Each month Peter Batten recommends a recording that jazz fans may wish to add to their personal library. Mexican Green Tubby Hayes My dear friend Mick Holbrook, who died last year, was one of Tubby’s biggest fans. In the 1950s and 60s, with his wife Pam, he was often at London venues […]
Each month Peter Batten recommends a recording that jazz fans may wish to add to their personal library. Expressions Chick Corea This month it’s one for the pianists. Playing solo jazz piano is a difficult art. Rhythm, harmony and improvisation must all be sustained. I was lucky enough to watch and hear close-up our […]
Each month Peter Batten recommends a recording that jazz fans may wish to add to their personal library. Cuban Fire! Stan Kenton Orchestra When the Kenton Orchestra toured the UK in 1956, I was lucky enough to get an invite to the opening concert in Croydon. The sheer power and precision […]
Each month Peter Batten recommends a recording that jazz fans may wish to add to their personal library. East Coasting Charles Mingus Charles Mingus began the 1950s as a very gifted bass player, part of a successful trio led by Red Norvo, on vibes, with Tal Farlow on Guitar. Eventually he left because […]
Each month Peter Batten recommends a recording that jazz fans may wish to add to their personal library. Bobby Wellins/Colin Purbrook: The Satin Album I met Colin Purbrook at University, where we sometimes played in the same student bands. Later I bumped into him occasionally in London clubs. One evening he […]
Each month Peter Batten recommends a recording that jazz fans may wish to add to their personal library. My choice for this month is an outstanding box set. First issued in 2000, this feast of music was edited for Properbox by Joop Visser. The years immediately before and after the US entered WW2 saw […]
Each month Peter Batten recommends a recording that jazz fans may wish to add to their personal library. Recently I spent a lot of time reconsidering the career of Gerry Mulligan. At the end I was filled with even more admiration for his contribution to our music. Gerry was much more than a […]
Each month Peter Batten recommends a recording that jazz fans may wish to add to their personal library. Stéphane Grappelli & Oscar Peterson: Jazz In Paris On a summer evening in 1957 I fell in love with the jazz violin of Stéphane Grappelli. It was at a jazz concert in the […]
Each month Peter Batten recommends a recording that jazz fans may wish to add to their personal library. In the summer of 2011 Claire Martin was in New York for a very special recording session. She decided to take the opportunity to put together an album of great standard songs. To this end […]
Pete Recommends…The Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall Each month Peter Batten recommends a recording that jazz fans may wish to add to their personal library. When I moved to Hove in 1999 I decided to make my library of jazz recordings more specialised. The first step was to collect […]