The question Moe Green poses about the absence of compositions of Jelly Roll Morton in the repertoire of the performing bands is one that has interested me from time to time.

Let me say that I have a great admiration for both Jelly Roll Morton and his bands - particularly The Red Hot Peppers. Also too the musicians he employed. They where individuals at the top of their league. For example George Mitchell on cornet - superb. This was carefully arranged music of great sophistication. Without in any way denigrating enthusiastic revivalist musicians the truth is that not many had - or maybe still do not have - the level of musical facility needed to play in a convincing manner Hot Peppers style arrangements.

Great damage was done to many aspiring musicians development by the totally fallacious notion - much touted at one time - that the acquisition of a developed instrumental technique somehow diluted the purity of the music. Even worse that somehow by some osmotic process New Orleans musicians - and beyond - achieved their mastery without having to woodshed.

I listened recently to an interview with Charlie Parker and the interviewer - who really should have known better - touted the same myth that Parker's virtuosity somehow - just fell out of the sky. Parker soon put him right with an outline of his fifteen hour a day practice routines.

See my blog about this: http://tinyurl.com/cfg6xts

I for one would really love to hear a contemporary band playing Jelly Roll Morton arrangement and compositions - correct me if I am wrong but I cannot recall any band that has made the necessary effort in this direction.

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ZAGREB (AFP) – Croatian jazz great Bosko Petrovic, who has played and recorded with many international stars, died here Monday at the age of 75, the national musicians' association said.

Petrovic, born in 1935 in the northern town of Bjelovar, was a vibraphone player, composer, arranger, producer and pedagogue.

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The Club 43 Manchester, England was extremely influential in promoting the appearance of live performances of American jazz musicians. Up until the later part of the sixties performances by American musicians were very difficult to arrange because of the Musicians Union insistence that there should be a reciprocal agreement: one or more American musician performs in the United Kingdom - one or more United Kingdom musician performs in the USA. Paradoxically the demand for English pop groups in the USA raised the barrier and allowed some of the  great names in American jazz to  play in jazz clubs in the United Kingdom. Ronnie Scotts grasped this hitherto unavailable opportunity. So too in Manchester did the Club 43.

The 43 Club was run by the Garside bothers and a Manchester based agent by the name of Eric Scriven. Manchester at that time was the home base of many of musicians drawn in by a very vibrant local scene; a large night club scene and music consuming television studios. The 43 Club featured many of these notables particularly as backing groups to visiting international names.

Johnny Griffen appeared at the Club 43 the backing trio for the gig: Eric Ferguson (piano) Tony Crofts (bass) Ronnie Parry (drums) Listen to a steaming version of 'All The Things You Are' recorded live on tape. The track was sent to me recently by Tony Crofts.

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My thoughts at this time are about a very great friend of more that forty years, the late Derek Wadsworth,  who died on th 3 December 2008 at his home in Aynho, Northamptonshire, England.

Derek was to use the old but apt cliche: a musicians musician.

Derek's career started as a member of a Brass Band in Yorkshire and was to develop into an astonishing CV that  included jazz, pop music, television, film, orchestral arranging and conducting, choral work and much more. Just to give you a glimpse of the range of his achievement here are some of the names and projects he worked on:

Arranger to Judy Garland, Nina Simone with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the same with The King's Singers (including vocal scores), Kate Bush, Dusty Springfield, Shirley Bassey, Alan Price, Georgie Fame, Cat Stevens, Rod Stewart, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, , Manfred Mann, The Small Faces, David Essex, Nigel Kennedy.

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I played for more than five years with Willy Vande Walle's 'Jazz Express'. Willy was a great guy but a lot of the time was overwhelmed by the complications of a life that included three former wives and a partiality for Genevieve - a type of Gin that is a speciality of Belgium - so much so that in the small musical instrument shop he owned in the commune of  Saint Josse, he had a small refrigerator installed to keep the bottles cool and ready.

One particular Saturday afternoon We arrived at a small chateau somewhere near to Brussels to play at a wedding. When we got there - the wedding party had not yet appeared - so we donned our Smoking (the French word for Dinner Suit, Evening Dress) and waited on a first-floor balcony.

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