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GEORGE CHISHOLM THE GENTLEMAN OF JAZZ A Centenary Tribute- His 48 Finest 1937-1962
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RETROSPECTIVE RTS 4261
Disc 1 (1937-1944)
Honeysuckle Rose
I Ain’t Got Nobody
Mighty Like the Blues
Jazz Me Blues
Don’t Try Your Jive On Me
Mozel Tov
If You Were the Only Girl In The World
Shine On, Harvest Moon
Stooge Blues
The Flat Foot Floogie
Let’s Go
Archer Street Drag
Rosetta
You’ll Always Be Mine
Penalty Five Pounds
No Smoking
At The Jazz Band Ball
The Darktown Strutters Ball
Jersey Bounce
Blue Lou
Cherokee
Stompin’ At The Savoy
Poor Butterfly
Ida, Sweet As Apple Cider
All Is Not Gold that Jitters
Broadhurst Garden Blues
Little Earle
Disc 2 (1947-1962)
My Blue Heaven
That’s The Beginning Of The End
Symphony In Riffs
Lazy River
Blues For Twos
Just You, Just Me
I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues
Sonny Boy
Georgetta
I May Be Wrong
When Your Lover Has Gone
A Smo-o-oth One
Things Ain’t What They Used To Be (Time’s A-Wastin’)
Love Me Or Leave Me
How’s This
Mood Indigo
That’s A Plenty
My Mother’s Eyes
Big Butter And Egg Man
Lazy
What More Can I Say?
TOTAL PLAYING TIME: 2 HOURS 38 MINUTES
George Chisholm (1915-1997) was born in Glasgow and into a family of musicians. After mastering the piano, he moved on to the trombone and developed into one of Britain’s finest jazz trombonists. George’s career lasted over 60 years, and he performed with many top jazz artists from Europe and abroad, including Coleman Hawkins, Benny Carter and Fats Waller. He played with many different bands and sat in on an enormous number of recording sessions. This two disc collection presents 48 tunes from George’s career, recorded between 1937 and 1962. The earliest is Honeysuckle Rose, a Fats Waller song recorded in February, 1937 on the Decca label with Gerry Moore and his Chicago Brethren. The song features solos by George, clarinetist Jimmy Williams, Reggie Dare on tenor sax, and Gerry Moore on piano. This song was one of George’s first recordings and gave an indication of his style and natural timing, lyricism and originality. Danny Polo was an American clarinet and saxophone player who played with Bert Ambrose and Jay Wilbur’s bands. Danny also had his own band, the Swing Stars, and in 1938 George joined them to record Don’t Try Your Jive On Me, with jazzy solos all around and a swinging clarinet over the top. George recorded the swinging tune At The Jazz Band Ball with Lew Stone and his Stonecrackers, a talented nine-piece ensemble, in London for the Decca label in May 1941. The band has a deep, rich sound with Eric Breeze and Abe Walters joining George on the trombone and Aubrey Franks on tenor sax. The Squadronaires (officially called the Royal Air Force No.1 Dance Orchestra) was formed in 1940 and performed during and after the war. The musicians were primarily professionals who had played with Bert Ambrose’s orchestra, and the group developed into one of the world’s greatest swing bands. Jimmy Miller led the band up until 1950, when Ronnie Aldrich took over the leadership. Six tunes from the Squadronaires are in this collection, including a smoothly orchestrated version of Denny Dennis, the “English Bing Crosby”, singing That’s the Beginning Of The End, recorded in April, 1947 for the Decca label.
Kenny Baker was a trumpet soloist with Ambrose and Ted Heath’s bands, and later formed his own hot band, Baker’s Dozen, and a smaller ensemble called Baker’s Half-Dozen. George joined the Half-Dozen in April 1957 and recorded Kenny’s composition How’s This? for the Nixa jazz label. The tune is wonderfully arranged, with solos expertly handed off between George, saxophonist Derek Collins, and Kenny Baker on trumpet, all held together by pianist Harry Smith. George also fronted many of his own bands and jazz combos, and a wide assortment of tunes from those sessions is included. The classic Dixieland number Big Butter and Egg Man was composed in 1926 by Percy Venable. Performed by George Chisholm and his All Stars, the song features the robust voice of Jeanie Lambe growling out the lyrics. The band also does a fine job with an instrumental version of My Mother’s Eyes featuring the sweetest trombone solo in this collection. Both songs were recorded in 1961 for the Philips label. From later in 1961, George and the All Stars accompany Michael Holliday singing Irving Berlin’s tune Lazy for the Columbia record label. Michael was a native of Liverpool and had a beautiful baritone voice which, interestingly, earned him the title of “the British Bing Crosby”, a full generation after Denny Dennis.
This music was compiled by Ray Crick, and final audio restoration and remastering was performed by Alan Bunting. The sound quality is excellent. A 12-page booklet is included, with interesting notes and comments by Digby Fairweather.
Bruce McCollum