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| Other early British swing bands... |
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| The early jazz tinged dance bands are only shown here when there music is currently available on CD. These entries are not intended to be complete discographies. | The musicians currently listed are Freddy Gardner and his Swing Orchestra, Danny Polo, Gerry Moore, Lew Stone and his Stonecrackers... | ||||
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Freddy Gardner - March 7th, 1936 (Parlophone) Freddy Gardner (cl,as,bs), Cecil Norman (p), Albert Harris (g), Dick Ball (b), Max Bacon (d). Japanese Sandman*/Baby, Won't You Please Come Home*. (*Harlequin CD - Freddy Gardner and his Swing Orchestra 1937 - 1939) Freddy Gardner - c1937 (?) Freddy Gardner (cl,as,bs), + others (to follow). Indiana*/Sweet Georgia Brown*/I Ain't Got Nobody*/Blue Strings*/Swing As It Comes*/Keep Goin'. (*Harlequin CD - Freddy Gardner and his Swing Orchestra 1937 - 1939) Freddy Gardner and his Swing Orchestra - December, 1937 (Rex) Billy Farrell, Archie Craig (tp), Ted Heath, Paul Fenoulhet (tb), Freddy Gardner (cl,as,ts), Pat Dodd (p), George Elliott (g), Dick Ball (b), Barry Wicks (d). You Can't Stop Me From Dreaming*/That Old Feeling*/I Want To Be Happy*/Limehouse Blues*. (*Harlequin CD - Freddy Gardner and his Swing Orchestra 1937 - 1939) Freddy Gardner and his Swing Orchestra - February 17th, 1938 (Rex) Billy Farrell, Norman Payne (tp), Ted Heath, Paul Fenoulhet (tb), Freddy Gardner (cl,as,ts), Frank Weir, EO Pogson (as), Pat Dodd (p), George Elliott (g), unknown (b), Sid Heiger (d). I Double Dare You*/Have You Any Castles, Baby?*^/The Snake Charmer*/The Dipsy Doodle*. (*Harlequin CD - Freddy Gardner and his Swing Orchestra 1937 - 1939) (^Proper Records 4CD Box set - Jazz in Britain 1919 - 1950) Freddy Gardner and his Swing Orchestra - September 23rd, 1938 (Rex) Billy Farrell, Norman Payne (tp), Ted Heath (tb), Freddy Gardner (cl,as,ts), Pat Dodd (p), George Elliott (g), Dick Ball (b), Sid Heiger (d). Music Maestro Please*/It's D'Lovely*. (*Harlequin CD - Freddy Gardner and his Swing Orchestra 1937 - 1939) Freddy Gardner and his Swing Orchestra - March 13th, 1939 (Rex) Billy Farrell, Norman Payne (tp), George Chisholm, Ted Heath (tb), Freddy Gardner (cl,as,ts), Pat Dodd (p), George Elliott (g), Dick Ball (b), Sid Heiger (d), Alice Mann (vcl). Jeepers Creepers*/Tom, Tom The Piper's Son (AM vocal)*/Hold Tight (AM vocal)*/They Say*. (*Harlequin CD - Freddy Gardner and his Swing Orchestra 1937 - 1939) Freddy Gardner and his Swing Orchestra - May 25th, 1939 (Rex) Norman Payne (tp), Freddy Gardner (cl,as,ts), Pat Dodd (p), George Elliott (g), Dick Ball (b), Sid Heiger (d). Someday Sweetheart*/10 a.m. Blues*^/They Say*. (*Harlequin CD - Freddy Gardner and his Swing Orchestra 1937 - 1939) (^Proper Records 4CD Box set - Jazz in Britain 1919 - 1950) Danny Polo was an American musician who came to the UK to be a featured soloist with the Ambrose band. He led a couple of recording sessions in the late 1930s... Danny Polo and his Swing Stars - January 11th, 1938 (Decca) Tommy McQuater (cnt), George Chisholm (tb), Danny Polo (cl), Eddie Macauley (p), Norman Brown (g), Dick Ball (b), Dudley Barber (d). Jazz Me Blues (two takes)**/Don't Try Your Jive On Me*/Mazeltov*/If You were The Only Girl In The World (two takes)^**. (*Timeless CD - George Chisholm - Early Days) (^Proper Records 4CD Box set - Jazz in Britain 1919 - 1950)
Gerry Moore |
Pianist Gerry Moore was born in Highbury, London in October, 1903. He studied at Brighton Grammar School and made his professional debut at Sherry's in Brighton when he was 22. He then moved to London and began working on the club circuit as a solo and small group musician for a long period. In 1944 he joined Carlo Krahmer's band and in 1947 toured Germany with harmonica player Max Geldray and appeared at the Paris Jazz Festival with Carlo Krahmer in 1949. He also led his own band at Cannes in the late 1940s. He was with Freddy Clayton's jazz group in 1951 and in the 1950s worked with the bands of Harry Gold and Laurie Gold as well as many freelance engagements. During the 1950s and '60s he often worked on the cruise liners including the Caronia and Queen Mary.
From the 1960s onward he continued to work in theatres, clubs and hotels and as a solo pianist until his death in January, 1993. Unlike many of his contemporaries he grasped the structure of bebop when it arrived in the mid 1940s and John Dankworth recalls Moore as a father-figure giving encouragement to the young bebop pioneers at Club 11. Moore himself at this time developed an interest in the more experimental piano improvisers. | From September, 1935 to December, 1938 Moore recorded over 50 titles issued on 78rpm records. The majority of these were solo piano performances and it was not until 1937 that he added a bass player and a very ocassional drummer. The 1937 record detailed below was his only band recording. After December, 1938 he did not record under his name again until February, 1952 when he started to record for Esquire.
The CD below (released in 2011) is a compilation of British jazz pianists from 1922 and besides Moore a few tracks are included by Max Darewski, Joe Bolton, Billy Jones, Reginald Forsythe, Arthur Young and Geoff Griffiths... |
Why Don't You Practice Gerry Moore - February, 1935 to February, 1938 (Parlophone) Gerry Moore (p), on some tracks only Moore is accompanied by George Senior (b) and Ben Edwards (d). What You Preach*/Brown Sugar*/Mine-Rhythm Lullaby*/Lulu's Back In Town*/Gerry Building*/May Write Blues*/Old-Fashioned Love*/Jammin*/Crazy Rhythm*/Wabash Blues*/Rosetta*/Stars Fell On Alabama* . (*Retrieval CD - Some British jazz pianists) Gerry Moore and his Chicago Brethren - February 22nd, 1937 (Decca) Johnny Claes (tp), George Chisholm (tb), Jimmy Williams (cl), Reg Dare (ts), Gerry Moore (p), Jim Reid (b), Ben Edwards (d). Oh Lady Be Good*/Honeysuckle Rose*. (*Timeless CD - George Chisholm - Early Days) Gerry Moore - February 9th, 1952 (Esquire) Gerry Moore (p solos). Gerry's Boogie/Moore Boogie/Bond Street/Baker Street. Gerry Moore - October 4th, 1952 (Esquire) Gerry Moore (p solos). Ain't Misbehavin'/Rosetta. Gerry Moore Trio - August 1st, 1953 (Esquire) Gerry Moore (p), John Hems (g), Bill Bramwell (b). Just You, Just Bop/Darn That Dream/Now And Then/Gregory. Lew Stone and his Stonecrackers - May 22nd, 1941 (Decca) Dave Wilkins (tp), George Chisholm, Eric Breeze, Abe Walters (tb), Andy McDevitt (cl), Aubrey Frank (ts), Jack Penn (p), Ivor Mairants (g), Charlie Short (b), Jock Cummings (d), Lew Stone (dir). Aunt Hagar's Blues*/At The Jazz Band Ball*. (*Timeless CD - George Chisholm - Early Days) | ||