Stan Tracey radio documentry

[David H]

A must for British jazz fans...

Next week (25th March at 9.30pm) as part of BBC Radio 2's series Modern Jazz Classics Branford Marsalis reviews Stan Tracey's Under Milk Wood. I am totally unfamilair with Tracey's and his work I'll be looking forward to this documentry with great interest.

[peter rh]

Not related to the programme but I think it was the Jazzmatazz
site that said Stan's 1959 Little Klunk is to be issued for the
first time on CD.

[PDEE]

Would you please report on Branford's comments.. He trashed Tubby Hayes in the Jazz Review Blindfold test.

Little Klunk was supposedly on the way fom England last month, but it got held up

Maybe we'll get it soon.

[David H]

PDEE,

I've a couple of Tubby Hayes recordings (and enjoy them) I'd be very interested if you could provide a precise of Branford's criticims of Tubby?

I'll take notes of the Tuesday night show and post them for you.

David

[peter rh]

No opinions from Branford,just a straight link man between
John Fordham,Stan Tracey and various readings of UMW.
Stan was his normal self, saying that he had written about 500
pieces of music but the only one ever mentioned was UMW -
did this mean that the other 499 were crap.Also had a moan
about Lansdowne(recording company) who took 50% but did
exactly nothing in return.Fordham heaped the praise -Branford
better keep his day job

[David H]

In his introduction Branford did refer to UMW as a British masterpiece, and in his conclusion commented that after 38 years UMW's understated quality still wins fans and is regarded in the US as a modern jazz classic. In listening to the documentries, Branford is really the narrative link between the interviews, his comments are the broader strokes against which the details of the musicians featured can provide fuller information and insight.

For me the most constructive analysis came from The Guardian columist, John Fordham, who was also one of the interviewees along with Stan, himself. According to Fordham (and from my notes), Stan had gained useful experience playing as Ronnie Scott's house pianist and performing with the like of Roland Kirk and Sonny Rollins; that ,Starless and Bible Black was a landmark track; that UMW captured the whimsicality of the Dylan Thomas radio play and that the title track reflected the interplay between Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges.

Further good news for Stan Tracey fans. Stan is a subject of a television documentry to be broadcast on 18th April on BBC4.

[peter rh]

I didn't know the documentry was to be on BBC 4 - let's hope
for a reshowing on BBC 2

[David Williams]

What often happens with these BBC radio things is that a guest US presenter simply reads a script, rather than offering their own opinion.

[peter rh]

Can't fault Branford for script reading

[Bev Stapleton]

Originally posted by David H
Further good news for Stan Tracey fans. Stan is a subject of a television documentry to be broadcast on 18th April on BBC4.

I look forward to that. The last time a Stan Tracey documentary appeared on TV to my knowledge was in 1977 - his 50th I think. At the time he was going through a brief revival, having supplemented his normal playing with performances in more 'free' contexts - Keith Tippett, John Surman, Mike Osborne.

He told a hilarious story on a radio series a couple of years back of how he eventually grew disenchanted with free jazz. One night he got so bored in a collective improvisation with a bunch of free improvisors that he played God Save the Queen all night. No-one noticed!

[peter rh]

Forgot to mention that Stan did say that a lot of the success of
UMW was due,in part, to Bobby Wellins and his haunting sound on tenor.

[RogerFarbey]

Anyone hear Stan's 'Portraits Plus' he did with his octet for Blue Note Europe? I like that one as much as UMW (or is that heresy?)

[sgraham]

Hilarious interview in The Guardian today with Stan Tracey. Some of the highlights:
Stan (on playing with American musicians): 'But I was never intimidated. They're just geezers, aren't they? They all piss and shit the same.' 'How do you know?' counters (his wife) Jackie. 'I found out,' replies her husband. For further extracts see www.jazzwise.blogspot.com

[Bev Stapleton]

The Tracey documentary goes out 9.00-10.10 this Friday on BBC 4 - though god only knows what Bob Monkhouse is doing as one of the interviewees*.

* For non-UKers Bob Monkhouse is an exceptionally irritating and self-satisfied 'comedian' who has cursed our TV scenes for a good 35 years!

[David Williams]

Originally posted by RogerFarbey
Anyone hear Stan's 'Portraits Plus' he did with his octet for Blue Note Europe? I like that one as much as UMW (or is that heresy?)

Yes that's heresy. Now, if you'd said Captain Adventure....

[peter rh]

0riginally posted by Bev -
* For non-UKers Bob Monkhouse is an exceptionally irritating and self-satisfied 'comedian' who has cursed our TV scenes for a good 35 years!

How I wish it was only 35 years! :mad:

[sgraham]

Bob Monkhouse got to know Stan Tracey when he was with ENSA, the wartime entertainment unit for British troops.