Black Bottom Stomp, Baby Doll, Hiawatha Rag, Waltzing Matilda, Nuages, Chi,es Blues, Livery Stable Blues, American Patrol, Black & Tan Fantasy, I'm Satisfied With My Gal, High Society, Dark Eyes, You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby, Tin Roof Blues, Lumbered at the Lotus, Beale St Blues, Louisiana, Snag It, Margie

Before I left England in 1968, if ever I saw that Kenny Ball and his boys were playing locally, I made a point of seeing them. They were more Dixieland that my preferred New Orleans, but they could swing, and the fact that they enjoyed playing overflowed into the audience. Yes, a Kenny Ball concert was always enjoyable. The last time I heard Kenny in England was in either late '67 or early '68 at, I think, Hampton Court. His playing was off due, we were told, to his loosing his 'lip' (i.e. an inability to hit the desired note first off when putting the trumpet to his lips). The band, like good mates, covered for him, they had more vocals, and new clarinettist, Andy Cooper, took most of the lead. It was a bit sad, but they still, despite the problems, sounded good enough for everyone to stay and listen. The next time I heard Kenny was in New Zealand in the mid '90s when he and the Band toured with Acker Bilk and his band. Two of Britain's finest! I bought tickets for me and the missus in a flash. Well Acker was very good, Kenny was crap. Half the stage time was taken up by jokes and dialogue between the band members, and the music was; well I don't know quite what it was, but it certainly wasn't the Kenny Ball & his Jazzmen I had come to see. They has given up being a Traditional Jazz Band, and become a cabaret show.

If you want to hear Kenny and his Band at their very best, playing as they did in the jazz clubs, rather than on the over orchestrated pretty Trad they played on their chart busting singles, this CD (and its companion CD LACD76) is the one to get. Kenny could play a mean, powerful trumpet full of emotion and expression (try Tin Roof Blues or Snag It to see what I mean). The rest of the band is as good with Davie Jones 'liquid' clarinet and John Bennett's powerful, yet subtle trombone, and a rhythm section many bands would die for.

Yet another, 'Must Buy', CD from Lake.

Hawaiian War Chant, Them There Eyes, Georgia Swing, Riverside Blues, Sorry, Original Dixieland One-Step, Teddy Bear's Picnic, I Got Plenty Of Nuthin', Dinah, Lazy River, 1919 March, South Rampart Street Parade, Savoy Blues, Ostrich Walk, Blue Turning Grey Over You, Finger Buster, Big Noise From Winnetka, Potato Head Blues,

'Thanks for coming tonight, I know its been cold sitting out there in the park. We are going back to the dressing room now, if you'd like to join us for an autograph or a chat, you are most welcome.' Like his music Kenny Ball was always friendly, open and pleasant. When you went to see Kenny, you knew that you would get trad, and trad at its best played by some of the best musicians in the country. Lightly orchestrated, yet with sufficient room to allow freedom of movement. As time has gone by trad has started to become rehabilitated, and I for one am glad, for it was good happy music that paid more than a curtesy nod to New Orleans jazz. I already have these tracks on either compendium LPs, or tapes, but getting the CD is well worth while for the improved sound. There are some gems here, Riverside Blues, Original Dixieland One-Step, Blue Turning Grey Over You and Potato Head Blues in particular. I must also mention South Rampart Street Parade, the tune where, Kenny always insisted, clarinettist Davey Jones tried to loose his fingers down the holes. The only tune that I find duff is I Got Plenty of Nuthin', which is over orchestrated and very in the style of Syd Philips, whose band Kenny had played in before forming his own outfit. You should buy this CD, it reflects Kenny Ball and the boys very much as they performed on stage, as opposed to the slightly more trite pop singles they issued to pay the rent.

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