Immediately transported back to the time when I first heard the great George Lewis. It brought a wee tear to my eye. During the same transmission his rendition of Corine Corrina whilst duetting with Acker Bilk must surely count as one of the great moments of BBC televised jazz.
George has been worshipped, reviled, dismissed, followed, loved, imitated, dissected, enjoyed, and was just himself, quiet, lovely, reduced, aware, suspicious at times, grateful.., and this is a great tribute to his life.
I recorded George playing this in 1961’s. I had been given a tape recorder as a 21st birthday present, it was late evening and I picked up a faint American Radio Station playing New Orleans jazz. The sound was ethereal as it faded and swelled. The backing group was his own band rather better than this. It still raises the hairs on the back of my neck when I play it back some 60yrs later.
What raised your hair was a sound so rare from the most misunderstood clarinet. Why because Lewis embochure or sound was but only one other clarinetist special person had, and that was Acker Bilk. It's unfortunate but I think this will never happen again.... as this proves your very reason that recording you have, is as precious as these to musicians were. Even more unique was Acker was English and George was African American, proving we are all just humans with the same blood soul, for these 2 men were very good friends as well. It was told when Acker found out his old friend had passed away Acker cried as I did cry when I heard Acker passed away in 2014... I think Acker and George are in heaven just playing their heavenly clarinets away.😊
Qué tal Pedro, soy Roberto, un clarinetista de Valencia, España. Llevo un tiempo interesado en el jazz y especialmente en las diferencias entre la embocadura del clarinete en el clásico y en el jazz. Si tienes información al respecto me gustaría charlar un rato contigo sobre el tema. Apenas he encontrado clarinetistas con quienes poder compartir impresiones al respecto. Saludos y gracias de antemano.
I went to see George in Glasgow in 1965 but for the life of me I cannot remember the name of the not especially well known band who supported him. An English band, I think .Anyone?
Acker Bilk. The were 3 famous trad jazz bands in England at the time. The 3 band leaders were Acker Bilk (clarinet), Chris Barber (trombone) and Kenny Ball (trumpet)..Evidently none of those ?
@@eriknystrom5839 Thanks for the effort but it wasn`t any of those three.It MIGHT have been a much lesser-known band called something like Red McGregor and his jazzmen.
Burgundy Street Blues was not composed, but completely improvised, originally. Lewis then had to learn it listening to his own playing on tape. Interesting to see how far he puts the mouthpiece into his mouth. This results in a particularly sonorous tone of the clarinet, albeit difficult to do with high notes. Lewis had to insert a piece of plastic or other stuff into his mouth before playing, at a gap between his teeth. But nothing stops a genius.
Jack Brymer the great classical clarinetist wrote in his book that some New Orleans clarinet players stuck a small piece of chewing gum in the mouthpiece to get a bigger/brighter sound, this of course could be an urban myth.
Quién haya oido el tema original se dará cuanta que durante el primer minuto y medio solista y base van desacompasados, una cosa muy rara en músicos de su talla. Finalmente Lewis logra ajustarse a la rueda harmónica en el minuto 1:26
Immediately transported back to the time when I first heard the great George Lewis. It brought a wee tear to my eye. During the same transmission his rendition of Corine Corrina whilst duetting with Acker Bilk must surely count as one of the great moments of BBC televised jazz.
This is George Lewis's Tune . forever ..Brilliant
One of the very best clarinet-solos in New Orleans Jazz
The number one clarinetist of all time!
George has been worshipped, reviled, dismissed, followed, loved, imitated, dissected, enjoyed, and was just himself, quiet, lovely, reduced, aware, suspicious at times, grateful.., and this is a great tribute to his life.
I recorded George playing this in 1961’s. I had been given a tape recorder as a 21st birthday present, it was late evening and I picked up a faint American Radio Station playing New Orleans jazz. The sound was ethereal as it faded and swelled. The backing group was his own band rather better than this.
It still raises the hairs on the back of my neck when I play it back some 60yrs later.
What raised your hair was a sound so rare from the most misunderstood clarinet. Why because Lewis embochure or sound was but only one other clarinetist special person had, and that was Acker Bilk. It's unfortunate but I think this will never happen again.... as this proves your very reason that recording you have, is as precious as these to musicians were. Even more unique was Acker was English and George was African American, proving we are all just humans with the same blood soul, for these 2 men were very good friends as well. It was told when Acker found out his old friend had passed away Acker cried as I did cry when I heard Acker passed away in 2014... I think Acker and George are in heaven just playing their heavenly clarinets away.😊
Great to have recorded this from TV!
Great historical value. ❤
Straight to the heart.
tears flowing it is so great
Sweet music, great artist 5 star
Tremenda embocadura imprime vibración mágica solo de maestro.
Qué tal Pedro, soy Roberto, un clarinetista de Valencia, España. Llevo un tiempo interesado en el jazz y especialmente en las diferencias entre la embocadura del clarinete en el clásico y en el jazz. Si tienes información al respecto me gustaría charlar un rato contigo sobre el tema. Apenas he encontrado clarinetistas con quienes poder compartir impresiones al respecto. Saludos y gracias de antemano.
ITS BLOODY GOOD
TACK FÖR KAFFET
Zamknij oczy i słuchaj...s ł u c h a j. . . . . pięknie. Dusza rozpływa się!...Słuchaj....!
Wonderful stuff but the young will never hear it sadly
MINE will.
... speechless... :)
Does someone know whether this tune is available in notes and where the source is??
I went to see George in Glasgow in 1965 but for the life of me I cannot remember the name of the not especially well known band who supported him. An English band, I think .Anyone?
Acker Bilk. The were 3 famous trad jazz bands in England at the time. The 3 band leaders were Acker Bilk (clarinet), Chris Barber (trombone) and Kenny Ball (trumpet)..Evidently none of those ?
@@eriknystrom5839 Thanks for the effort but it wasn`t any of those three.It MIGHT have been a much lesser-known band called something like Red McGregor and his jazzmen.
@@jamesbarr5170 Barry Martyn?
Ken Colyer's band supported Lewis when he came over in 1957... are you thinking of that occasion?
Burgundy Street Blues was not composed, but completely improvised, originally. Lewis then had to learn it listening to his own playing on tape. Interesting to see how far he puts the mouthpiece into his mouth. This results in a particularly sonorous tone of the clarinet, albeit difficult to do with high notes. Lewis had to insert a piece of plastic or other stuff into his mouth before playing, at a gap between his teeth. But nothing stops a genius.
Jack Brymer the great classical clarinetist wrote in his book that some New Orleans clarinet players stuck a small piece of chewing gum in the mouthpiece to get a bigger/brighter sound, this of course could be an urban myth.
Who is the bassist?
Quién haya oido el tema original se dará cuanta que durante el primer minuto y medio solista y base van desacompasados, una cosa muy rara en músicos de su talla. Finalmente Lewis logra ajustarse a la rueda harmónica en el minuto 1:26
I think it's George Lewis not acker bilk
Do you really think so???? I guess the skin colour gives it away! TWAT
Kun een i verden kan spille så smukt.........................
Its very good but it's not the best backing he's had by a long way.
indeed, piano and bass are catastrophically wrong.
The clarinetist is not acker bilk...
No it's George Lewis ... a legend !
George Lewis, with Acker's band.
Bass player ruins it!! It's not about him