Jazz on TV - Question for Brits

[Dan Gould]

Our friend Marty has let me start making transfers of his extensive collection of jazz on VHS, and one of the programs he has originated in London in the mid-60s, and I'm wondering if anyone knows more about "Jazz 625" hosted by Steve Race.

Some great talents appeared on the show, including a two-part JJ Johnson-Sonny Stitt-Howard McGhee group doing Parker tunes; Art Farmer with the same group that appeared on the Jazz Casual show except its Pete LaRoca on drums, Hawk with Sweets, Webster with Stan Tracey and Ronnie Scott for one tune, Benny Golson ...

anyone else seen this stuff, and does anyone know anything about the show itself?

[JohnS]

There was a Bill Evans show,Monk, Blakey, Jazz from Kansas City, Cannonball, Rollins I think. Snippets of these shows often appear on jazz documentaries. Some are commercially available, not sure about format though. The series was followed up by a similar programme "Jazz Goes To College". In the latter series, if my memory is correct, I was at the telerecording of the Horace Silver programme.

A friend of mine has a full list, he's not on the internet but if no one posts a list I'll get the details and post them shortly.

[Philip]

Saved this from a "missing television" bulletin board a few years ago. Apart from J=Junked, the other abbreviations have some curiousity value (R1=16mm, R3=35mm kinescope/telerecording) so I've left them in.

JAZZ 625 - BBC 2

Steve Race

21.04.64 Ellington In Concert 1 R3

28.04.64 All Star Jam Session J

Kenny Bajer

George Chisholm

Tony Coe

Roy Willox

Laurie Holloway

Jack Fallon

Lennuie Hastings

05.05.64 The Tubby Hayes Quintet J

12.05.64 Chris Barber’s Jazzband R3

Champion Jack Dupree

19.05.64 The Modern Jazz Quartet R3

26.05.64 The Johnny Dankworth Orchestra R3

Bobby Breen

02.06.64 The Julian ‘Cannonball’ Adderley Sextet R3

09.06.64 Alex Welsh And His Band R3

16.06.64 Bill Le Sage’s Directions In Jazz Unit R3

30.06.64 Marian McPartland R3

07.07.64 The Humphrey Lyttleton Band J

14.07.64 The Art Farmer Quartet R3

21.07.64 Henry ‘Red’ Allen R3

Alex Welsh And His Band

28.07.64 The Modern Jazz Quartet J

01.08.64 Ellington In Concert 2 J

03.08.64 The Julian ‘Cannonball’ Adderley Sextet R3

11.08.64 The Fourth National Jazz Festival J

Kenny Ball And His Jazzmen

The Humphrey Lyttleton Band

Mose Allison

18.08.64 Mark Murphy with The Tubby Hayes Quintet J

25.08.64 The Dave Brubeck Quartet R3

01.09.64 All Star Jam Session R3

Lennie Felix

Freddie Randall

Bruce Turner

Jimmy Skidmore

John Picard

Spike Heatley

Derek Hogg

08.09.64 The Woody Herman Orchestra R3

12.09.64 Jimmy Witherspoon with The Ronnie Scott Quartet J

19.09.64 Sandy Brown’s Band J

26.09.64 The Art Farmer Quartet 2 R3

03.10.64 Mel Torme with the Billel Sage Dekette J

10.10.64 The Oscar Peterson Trio R3

17.10.64 Benny Gibson R3

24.10.64 Annie Ross with the Tony Kinsey Quintet R3

31.10.64 Errol Garner R3

07.11.64 In Memoriam - Charlie Parker R3

J J Johnson

Sonnt Stitt

Howard McGhee

Walter Bishop

Tommy Potter

Kenny Clarke

14.11.64 Derek Smith R3

Eddie Thompson

21.11.64 The Hawk At Town Hall R3

Coleman Hawkins

28.11.64 The Dave Brubeck Quartet R3

05.12.64 All Star Jam Session J

Keith Christie

Eddie Blair

Ronnie Scott

Art Ellefson

Colin Purbrook

Dave Green

Jackie Dougan

12.12.64 The Newport All Stars R3

Ruby Bratt

Peewee Russell

Bud Freeman

George Wein

19.12.64 The Johnny Scott Quintet R3

Millicent Martin

26.12.64 Christmas Compilation R3

02.01.65 The Woody Herman Orchestra R3

09.01.65 Buck Clayton with Humphrey Lyttleton And His Band J

16.01.65 Ben Webster with the Ronnie Scott Quartet R3

23.01.65 The Oscar Peterson Trio J

30.01.65 Keith Smith R3

Alton Purnell

06.02.65 In Memoriam: Charlie Parker R3

The J, J, Johnson Group

The Sonny Stitt Group

13.02.65 Cleo Laine with the Johnny Dankworth Quintet R3

20.02.65 Erroll Garner R3

27.02.65 benny Golson J

06.03.65 The Hawk At Town Hall R3

Coleman Hawkins

13.03.65 The Newport All Stars R3

24.03.65 Buck Clayton with Humphrey Lyttleton And His

Band J

31.03.65 Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers R3

07.04.65 Tubby Hayes Big Band R3

14.04.65 Wes Montgomery Quintet J

21.04.65 The Thelonious Monk Quartet R3

05.05.65 Dixieland Revisited R3

12.05.65 The Bill Evans Trio R3

19.05.65 George Lewis with Mr Acker Bilk’s Paramount Jazz R3

Band and Beryl Bryden

02.06.65 Victor Feldman R3

Ronnie Scott

09.06.65 The Zodiac Variations R3

Clark Terry

Bob Brookmeyer

The Johnny Dankworth Orchestra

16.06.65 Jazz From Kansas City 1 R3

Joe Turner

Buck Layton

Vic Dickenson with Humphrey Lyttleton and his

Band

13.10.65 Clark Terry And Bob Borrkemeyer R3

27.10.65 The Wes Montgomery Quartet R1

03.11.65 Jazz From Kansas City 2 R3

Joe Turner

Buck Clayton

Vic Dickenson with Humphrey Lyttleton and his

Band

10.11.65 The Oscar Peterson Trio J

17.11.65 The Jimmy Smith Trio 1 (p’poned from 20.10.65) R3

24.11.65 The Jimmy Giuffre Trio R3

22.12.65 Al Cohn J

Zoot Sims

29.12.65 The Bill Evans Trio R3

05.01.66 The Thelonious Monk Quartet R3

19.01.66 Maynard Ferguson with Jonny Dankworth and his J

Orchestra

26.01.66 Willie ‘The Lion’ Smith R3

02.02.66 The Tony Coe Quintet J

songs by Guest Star: Dakota Staton

09.02.66 The Jimmy Smith Trio 2 R3

16.02.66 Jimmy Witherspoon J

The Dick Morrisey Quartet

23.02.66 Alex Welsh And His Band J

Dickie Wells

02.03.66 The Modern Jazz Quartet playing Porgy And Bess J

09.03.66 Don Byas J

Bruce Turner’s Jump Band

06.07.66 Bud Freeman J

Alex Welsh And His Band

13.07.66 Anita O’Day J

The Peter King Quartet

20.07.66 Yusef Lateef J

The Stan Tracey Trio

27.07.66 Earl ‘Fatha’ Hines J

03.08.66 The Modern Jazz Quartet playing the blues R3

10.08.66 Mark Murphy with the Stan Tracey Trio J

Ronnie Scott

17.08.66 The Dizzy Gillespie Quartet R3

24.08.66 Henry ‘Red’ Allen in company with J

Alex Welsh And His Band

06.10.66 Leo Konitz with the StanTracey Trio R3

13.10.66 ‘Fusions’ of Jazz and indian Music J

The Joe Harriott-John Mayer Double Quintet

20.10.66 Wingy Malone with Alan Elsdon’s Jazz Band J

[sidewinder]

Series started in 1964, around the time of the first broadcasts on the then-new BBC2 channel. Continued into 1965 but not, I believe, beyond this. I've got a number of them on commercial VHS (put out by PNE video), also some recorded off of the Beeb. First series was hosted by Steve Race, the second by Humphrey Littleton. Favourites of the lot are the Cannonball, the Golson/Hayes and the Blakey with John Gilmore.

Quite a few of them were reputedly wiped by the BBC in the rush for spare tape.

There were a number re-broadcast by BBC2 in the mid 1980s with fresh insights into the performances given by Steve Race and Humph. I hope that the Beeb will do another re-transmission this Century.

Edited April 8, 2005 by sidewinder

[Dan Gould]

Thanks for the info. Wish I knew more about what else might be available on VHS. In addition to what I mentioned above, Marty also has the Monk concert and the Woody Herman, and for that matter, maybe more, because he hasn't catalogued all the VHS, just the first 23 tapes.

[sidewinder]

I remember just before these went out of print, Tower in London were selling them for about £6 each. Instead of buying the whole shebang I was careful and picked up the two Cannonbals, the Diz and the Blakey. I missed out on the two Bill Evanses, the Wes, The Willy the Lion, the MJQ and the Ben Webster.

The Red Allen is really good by the way. He puts in a sterling performance with Alex Welsh's band. The 'JATP' is also interesting- the infamous T-Bone/Diz gig in Kilburn.

[Dan Gould]

The 'JATP' is also interesting- the infamous T-Bone/Diz gig in Kilburn.

Forgive me, but "infamous" how?

Also, do you know if the Blakey with Gilmore was the source for that Moon CD of that group, or was that some other concert?

Edited April 8, 2005 by Dan Gould

[sidewinder]

This thread will explain...

Dizzy and Val Wilmer

[sidewinder]

I've got the feeling that the Blakey is the same as the Moon CD you mention (I think there has been another thread on this, don't have the CD only the VHS).

The lineup:- Blakey, Lee Morgan, John Gilmore, John Hicks, Victor Sproles

Recorded 7th March 1965 (38 minutes).

Tracks:- 'On the Ginza', 'Lament for Stacey', 'The Egyptian', 'I Can't Get Started', 'Buhaina's Delight'.

[bertrand]

The Moon CD is the soundtrack for the Jazz 625 Film.

Bertrand.

[Dan Gould]

The Moon CD is the soundtrack for the Jazz 625 Film.

Bertrand.

Good to know - I'm not so disappointed that Marty doesn't have that one. Thanks, Bertrand.

There's also a two tune, 27 minute set of the Gilmore Messengers in Paris. Says circa 1964, but checking Mike Fitzgerald's site, it must have been February 27 or 28, 1965.

Then there's this from Mike's site:

[January 2, 1961 was the date of the first concert by the Messengers who were joined by vocalist Bill Henderson on this Japanese tour. No recordings with Henderson have been released.]

And in catalog of VHS tapes, 60 minutes of one of the Japanese tours, including three tunes with a "Japanese big band" and Bill Henderson on "My Funny Valentine".

Did I mention how cool Marty's VHS collection is?

Edited April 8, 2005 by Dan Gould

[medjuck]

I've never seen these but I was at one of the tapings: The Mose Allison one.

[l p]

on that list of the all the shows, those look like broadcast dates, not performance dates.

>14.04.65 Wes Montgomery Quintet J

an audio of this 'part 2' is available. part one is, of course, available on video.

>27.10.65 The Wes Montgomery Quartet R1

wes was not in europe after march/april 1965.

it's probably a broadcast of part one from march/april 1965.

05.01.66 The Thelonious Monk Quartet R3

>>

jacques ponzio's chronology doesn't list this. it's probably a broadcast of either part one or part two from 1965.

[sidewinder]

As part of the recent Jazz Britannia season, BBC4 put out an hour's show which was a compilation of the following:

- Bill Le Sage 'Directions in Jazz' (with Ronnie Ross)

- Johnny Scott Quintet

- Tony Kinsey Quintet + Annie Ross

- John Dankworth Quintet + Cleo Laine

- Tubby Hayes Big Band

- Victor Feldman Trio

Interesting to see the Harriott/Mayer 'Indo Jazz Fusions' in the list. Almost certainly that one was wiped. Absolutely tragic. There was also a series of around 6 broadcasts put out by this group on HTV (West of England regional channel) which suffered the same fate.