Jatp

stu

New member
Great stuff Mike. I have always enjoyed a good JATP tear up having heard them nightly on the American Forces Network.
I reckon I have all their recordings, starting with a few 78's then all the LP's before changing over to CD's which includes the Verve 10 CD box set from the forties,
plus every concert recordings through the fifties. I attended two of the concerts when they toured here in the late fifties.
For me it was a 'lets forget about being nice for a spell' and just blow! A lot of what was called bad taste at the time by the critics in that the musicians tore up the place instead of doing what they were famous for, being more creative. The recordings had some wild solo's for sure, which was great, but it paid to hang in there because somebody would jump in and break up the joint! Illinois Jacquet was noted for being a wild man with JATP with his high note stuff, (the avant gardists and free form jazz men do that all the time now) and when asked about this Illinois said "Aw! We were just having fun!"
 

Dorsetmike

Member
I see there are quite a few Voice of America's "Music USA" tracks on the tube too, that used to be nightly listening for me in the middle east with the RAF 1955-8; some of them are a bit spoilt due to radio interference which was not unknown on short wave in those days!
 
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stu

New member
I also never missed a VOA programme when in the forces, Mike. Also, it might be of interest to you, there is a site that has archives of hundreds of AFN programmes some dating back to the forties, fifties and onwards, some jazz, swing, hit parade stuff, stickbuddy jamboree (I used to listen in to that one as well) and a Bob Hope and a Jack Benny show. If you type in 'Bouncing In Bavaria' it brings up a site run by ex AFN DJ Clem Stein and in there you will find free dowlaods of all the shows. Some interference, but many with quite a good reception.
 
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