In 1962, London was at a crossroads, musically. Throughout the 1950s, traditional jazz and skiffle dominated the live music scene. Lacking a robust and free radio environment thanks to rigid control of the airwaves by the BBC, young people and adults clung to what they knew. For the senior set, trad jazz, with its upbeat melody and harmony lines, kept spirits high. For the young, washboard folk music provided an earthy refuge from British formality and modernity. But from the the 1950s onward, modern jazz began to take hold, mirroring the Blue Note, Prestige and Riverside albums making their way across the Atlantic from the States.
By 1962, just before the breakout of R&B in London and success of cover bands such as Liverpool's Beatles, modern jazz enthralled young and old alike. For many British modern jazzers, the music provided a more contemporary feel laced with New York intellectualism and cool. Many London musicians also were influenced by touring American artists.
Now the U.K.'s R&B Records has released a two-CD set entitled Soho Scene '62: Jazz Goes Mod. The first CD features a wide range of London jazz artists, including Tubby Hayes, Don Rendell, Joe Harriott, Ronnie Ross, Al Fairweather, Alan Clare, Victor Feldman and many others. The second CD features 20 tracks of influential American jazz recordings in 1962 by Lee Morgan, Hank Crawford, Paul Desmond, Cannonball Adderley and others. It's a nifty concept that provides a sturdy snapshot of the London jazz scene and its history before all the swinging began.
Among the highlights are Give Seven by the Bill McGuffe Quintet, Good Morning Judge by Ronnie Ross and the Jazz Workshop, Not So Blue by the Tony Coe Quintet, Before by Sir Larry Frazier and more. But in all honesty, there isn't a bad track on this set. In the music you hear traces of drum-driven music favored by British mods, which would turn up in English rock and cinema scores in the years that followed. [Photo above of Ronnie Ross]
The American jazz tracks in 1962 place an emphasis on jazz-funk that paved the way for soul-jazz. It's fun to hear where this music was heading and how Brit jazz was influenced by it. Among the wonderful gems is Kenny Burrell's Out of This World, which will make your head turn completely around. Obviously, 1962 was a more important year for jazz than we realized in New York and London.
As a side note, all of the tracks on this set sound crystal clear and spectacular. Not sure what they did to make them pop, but I wish all albums sounded this good.
JazzWax tracks: You'll find this one at eBay and in the U.K. here.
By 1962, just before the breakout of R&B in London and success of cover bands such as Liverpool's Beatles, modern jazz enthralled young and old alike. For many British modern jazzers, the music provided a more contemporary feel laced with New York intellectualism and cool. Many London musicians also were influenced by touring American artists.
Now the U.K.'s R&B Records has released a two-CD set entitled Soho Scene '62: Jazz Goes Mod. The first CD features a wide range of London jazz artists, including Tubby Hayes, Don Rendell, Joe Harriott, Ronnie Ross, Al Fairweather, Alan Clare, Victor Feldman and many others. The second CD features 20 tracks of influential American jazz recordings in 1962 by Lee Morgan, Hank Crawford, Paul Desmond, Cannonball Adderley and others. It's a nifty concept that provides a sturdy snapshot of the London jazz scene and its history before all the swinging began.
Among the highlights are Give Seven by the Bill McGuffe Quintet, Good Morning Judge by Ronnie Ross and the Jazz Workshop, Not So Blue by the Tony Coe Quintet, Before by Sir Larry Frazier and more. But in all honesty, there isn't a bad track on this set. In the music you hear traces of drum-driven music favored by British mods, which would turn up in English rock and cinema scores in the years that followed. [Photo above of Ronnie Ross]
The American jazz tracks in 1962 place an emphasis on jazz-funk that paved the way for soul-jazz. It's fun to hear where this music was heading and how Brit jazz was influenced by it. Among the wonderful gems is Kenny Burrell's Out of This World, which will make your head turn completely around. Obviously, 1962 was a more important year for jazz than we realized in New York and London.
As a side note, all of the tracks on this set sound crystal clear and spectacular. Not sure what they did to make them pop, but I wish all albums sounded this good.
JazzWax tracks: You'll find this one at eBay and in the U.K. here.
This story appears courtesy of JazzWax by Marc Myers.
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