THE KEN COLYER DISCOGRAPHY
(THE LATEST APRIL 2007 VERSION)
AND RARE RECORDS

This comprehensive work by Dutchman Gerard Bielderman, details every recording by Ken Colyer that has been issued and many unissued sessions. Also listed in detail are all the know broadcasts made by the various Ken Colyer bands throughout his career of more than 35 years (information on any known to be not included would be most welcome). There are a few pictures and copies of important articles from newspapers and journals along with reproductions of record sleeves and labels. Ring bound, A5 size with 100 pages, the price for this essential work for the serious collector and New Orleans jazz enthusiast is £10.00 plus postage. Postage is £0.75 to addresses in the UK, £1.75 to Europe and £3.00 to the rest of the world. To order a copy, simply complete the details below and send an e-mail to the Trust. You will then be contacted to arrange payment and delivery. We operate this system for security reasons.

A very rare 10 inch LP issued on Doug Dobell's 77 Records label, "77 LP24." There are five tracks on side 1 on which Ken Colyer plays under the alias of 'Kenneth Coleman,' the reason for this was that at the time Ken was under contract to Decca Records and, therefore, not allowed to record for another record producer. To avoid purchase tax, just 99 copies of this LP were produced.
Recorded in London on 3 June, 1959, the details are-

Rosina Scudder (vocals); Ken Colyer (trumpet); John Clarke (piano); John Mason (bass); Colin Bowden (drums). Put Me In The Alley; Frankie And Johnny; Freight Train Blues; Careless Love; Trouble In Mind.
John Clarke solo piano. R-G Bar-G Boogie; Twinklin' Rag; J C Stomp; Head Hunters Boogie.

On his 77 Records label, Doug Dobell produced four 10 inch LP's of the Crane River Jazz Band recorded at various sessions in the early 1950's. For the same tax advantage, just 99 of each were produced, placing these among the most highly sought after and expensive records in the Ken Colyer discography. In an auction, each would be expected to fetch well in excess of £100.

Shown here are Volume 1 (77 LP/4) and Volume 4 (77 LP-18). Volume 2 is 77 LP/5 and Volume 3 is 77 LP/17.

Tracks on Volumes 1 & 2 are: A Miner's Dream Of Home; Do What Ory Say; Dusty Rag (Ken Colyer omitted); Joshua Fit De Battle; Put On Your Old Grey Bonnet; In Gloryland; All The Whores (Ken Colyer omitted); Dauphin Street Blues; Uptown Bump; Doctor Jazz; Moose March; Old Kentucky Home; If I Ever Cease To Love; Gypsy Lament; Bobby Shafto; Milenburg Joys; Get Out Of Here; Creole Song.

The following sleeve notes were written by Brian Harvey -

During its lifetime the Original Crane River Jazz Band attracted as much attention to itself as any British jazz group before or since. Formed just after the war by Ken and Bill Colyer it began its life on the outskirts of London in Cranford. In those days there was no ready made audience of New Orleans jazz enthusiasts to encourage the band, but within a short time they had created quite a following from blowing on Ye Bonny Banks of Ye Olde Crane River! Through records and by word of mouth, their fame spread, and before long they had their own club in Great Newport Street.

Ken Colyer, as a man and as a leader, has always been something of a mystery man to enthusiasts, but nevertheless, his personality as a musician welded this band into one of the most memorable we have had. Memorable in many ways, both musical and otherwise, their capacity for liquor never ceased to astound anyone unfortunate enough to match drinks with them. The eccentricities of dress and hairstyle were enough to make any elegant-minded enthusiasts wilt. Nevertheless, it was their music we remember best; the virile exciting sounds of a band that was born out of the basic essentials of jazz, and of a band that stuck to those essentials throughout its life. Do not forget that from this group came whose names have now become almost legend in British jazz, the bands of Chris Barber, Ken Colyer, Pat Hawes and John Davies.

Styles in British jazz have been as diverse as the musicians who set them, yet it can be truthfully said that the Cranes were the band who set the style and paved the way for 90% of the British jazz heard today. Even now one can hear echoes of their individual and unique sounds in many current bands. Like these present bands, the Cranes were rugged and perhaps untutored, but they had the right ideas at heart and their music was full of warmth and feeling.

It seems unlikely that we will ever hear again a band, as exciting or deeply moving as the Cranes, for today the emphasis is on technique and money: technique and money instead of feeling, rhythm and warmth. Gone are the days when men like these would starve for their music. But all is not lost for you can play the record and go back with Ken, Monty and others; recapture the halcyon days of jazz in England. Visualise one night in Nottingham when Ken really went to town, pointing the bell of his horn to the ceiling and tearing off cascades of golden-toned breaks. . . .

The era that produced this band and its music may have passed, but to quote a corny but apt phrase, "it lives on in the grooves of a record, this one."

The tracks on Volumes 3 & 4 are: Just a Closer Walk With Thee; Savoy Blues; Creole Love Call; South; Lowdown Blues; Ostrich Walk; One Sweet Letter From You; After Dark; Just A Little While To Stay Here; Down By The Riverside; Old Kentucky Home; The Bucket's Got a Hole In It.

The following notes by Pat Hawes, written in 1960, were included on a stencilled sheet inserted into each sleeve of Volume 4.

On this disc "77" Records are pleased to present the final selection of titles by the Original Crane River Jazz Band. I use the word "Original" in its widest sense because without a doubt, this was one of the most creative and unusual British bands, presenting and drawing attention to a style of music at that time virtually unknown. But the Cranes were more than just a band - they were an institution (or a persecution, depending on your point of view!) of the British Jazz scene of a decade ago.

I remember very vividly my own introduction to them in the winter of 1949, at a rather dubious drinking club in Ealing, organised by that champion of lost causes, Jim Bryning. "This Band is different" he said. How right he was! Certainly no other band could boast a trombonist wearing a fez; a trumpet player with quite such a violent turn of verbal phrase as Ken Colyer, or a clarinettist who played a metal clarinet. In short, the Cranes were a band of characters who, I quickly found out, also played hard hitting, uncompromising New Orleans Jazz, based on the music to be heard from the Bunk Johnson - Kid Ory - George Lewis records of the mid 40's.After sitting in with the band on that evening,, 1 was offered (and accepted) a permanent job with the band.

In those days, no one believed that a living could be made out of jazz, and the attitude of the Cranes was never clouded by mercenary considerations. Our aim was to play the sort of music we wanted to play, and any money made was usually spent on whiling away the non-playing hours with liquid refreshment. Many a critic, musician and fan found to his cost, the ability of the Cranes in this direction, (and it is said that the residents of Longford, the late home of John R.T. Davies, still shudder at the memory of one three day party held in those early days!).

Perhaps the strangest feature of the Cranes was that the band never had a definite leader as such - it was probably the first successful cooperative jazz band. The prime instigators were Ken and Bill Colyer, who then, as now, had an unbelieveable enthusiasm for the Music of the Crescent City, which led Ken to make his now famous pilgrimage to the United States. But they were backed by the unqualified support of every member of the band, who really believed in the music which they played. But critical and fan reaction towards the band was far from unanimous. A possible parallel could be drawn between the Cranes and the Marx Brothers - you either loved them or hated them. Yet, listening to these recordings all these years later, gives a sense of pleasure not entirely attributable to nostalgia, for the Cranes did so much to prepare the ground for the success of the many bands which have followed in their footsteps.

Well, a great deal has happened in Jazz since those early days, and perhaps it is only right that the present day Chris Barber band, which has such a tremendous popular following, owes its inception directly to the pioneering work of the Cranes, and significant that Ken Colyer and Monty Sunshine, two of the original members, are today household names to thousands of young jazz fans.

Listen to these tracks, listen beyond the obvious failings of technique (and recording!) and I think that something of the real spirit of the Crane River Jazz Band will come across to you.

This Storyville 12 inch LP is high on many collectors' wants list. Three recordings were made in Denmark on 11, 12 and 19 April, 1953 and at first were released on a series of EP's. It was not until 1963 that all but one number were released on this record.

There is an error on the sleeve details, The Shiek of Araby is incorrectly given as track 3 on side 2, but it is in fact Just a Closer Walk With Thee.

Details are: Ken Colyer (trumpet and vocal); Chris Barber (trombone); Monty Sunshine (clarinet); Lonnie Donegan (banjo); Jim Bray (bass and sousaphone); Ron Bowden (drums). If I Ever Cease To Love; Wabash Blues; I Can't Escape From You; Breeze (Ken Colyer solo and rhythm); Saturday Night Function; Shine; Tiger Rag; Gentofte Blues (Ken Colyer omitted); Just A Closer Walk With Thee; We Sure Do Need Him Now; Bucket Got A Hole In It; Isle Of Capri; Bluebells Goodbye.

These tracks have been reissued on a series of Storyville compilation CD's and it is hoped that a single CD of the whole will eventually appear.

Columbia LP 33SX 1289 Little Brother Montgomery with Ken Colyer. Ken Colyer accompanies Little Brother Montgomery on just 3 tracks, Just The Blues; I Ain't Gonna Give Nobody None Of My Jelly Roll; Buddy Bolden's Blues. The other 9 tracks feature this superb artist either solo or accompanied by Alexis Korner (guitar), Jack fallon (bass) and Bob Guthrie (drums).

In his sleeve notes, Alexis Korner says "As Ken is, without doubt, the finest blues trumpet player in the country, it seemeed right to ask him along. With memories of the great Oliver-Morton music, we wondered what would happen in this partnership. All three tracks turned out to be excellent: Buddy Bolden's Blues is a wonderful delicate performance, with Brother displaying the extent of Morton's influence; Jelly Roll rocks along with some good trumpet and a pleasing vocal; but, for me, the highspot in blues playing comes with Just The Blues. Without any lengthy rehearsal, yet with complete sympathy for each other's playing, Little Brother and Ken Colyer have produced a classic slow blues duet. Maybe some will say: "But nothing happens!" May they be forgiven. Quietly, beautifully and without show, this is the blues. For five and a half minutes, it never ceases to happen."

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