Introduction Evenin' All

[BeeVee]

At the tender age of 72, I took up the alto 6 months ago and was so amazed at the progress I made, that I just got a new tenor too. Style? Dunno - maybe the next Freddy Gardner (remember him???)

I find your site very helpfull in many ways, Pete, and imagine I'll be back very often.

Now how do you get into those Extra pages?

 

[ken]

Hello beevee and greetings from Spain.

Congrats on the progress.

Ken.

 

[BeeVee]

Thanks Ken. I have an old mate living in Spain too - in COIN. Anywhere near you?

BeeVee

 

[griff136]

Hi Beevee good for you and welcome.

 

[ken]

At 10:59:07 PM 05/05/06, beevee wrote:
Thanks Ken. I have an old mate living in Spain too - in COIN. Anywhere near you?

BeeVee

Hello BeeVee,

Not really. Looking at the map, Coin is down South in Andalucia, I'm more central in the Alicante region.

Do you visit your mate here?

Ken

 

[Pete Thomas]

Hi and welcome. Extra pages sorted, just follow the link.

 

[BeeVee]

Thanks Griff - now I know where to come for repairs!

 

[DaveW]

Hi Beeveee and welcome.

Although not quite as many years as you your post has given me hope 😉

I look forward to hearing your progress.

Dave

 

[jon]

At 5:53:14 PM 05/05/06, beevee wrote:
At the tender age of 72, I took up the alto 6 months ago and was so amazed at the progress I made, that I just got a new tenor too. Style? Dunno - maybe the next Freddy Gardner (remember him???)

I find your site very helpfull in many ways, Pete, and imagine I'll be back very often.

Now how do you get into those Extra pages?

Hello Beevee
Welcome from France too.
Jon

 

[BeeVee]

At 09:09:43 AM 06/05/06, Ken wrote:
> At 10:59:07 PM 05/05/06, beevee wrote:
> Thanks Ken. I have an old mate living in Spain too - in COIN. Anywhere near you?
>
> BeeVee
>


Hello BeeVee,

Not really. Looking at the map, Coin is down South in Andalucia, I'm more central in the Alicante region.

Do you visit your mate here?

Ken

Yes, rented his place for a couple of hols there - stupendous views from the terrace.

BeeVee

 

[BeeVee]

Merci, Jon.

 

[BeeVee]

At 12:28:27 PM 06/05/06, DaveW wrote:
Hi Beeveee and welcome.

Although not quite as many years as you your post has given me hope 😉

I look forward to hearing your progress.

Dave

Thanks, Dave; and my regards to Stockport - I had work in Hazel Grove some years back!

 

[Bobby G]

Hi Beevee & welcome. Like me you're probably wishing you'd started blowing much earlier (I would have, but my alarm didn't go off); I'm 50 and been at it for only a couple of years, but 30-odd years of guitar before that.

So, pardon the ignorance, but who is Freddy Gardner?

 

[BeeVee]

At 11:01:28 PM 06/05/06, Bob Green wrote:
Hi Beevee & welcome. Like me you're probably wishing you'd started blowing much earlier (I would have, but my alarm didn't go off); I'm 50 and been at it for only a couple of years, but 30-odd years of guitar before that.

So, pardon the ignorance, but who is Freddy Gardner?

Thanks Bob,

Freddy Gardner was an English saxophonist who rose to fame in the 30s and 40s and at the time was considered the bee's knees, on both sides of the Atlantic, in the big band swing style. He made many hit records of the old standards, but sadly died in 1950 aged only 39. There are a few CDs of his work still availble if you lookaround the internet and you can take iit from me, he's worth listening to. Good luck!

 

[ken]

At 2:31:45 PM 06/05/06, beevee wrote:
Yes, rented his place for a couple of hols there - stupendous views from the terrace.

BeeVee

You'll have to bring the sax next time BeeVee. Think how nice that will be... playing on the terrace 🙂

Freddy Gardner: Looks like he was also one of Griffs mate's (figuratively, not era wize, I'll add... before Griff thumps me! :O ) as a Royal Marine bandsman:-

During the Second World War the military authorities recognised the popularity of jazz, swing and dance music by forming Service dance bands to entertain Servicemen during their off duty hours and retain positive moral. The most obvious of these would be the Glenn Miller Band. Although the Royal Air Force had the Squadronaires and the Royal Army Ordnance Corps had the Blue Rockets, strangely the Royal Navy although having Royal Marines Bands on board ships only realised 'ad hoc' bands depending on when musicians were thrown together on a particular draft. The only band to become really well known belonged to the Royal Naval Patrol Service known as 'Harry Tate's Navy'.

The Sparrows' Nest home of the RNPS was formerly a pleasure ground taken over by the Admiralty and as it already had a theatre it quickly became a centre for entertainment not only by musicians but also theatre types such as Eric Barker, who was already well known to his radio listeners before the war had started. In his autobiography he recalls how the musicians were recruited, '.Billy Farrell, trumpet player and accordionist from Ambrose's band, two more players from Henry Hall's orchestra, a double bass player from the West Indies, a saxophone player from Sydney Lipton's band, the best of all saxophonists at that time, Freddy Gardner. The leader was George Crow, pianist, who called his orchestra the Blue Mariners.'

The first Blue Mariners band to consist only of Servicemen was set up by George Crow in December 1940 after Commodore De Passe the Commanding Officer of HMS EUROPA had authorised an official dance band for the Royal Naval Patrol Service with the blessing of Rear Admiral Somerville of Eastern Command. Semi-Official records of the time state the following professional musicians as admissions during 1940:

CROW, George Walter (Piano, Sax, Trombone)
GARDNER, Frederick James (Saxes & Clarinet)
OAKLEY, Jack Charles (Drums)
BARNES, Reginald (Trombone)
KERSLEY, Donald James (Piano)
LITTLE, Hugh Trevor (Vocalist & Entertainer)

Undoubtedly the star of the Blue Mariners from start to finish was saxophonist Freddy Gardner who was regularly given special leave to undertake radio-broadcasting dates in London during 1940/41. Many of Freddy's recordings have survived to this day and I have listened extensively to various tapes sent to me during my research and beyond doubt he was a very talented musician.

More at source; http://www.royalmarinesbands.co.uk/history/blumariners.htm

 

[BeeVee]

Thanks for this most interesting information, Ken and for helping to draw attention to the talents of the great Freddy Gardner.

Now--- Ever heard of Rudy Wiedoeft?

 

[ken]

At 5:34:20 PM 07/05/06, beevee wrote:Now--- Ever heard of Rudy Wiedoeft?

Who, the "Kreisler of the saxophone" BeeVee???.... well NO!!! 🙁

But there are some sound clips to listen to here:-

http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/music/artist/listenwatch/0,,641995,00.html#artist_name (copy/paste whole link)

 

[BeeVee]

At 4:50:08 PM 07/05/06, Ken wrote:
> At 5:34:20 PM 07/05/06, beevee wrote:Now--- Ever heard of Rudy Wiedoeft?

Who, the "Kreisler of the saxophone" BeeVee???.... well NO!!! 🙁

I have that very CD, Ken. It is interesting to note that Rudy W composed Valse Vanite, which Freddy Garner recorded in 1950 and it became a huge hit for him.

 

[Bobby G]

This is all fabulous stuff, I can listen to anything from the earliest recordings up to the avan-garde, and thanks to the interweb it's all available.

Didn't one Terence 'Spike' Milligan play in some kind of forces band during the war?

 

[BeeVee]

At 7:44:53 PM 07/05/06, Bob Green wrote:
This is all fabulous stuff, I can listen to anything from the earliest recordings up to the avan-garde, and thanks to the interweb it's all available.

Didn't one Terence 'Spike' Milligan play in some kind of forces band during the war?

Yes Bob, he lead some kind of dance/jazz band and one of his favourite stories was about the officer who came up to him between jigs and asked:

I say, my good man, do you play requests?

Yeah, what would you like?

Oh ---- er ----- Anything!