrated jazz names as Joe Harriott, Stan Tracey, Shake Keane, Dudley Moore and Tony Kinsey. Six of these tracks are collectors items which have never been released on CD before.
Not only is the range of styles on offer remarkably broad, covering everything from Latin and soul jazz through to scat-vocals and film and TV soundtrack themes, the list of star musicians participating in these records makes for a veritable whos who of British jazz including Tubby Hayes, Jimmy Deuchar, Harold McNair, Gordon Beck, Allan Ganley, Bobby Wellins, Ronnie Ross, Tommy Whittle and many more. Complete with a fact-packed booklet note by award-winning saxophonist Simon Spillett and rare press clippings, this release reveals the remarkable story of a forgotten chapter in British Jazz. (Acrobat Music) Price: £11.99
So Much, So Quickly charts the rise and development of British modern jazz piano during the 1940s, 50s and early 60s, charting a journey which moves from the hip stylings of the young George Shearing and Ralph Sharon through the classic Hard Bop of Terry Shannon, the wilful, unpredictable originality of Stan Tracey and onto the post-Bill Evans brilliance of Gordon Beck. Over 25 tracks, the music moves from bop to cool, from soul-jazz to free-improv and beyond, taking in the work of well-known names Dudley Moore, Victor Feldman and Harry South, together with rarities from such overlooked contributors as Damian Robinson, Stan Jones and Norman Stenfalt. Featuring a host of other famous British modern jazz icons Ronnie Scott, Tubby Hayes, Joe Harriott, Phil Seamen et al this release also includes an extensive booklet essay by award-winning saxophonist Simon Spillett, period photographs and three previously unissued tracks. (Acrobat Music) Price: £12.99
He seemed to be able to effortlessly show a completely new connection between classic jazz recordings through the way they were chosen, assorted, and sequenced. Thus, every single title was imbued with a new energy, freshness, and, above all, timelessness, always with an eye on whether the chosen recordings would possibly be compatible with the needs of clubs. This present MPS compilation is an especially good example of Gilles Peterson's amazing talent. It delivers only a small, yet carefully chosen section out of the depths of the MPS archives. (Universal Music) Price: £14.99