Videos by jazzbobob

Reverie Bob Wilber 1995 During a performance at the Bern Jazz Festival in Switzerland Bob plays one of his own compositions. He called the tune Reverie. Hes backed up by some magnificient musicians, Johnny Varro piano, Milt Hinton bass and Jake Hanna on drums . Now some 13 years later, Bob, now around 80, together with his wife Pug, is still travelling and playing around the world. I hope they have not seen this video yet. Pug and I are old friends. Recently we touched base again and I know how much both apprecciate my posted videos.

One morning in May - Johnny Varro 1995 Presentation of one lesson in taste combined with technique, talent and experience. This most pleasant Hoagy Carmichael composition is played by three masters in that sort of taste. Johnny Varro piano, Milt Hinton bass and Jake Hanna drums. You cannot get it much better than that! From Johnnys website http://www.johnnyvarro.com/ Johnny Varro has been an accomplished international performer since he was 16. His first professional job was with Bobby Hackett. He then went on to perform at Eddie Condon's with such great jazzmen as Buck Clayton, Pee Wee Russell, Yank Lawson, Billy Butterfield, Lou McGarity, Peanuts Hucko and others. Johnny has worked most of the jazz rooms around New York including The Embers, Tavern on the Green, Hanratty's, The Metropole and Jimmy Ryan's. He has numerous recordings to his credit and has toured all over the world with groups such as the Dukes of Dixieland, Wild Bill Davison All Stars and Peanuts Hucko Tour -...

As Long As I Live- Maxine Sullivan 1986. So much class, so much taste, so much talent. Yes folks, thats Maxine Sullivan 1911-1987. Here, at a jazz concert in Japan in 1986 Maxine sings one of her most favourite songs. She is accompanied by Scott Hamilton on tenor saxophone, John Bunch piano, Chris Flory guitar, Phil Flanigan bass and Chuck Riggs drums. A great singer and engaging performer, Maxine Sullivan parlayed a subtle, yet undeniable sense of swing with distinctive phrasing and excellent interpretative qualities to become one of the finest jazz, standards and pre-rock pop vocalists.

King Porter Stomp Dutch Swing College 1970 One of the first live concerts I ever attended was in 1951 and I believe it was in Amsterdam's concertgebouw. It was a performance of Sidney Bechet with the Dutch Swing College Band. Later in the studio two tunes were recorded with Bechet: The King Porter Stomp and the D.S.C. Blues. Soon after I bought that 78 record. Here in a broadcast in 1970 they pay tribute to that early recording and leader Peter Schilperoort on soprano sax leads his band in the King Porter Stomp.

Perdido Street Blues - 1982 Chris Barber and his Jazz and Blues Band This tune was first recorded by Johnny Dodds and his New Orleans Wanderers in 1926. The Barber Band has changed the rhythm pattern completely and the tune gets a new twist, which is very refreshing. Chris Barber at the height of his popularity is seen and heard in a concert taped for the BBC in 1982. Cd's and DVD's of this concert are available mostly in Germany. The 97 minute DVD is called "Walking to New Orleans" Barber's excellent band today is still the leading traditional jazzband in Europe and continuously on tour to the concert halls (http://www.wimwigt.com/tours_barber.html) In 1982 the band consisted of Chris Barber trombone, Pat Halcox trumpet, Ian Wheeler clarinet/alto, John Crocker clarinet/alto/tenor, Johnny McCallum banjo/guitar, Roger Hill guitar, Vic Pitt bass and Norman Emberson drums

Blues in Bb Peterson Oscar/Roy Eldridge 1961 At a concert in Italy in 1961 Oscar Peterson and his trio with Herb Ellis gtr, Ray Brown bass, Ed Thigpen drums feature trumpet player Roy Eldridge in a simple arrangement on a Bb blues pattern. I believe its called Soft Winds Known for his dazzling improvisational skills and intensely competitive nature, Roy Eldridge is generally regarded as a key instrumentalist of the swing era. His extroverted, virtuoso style influenced a generation of swing trumpeters and paved the way for many bebop innovators including Dizzy Gillespie, Kenny Dorham and Dexter Gordon.

Beale Street Blues Bilk Acker 1990 Mr Acker Bilk and his Paramount Jazz Band. Acker has changed the style of his band from trad jazz in the sixties to the more Condon styled Approach. He replaced banjo with piano and here in or around 1990 during a concert somewhere in Germany they play Beale Street Blues. and yes indeed, in the Condon arrangement, nice and loose with the specific riff chorus at the end of the tune.

Bye Bye Boogie Dorothy Donegan 1987 Pianist Dorothy Donegan in Concert at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1987 With her are bassist Major Holly and drummer Oliver Jackson. From the "Last Post" The death of Dorothy Donegan this past spring (May 19, age 76, Los Angeles) was lamentably largely ignored by the press and the jazz media as they did regrettably throughout most of the pianist's lifetime. The AP wire did give the indomitable artist lead preference in its daily obits round-up and the New York Times, with its promise of "All the News That's Fit to Print," gave Dorothy her due, including a one-column candid photo of the pianist in performance, and jazz author Chip Deffaa warmly recalled her "strength, energy, and imagination" in his New York Post column. Interestingly, though, Times jazz scribe Ben Ratliff quoted his noted jazz predecessor, John S. Wilson's coverage of a Town Hall appearance in 1971 citing that '"Ms. Donegan showed a technical virtuosity that could be compared...

Avalon Kaper Bob/Teddy Wilson 1976 A dream must have come through. Clarinettist Bob Kaper who joined the Dutch Swing College Band in 1966 was always a great admirer of Benny Goodman. He even had his own swing quintet next to being a member of the busy D.S.C. When American pianist Teddy Wilson, who had played with Goodman since the mid thirties and had helped making Benny's small group world famous, came to Holland to perform with the D.S.C. in 1976 I can imagine this to have been a thrill for Bob . Several LP's were made, but I think this is the only film (made in Austria) of the D.S.C in concert with Teddy Wilson. Bob Kaper is doing a fantastic job on one of Benny's standards. It should be noted that the rhythm group with Jaap van Kempen on guitar, Henk Bosch van Drakensteyn on bass and Huub Janssen on drums do superb support. I consider Huub by far the best drummer in Europe.

Lady Be Good Dutch Swing College/Teddy Wilson 1976. In 1977 in Toronto we were very lucky to find out that The Dutch Swing College would go on a tour through Canada and Arie Ligthart, former banjoist with the band, but then their manager, phoned me and asked if we would be able to organize something. We had started a long term contract in DJ's Tavern in the brand new hydro building and we were able to set up three nights with the DSC and our own Climax J.B. in a double feature event. The room holds 330 people and each night we had a sell out with standing room only. The band you see here is just that band, playing the year before in a concert in Austria which also featured famous pianist Teddy Wilson. In the band are leader Peter Schilperoort clarinet, Bert de Kort on cornet, Bob Kaper alto sax, Dick Kaart trombone, Jaaap van Kempen guitar, Henk Bosch van Drakensteyn bass and Huub Janssen drums. Today, some thirty years later, Bob Kaper is their leader and after an absense for a...