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GEORGE CHISHOLM THE GENTLEMAN OF JAZZ

A Centenary Tribute- His 48 Finest 1937-1962

RETROSPECTIVE RTS 4261

 

 

Disc 1 (1937-1944)

  1. Honeysuckle Rose

  2. I Ain’t Got Nobody

  3. Mighty Like the Blues

  4. Jazz Me Blues

  5. Don’t Try Your Jive On Me

  6. Mozel Tov

  7. If You Were the Only Girl In The World

  8. Shine On, Harvest Moon

  9. Stooge Blues

  10. The Flat Foot Floogie

  11. Let’s Go

  12. Archer Street Drag

  13. Rosetta

  14. You’ll Always Be Mine

  15. Penalty Five Pounds

  16. No Smoking

  17. At The Jazz Band Ball

  18. The Darktown Strutters Ball

  19. Jersey Bounce

  20. Blue Lou

  21. Cherokee

  22. Stompin’ At The Savoy

  23. Poor Butterfly

  24. Ida, Sweet As Apple Cider

  25. All Is Not Gold that Jitters

  26. Broadhurst Garden Blues

  27. Little Earle

    Disc 2 (1947-1962)

  1. My Blue Heaven

  2. That’s The Beginning Of The End

  3. Symphony In Riffs

  4. Lazy River

  5. Blues For Twos

  6. Just You, Just Me

  7. I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues

  8. Sonny Boy

  9. Georgetta

  10. I May Be Wrong

  11. When Your Lover Has Gone

  12. A Smo-o-oth One

  13. Things Ain’t What They Used To Be (Time’s A-Wastin’)

  14. Love Me Or Leave Me

  15. How’s This

  16. Mood Indigo

  17. That’s A Plenty

  18. My Mother’s Eyes

  19. Big Butter And Egg Man

  20. Lazy

  21. 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


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