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Mr. Acker Bilk and His Paramount Jazz Band: the Pye Jazz Anthology by: Acker Bilk

Publisher: Castle Music
Release date: 26th February, 2001
Media: Audio CD
Number of discs: 2

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Average rating -

Rating: - Versatile performers and variegated performances

Behind the gimmicky bowler hats and striped waistcoats Acker Bilk and his Paramount Jazz Band are excellent musicians and they play a wide range of music. This double CD album embraces a period from 1958 to 1986 with a total of 38 tracks from Pye, thereby omitting other labels Acker Bilk recorded with and omitting his renouned performances with string orchestras (eg. "Stranger On The Shore") or his less well known appearances with other artists (eg. Max Bygraves"). This album concentrates on jazz, albeit of a diverse nature.

For me the earlier numbers are best. The initial 16 tracks on Disc 1 were recorded 1958-1959 and include some of Acker Bilk's hit singles such as "Delia Gone", "Willie The Weeper", "Easter Parade" and "Dardanella", but from this period my favourite is Scott Joplin's "Gladiolus Rag". Also Acker Bilk and the band demonstrate their versatility with jazz standards such as "Travelling Blues" and the spiritual "Higher Ground", and the remaining tracks on Disc 1 are from a 1971 combined effort with other clarinettists making magical music including a lively duet "Hiawatha Rag" with Terry Lightfoot, and a delightfully coordinated "My Journey To The Skies" with Terry Lightfoot, Sandy Brown and Archie Semple. This is "trad jazz" at its best and Disc 1 deserves a "5-star" rating.

Disc 2 moves on with more reliance on saxophones and guitar, and it strays into novelty numbers such as "I'm An Old Cowhand" plus others like "I Heard You Been Around" that are hardly jazz. Even so it contains one of my favourite numbers on the album with a lilting clarinet on "Burgandy Street Blues", and there are enjoyable vocals on "Bloodshot Eyes" and "Liza", and strong rhythmic numbers such as "Outback" and "Mama Told Me So". I am somewhat disappointed with Disc 2 as the music becomes a more regimated band approach rather than classic ensemble. With such a variegated range of music it is not surprising that all is not equally appreciated, but it cuts down the "5-star" rating from Disc 1.

It is purely personal that I am completely at ease with "trad" but find Acker Bilk's later numbers too brash. Tastes vary and there is something here for all jazz lovers. The two CDs are good value for money, but I rate the album as "4-star" overall.

Rating: - Acker Bilk at his very best

As a long-time follower of Acker Bilk I have a pile of 78s, 45s and 33s which frankly are now past their best--It is great to have two CDs with all my favourites and to be able to play them all again as though they have been newly recorded- The content of these CDs cover the period when Acker was Paramount and had a fantastic line up and played traditional jazz---The tracks chosen show every technique and tempo and the solos are crisp and unique---The first CD is a selection going back to the "early" days and the second Cd brings in much of Ackers mid period before it all went "poppy"---My particular favourites are tracks 1/2/6/8/and 15 (cd1) and 1/2/6/10/and 14 (cd2)--But they are ALL great--Thanks for bringing my past up to date

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