BEDLAM, a 1948 recording by the Benny Goodman Septet, opened a recital given by Mr Don MacPherson to members of Bury Jazz Society last Monday evening.

Each year, Metronome music magazine held a readers poll to find the most popular jazz musicians, and in 1947 invited the winners to take part in a recording session. Leap Here featured amazing jazz talent including Dizzy Gillespie, Bill Harris, Buddy De Franco, a young Nat 'King' Cole playing piano, and Buddy Rich on drums.

A small Duke Ellington group came next with Going Up featuring the alto sax of Johnny Hodges, and some amazing jazz flute-playing by Les Spann. This was taken from one of the best albums ever recorded called Side By Side.

Eddie Condon's Dixieland Band played China Boy and then Jazz Me Blues, a blues which isn't really a blues at all.

Guitarist George Benson made his first records at 11-years-old, singing and playing banjo on a rhythm and blues label. As a professional musician, he made many successful middle-of-the-road albums after which he concentrated on singing in a style modelled on Stevie Wonder. He never forgot his jazz roots however and this showed on Sack of Woe, a composition by Julian 'Cannonball' Aderley.

A San Francisco newspaperman wrote a weekly column called I Cover the Waterfront, then Johnny Green wrote a tune, and pianist Fred Hunt and clarinetist Archie Semple played it.

On a recording made at Ronnie Scotts Soho jazz club, the National Youth Jazz Orchestra featured four tenor saxaphones on Tenor Each Way.

California-based pianist Pete Jolly performed Will You Still be Mine, and a West Coast band, led by Shorty Rodgers, played a tune from the soundtrack of the 1953 Marlon Brando film, The Wild One called Scramble.

Clarinetist Sandy Brown grew up in Edinburgh but moved south to London in 1954 with pianist Stan Greig and trumpeter Al Fairweather, to form the Fairweather/Brown All Stars. A world-class blues player, he quickly moved away from a traditional jazz style to a more mainstream phase, recording many original compositions including Go Ghana and Red For Go.

Mr MacPherson ended his entertaining recital with Times A Wastin' by a British band, with trumpeter Kenny Baker and trombonist Chisholm, and tenor saxist Scott Hamilton playing when Lights Are Low.

Bury Jazz Society meets every Monday evening at the Mosses Centre. Come and join us.

JR