Shake Keane

[Late]

Interesting article on Shake Keane, probably best remembered, at least here, for his contributions to the Joe Harriott Quintet.

Edited November 11, 2004 by Late

[Late]

What I want to know ... are there any recordings of Keane on two trumpets (or flugel and trumpet), a la Roland Kirk?

[A Lark Ascending]

Thanks for that, Late. I'll read it later on.

There was a marvellous tribute to Keane on one of the BBC jazz programmes a few years back.

[maren]

A few poems from Shake Keane's One a Week With Water, 1979:

if you take the amount of

strong rum (calculated in proof - gallons)

consumed in any given month

of Sundays, and compare it with

the excise duty (assessed as a per-

centage over and above the actual

value of the liquor), then divide

this amount by the energy required

to deface any number of domino dots

by slamming, over a period, of, say,

one month of Sundays. And if

this entire calculation is undertaken

between nine and eleven-thirty in the

fore-noon of any Sunday, and ex

pressed in terms of foot pounds recurring.

Chances are, you are a genius,

and your wife is probably

wondering what on earth

you and the boys

could be up to

this sunny

Sunday mor-

ning

about the La Soufriere volcanic eruption in April 1979:

The thing split Good Friday in two

And that good new morning groaned

And snapped

Like breaking an old habit

Within minutes

People

Who had always been leaving nowhere

Began arriving nowhere

Entire lives stuffed in pillowcases

And used plastic bags

Naked children suddenly transformed

Into citizens

[Late]

Up for tooter (and the rest of the Tea Party).

[sidewinder]

Just popping a couple of teabags in the pot for the morning cuppa..

Interesting to see that photo of Keane with the trumpet and flugel, Harriott in the background. Can't recall ever hearing any recorded examples of the 'two trumpets' or 'trumpet/flugel' work.

For some good reminiscences about Shake Keane I recommend Coleridge Goode (stalwart bassist with the Harriott group) recent autobiography. I think it's called 'A Life In Jazz'; Coleridge was a close friend of Shake. There's also some good recollections in the 'Fire In His Soul' biography of Joe Harriott.

Coleridge Goode is well into his 80s now and is still (to the best of my knowledge) running jam sessions at a pub in North London (Crouch End, I think). Wonderful bassist and a true stalwart of the UK scene.