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Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band: Our Kinda Strauss
by William Grim
Of all the big bands that flourished during the 1960s, none was an innovative and featured better sidemen than the Clarke-Boland Big Band. This album features a complete reissue of the 1966 C-BBB Swing, Waltz, Swing album as well as unreleased material from 1967 and 1972 recording sessions. This is a unique compilation in that it features big band arrangements of waltzes by Johann Strauss, Jr. as well the the famous waltz from Richard Strauss' (no relation) opera Der Rosenkavalier. ...
Continue ReadingKenny Clarke-Francy Boland: On Rearward
by Douglas Payne
After forging bop history and founding the Modern Jazz Quartet, Pittsburgh-born drummer Kenny “Klook" Clarke (1914-85) left the United States for Europe in 1956. He played for several years in a trio with Bud Powell, then hooked up with conservatory trained pianist Francy Boland (b. 1929) to form the Clarke-Boland Big Band (C-BBB), one of Europe's preeminent jazz orchestras. From 1961 to 1972, the group recorded a whopping 35 albums and at various times, featured some of Europe and America's ...
Continue ReadingJohnny Griffin: Griff 'n' Bags
by Douglas Payne
Well, not quite. Chicago tenor great Johnny ("Griff") Griffin is heard on five tunes and Milt ("Bags") Jackson, whose intention was to reunite with fellow MJQ founder Kenny Clarke for a Clarke-Boland Big Band project that never materialized, is heard on five different tunes.Despite slightly inaccurate labeling and packaging that doesn't explain itself until you open it, Griff 'n' Bags is an excellent collection of four Francy Boland-Jimmy Woode-Kenny Clarke sessions recorded between 1967 and 1969. The 16 ...
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