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Posted (edited)

I'll post it here as well, as it fits better than on the Bowie thread really.

David Bowie in a sept 2003 Rolling Stone interview:

RS: Your first instrument was the saxophone. Why the sax?

DB: My brother was a huge jazz fan. He played me way-out stuff like Eric Dolphy and Coltrane. I wanted a baritone, but I got an alto sax.

RS: Did you take lessons?

DB: Ronnie Ross -- who was featured in Downbeat as one of the great baritone players -- lived locally, so I looked in the telephone book, and I rung him up. I said, "Hi, my name is David Jones, and I'm twelve years old, and I want to play the saxophone. Can you give me lessons?" He sounded like Keith [Richards], and he said no. But I begged until he said, "If you can get yourself over here Saturday morning, I'll have a look at you." He was so cool. Much later on, when I was producing Lou Reed, we decided we needed a sax solo on the end of "Walk on the Wild Side." So I got the agent to book Ronnie Ross. He pulled out a wonderful solo in one take. Afterward I said, "Thanks, Ron. Should I come over to your house on Saturday morning?" He said, "I don't fucking believe it! You're Ziggy Stardust?"

source

Edited by couw
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  • 1 month later...
Posted

New member of this board walsp (Paul) has given me some very interesting background on Ronnie Ross; he knew him in the seventies. The resulting article is now on our websiteronnie ross homepage for those who might be interested in reading it. I'm just hoping I've got Paul's name right!

  • 3 months later...
Posted

I happened upon a blindfold test (not ours - one that took place in 1964) discussion in which there is a mention of the album [Three Blind Mice] by John(ny) Dankworth. Apparently Ronnie Ross was on it but I admit I have not heard of it before. I have been searching a little but can't find any details such as I need for my Ronnie Ross discography.

Chico Hamlton and Albert Stinson etc make rather interesting remarks about Ronnie Ross and Gerry Mulligan ("effete") (here)

Does anyone have the album or know any of the details (tracks, personnel/instrumentation, timings - anything and everything!)? Or perhaps someone knows a location where I could find the info?

Many thanks.

Posted (edited)

is this the "Experiments With Mice" album (Parlophone/Capitol) from 1956?

Edit, "experiments" is a tune, not an album. Big hit in 1956, I gather.

Edited by couw
Posted

is this the "Experiments With Mice" album (Parlophone/Capitol) from 1956?

Edit, "experiments" is a tune, not an album. Big hit in 1956, I gather.

Yes, I believe so, Couw. I think there were two albums but Ronnie Ross was on the first, if so. He may also have been on the second too (further) but I'm interested in anything he was on anyway. I only know what I picked up from the Chico thing and one of two passing comments elsewhere.

Posted

Got the info with a posting "elsewhere", but it sounds as though the album does not really belong in a jazz discography. I was around then But I can't remember it at all.

Thanks again Couw and anyone else who looked.

Posted

just looked "elsewhere" and I think it is still interesting to know who played in that band on that tune.

the snippets I heard online indeed indicate more of a novelty item, but there is a jazz-theme to it, so why not add it with a little note on the character of the music?

Posted (edited)

"elsewhere" has been updated.. would have been there 2 hours ago, but a friend came over and I got distracted.. think that's the word for it...

Edited by P.D.
Posted

Yes, a blind alley only as far as Ronnie Ross discography goes, but it's funny how these things throw up other considerations. In a BFT, people feel bound to say something I suppose and would perhaps reconsider if they could. :huh:

  • 4 weeks later...
Posted (edited)

Ronnie Ross is also among the musicians featured,on the recently released Hans Koller album for EmArcy: Hans Koller FreeSound Jeanneret The Lost Tapes:

http://www.bocksmusicshop.at/

A quite interesting freeform album that was recorded in July 1978.

Ross plays baritonesax and bassclarinet on that one.

Edited by brownie
Posted (edited)

Ronnie Ross is also among the musicians featured,on the recently released Hans Koller album for EmArcy: Hans Koller FreeSound Jeanneret  The Lost Tapes:

http://www.bocksmusicshop.at/

A quite interesting freeform album that was recorded in July 1978.

Ross plays baritonesax and bassclarinet on that one.

Thanks, Brownie. I heard about it just before I read your post and have a few seconds ago completed the entry in the Ronnie Ross Jazz Discography, as far as I can at the moment anyway.

Made in a period during which Ronnie Ross was making few recordings - only two in the year 1978 that I know of. I heard a session at the British Library Sound Archive - a recording of a BBC broadcast in 1985 - in which one of the four tunes ("Part Two" - composed by I think by Ronnie Ross) was decidedly avant-garde. I had not heard anything like it from him before; he was normally firmly in the "straightahead" style as far as I knew. There were seven years between the Koller session and the BBC date so it will be interesting to hear this new one.

Edited by tooter
Posted

Ronnie Ross is also among the musicians featured,on the recently released Hans Koller album for EmArcy: Hans Koller FreeSound Jeanneret The Lost Tapes:

http://www.bocksmusicshop.at/

A quite interesting freeform album that was recorded in July 1978.

Ross plays baritonesax and bassclarinet on that one.

so, what's the story here? Why is this on EmArcy and still not available outside of Vienna? I see it was released only a month or so ago, will it pop up with more accessible outlets too?

  • 1 month later...
Posted

Up for tea ... 

slurping allowed?

Sure. You can even drink from the saucer, if you like.

I'm in!

I need to play the LeSage/Ross Quartet soon again anyhow, it might as well be pronto!

  • 4 weeks later...
Posted (edited)

Below is a list of albums copied from my Ronnie Ross Jazz Discography www.ronnieross.com for which I am looking for copies of cover pictures to be displayed at the site. If anyone happens to know where any of these pictures can be obtained, perhaps sees one on their way round or even has an album, please let me know, by PM or a post here.

I have transferred this list from the thread "Cover Scan Question" started by msheldon as it seems more appropriate here.

I will keep the list up-to-date here. Many thanks to those who have already helped and will, I hope, do so in the future. It's a long list now but getting steadily shorter.

1. 55/1 Leader: Tony Crombie Date: March 31 1955 Venue: London Label: Decca DeDFE6281, DeF10514, De10620, DeF10592, DeF10637 Album Title: (?)

2. 55/2 Leader: Don Rendell Date: May 16 1955 Venue: London Label: Tempo EXA20 Album Title: The Don Rendell Quintet

3. 55/5 Leader: Cleo Laine Date: December 13 1955 Venue: London Label: Nixa NJE1010, PRT PYL6028 Album Title: Unforgettable Cleo Laine

4. 56/3 Leader: Tony Kinsey Date: October 18, 23 1956 Venue: London Label: Decca DeF10851, DeF10812 Album Title: Tony Kinsey Quintet

5. 57/ 1 Leader: Don Rendell Date: January 15, 18, 31 1957 Venue: London Label: Nixa NJL7 Album Title: Don Rendell Presents The Jazz Six

6. 57/ 2 Leader: Cleo Laine Date: March 20 1957 Venue: London Label: MGM E3593, 2354026 Album Title: She`s The Tops (?)

7. 57/5 Leader: Don Rendell Date: September 24 1957 Venue: London Label: Nixa NJE1044, NJT509 Album Title: Doggin` Around (1 - 3) All The Winners (4)

8. 58/3 Leader: Don Rendell Date: March 13, 14 1958 Venue: London Label: Decca DeLK4265, DeDFE6501 Album Title: Playtime

9. 58/ 6 Leader: Louis Armstrong Date: July 7 1958 Venue: Newport Jazz Festival Label: Columbia C2-38262, CBS(F)88669, C23-8262 Album Title: Louis Armstrong And The All Stars

10. 58/7 Leader: (Melody Maker All Stars) Date: November 1958 Venue: London Label: Pye Nixa NJT518 Album Title: (Melody Maker Jazz Poll 1958/1959)

11. 59/1 Leader: Humphrey Lyttelton Date: February 9, 16 1959 Venue: London Label: London LL3132, PS178 Album Title: Humph Dedicates

12. 59/3 Leader: Woody Herman Date: April 18 1959 Venue: Manchester, England Label: Jazz Groove 004 Album title: Woody Herman and his Anglo-American Herd

13. 59/6 Leader: Vic Lewis Date: June 24 1959 Venue: London Label: Concept VL5 Album Title: Leonard Feather Presents Jazz From Two Sides

14. 60/1 Leader: Vic Lewis Date: April 10 1960 Venue: Bridgeport, Connecticut Label: DJM SPECB103 Album Title: Bridgeport

15. 60/2 Leader: Lita Roza Date: May 4 1960 Venue: London Label: Pye NPL18047 Album Title: Drinka Lita Roza Day

16. 60/4 Leader: John Dankworth Date: July 1, 5 1960, 1961 Venue: London Label: Columbia DB4695 and Roulette RE121, 2934021 Album Title: Jazz Routes

17. 60/5 Leader: Harry South Date: November 17 1960 Venue: London Label: Album Title: (?)

18. 62/4 Leader: Hans Koller Date: June 29 1962 Venue: Ruhr Festival, Germany Label: Columbia C/STS 83342 Album Title: Jazz Workshop Concert 1962

19. 62/4 Leader: Don Rendell Date: September 6 1962 Venue: London Label: Pye 7NJ 2059 Album Title: The Jazz Stars

20. 62/6 Leader: Bill Russo Date: December 21, 22 1962 Venue: London Label: Columbia 33SX1508 Album Title: Russo In London

21. 63/3 Leader: Tommy Watt Date: Spring 1963 Venue: London Label: Columbia DB7050, DB7275 Album Title: Forty Two Big Band

22. 65/10 Leader: Bill Le Sage Date: October 20, 21, 22 1965 Venue: London Label: World Record Club T478 Album Title: Twice Times Keyboard

23. 65/15 Leader: John Cameron Date: 1965 Venue: Label: EMI SC6116 Album Title: Cover Lover

24. 66/4 Leader: Friedrich Gulda Date: May 24 1966 Venue: Vienna Label: Amadeo AVRS9 Album Title: Friedrich Gulda Und Sen Jazz Orchester

25. 67/1 Leader: Acker Bilk Date: August 1967 Venue: (?) Label: Columbia DB8241 Album Title: Acker`s Personal Jungle

26. 69/2 Leader: Vic Lewis Date: June 9 1969 Venue: London Label: Nems 6-63723 and DJMSPECB103 Album Title: The Vic Lewis Orchestra

27. 74/2 Leader: Tony Kinsey Date: February 17 1974 [1 2 3 4 5], March 7 1976 [6 7 8 9] Venue: London Label: Spotlite SPJ504 Album Title: Thames Suite

28. 75/2 Leader: (?) Date: September 1975 Venue: London Label: Pye NSPL18492 Album Title: The Greatest Swing Band In The World Is British

29. 78/1 Leader: Arthur Greenslade Date: January 1978 Venue: London Label: Pye NPSL18557 Album Title: George Melly With Orchestra Arranged And Conducted By Arthur Greenslade

30. 83/2 Leader: Herb Miller Date: 1983 ca Venue: Wembley, London Label: Philips 32PD-30 Album title: The Music Of Glenn Miller

31. 85/3 Leader: (Les Brown And His Band Of Renown) Date: May 1985 Venue: London Label: Intersound ISST170 Album title: The One And Only

32. 88/5 Leader: John Fiddy Date: 1988 Venue: Angel Studios, London Label: Intersound ISST177 Album Title: Gee Whiz!

33. 89/1 Leader: Kenny Baker Dates: April 24 May 3 1989 Venue: London Label: TCM 33002 Album Title: The Louis Armstrong Connection Volume 2

34. 89/4 Leader: Kenny Baker Dates: September 11 23 1989 Venue: London Label: TCM 33006 Album Title: The Louis Armstrong Connection Volume 6

35. 89/5 Leader: Kenny Baker Dates: November 5 18 1989 Venue: London Label: TCM 33007 Album Title: The Louis Armstrong Connection Volume 7

36. 89/6 Leader: Chris Smith Dates: November 23 29 1989? Venue: Wembley, London Label: BBC CDTP818 Album Title: Chris Smith And His String Of Pearls Orchestra

37. 90/1 Leader: Bill Ashton Date: January 4, 5 1990 Venue: London Label: Hot House HHCD1007 Album Title: Portraits: NYJO Plays The Music Of Harry South

Edited by tooter

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