Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band
The Kenny Clarke–Francy Boland Big Band was one of the most noteworthy jazz big bands formed outside the United States.[1]
It was created in 1961, when, helped by producer Gigi Campi, the US drummer Kenny Clarke, the Belgian pianist and composer Francy Boland and the ex-Ellington bassist Jimmy Woode brought together several jazz musicians of note. Although based in Europe, the band was truly multinational, with several US musicians in the line-up.
It was disbanded in 1972, having recorded more than 15 albums. Many of them were released on the German jazz record label MPS Records.
Members
In the course of its existence, band members included Johnny Griffin, Muvaffak "Maffy" Falay, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Ronnie Scott, Carl Drewo, Tony Coe, Derek Humble, Nat Peck, Ake Persson, Dusko Goykovich, Stan Sulzmann, Ack van Rooyen, John Surman, Jimmy Deuchar, Manfred Schoof, Albert Mangelsdorff, Erik van Lier, Ron Mathewson, Fats Sadi, Kenny Clare, Benny Bailey, Jimmy Woode, Art Farmer, Sahib Shihab, Shake Keane, Idrees Sulieman and Herb Geller, and it collaborated on occasions with Phil Woods, Zoot Sims, Stan Getz, John Bodwin Derek Watkins (trumpeter) and many others.
Discography
- Jazz is Universal (1962)[2] Atlantic Records
- Handle With Care (1963) Atlantic
- Now Hear Our Meanin' (1965) Columbia Records
- Swing, Waltz, Swing, Carl Drewo und die Clarke–Boland Big Band (1966) Philips Records
- Jazz Convention Vol. I (1967) KPM – also re-issued as Open Door (Muse)[3]
- Jazz Convention Vol. II: Contemporary Jazz Moods... (1967) KPM
- Sax No End (1967) MPS Records, Pausa – aka Fire, Soul, Heat & Guts (Prestige Records)
- Out of the Folk Bag (1967) Columbia
- 17 Men and Their Music (1967) Campi[4]
- Latin Kaleidoscope (1968) MPS, Prestige
- All Smiles (1968) MPS – aka Let's Face the Music (Prestige)
- Faces (1968) MPS
- More (1968) Campi – aka More Jazz in the Movies (CAM)
- Jazz Convention Vol. III (1968) KPM
- My Kind of World, Gitte & The Band (1968) Hör Zu – aka Gitte Hænning meets the Francy Boland-Kenny Clarke Big Band aka Gitte Sings Jazz
- Fellini 712 (1969) MPS
- Volcano,...Live At Ronnie's (1969) Polydor Records
- Rue Chaptal,...Live At Ronnie's (1969) Polydor
- More Smiles (1969) MPS
- All Blues (1969) MPS
- At Her Majesty's Pleasure… (1969) Black Lion Records
- Clarke-Boland Big Band En Concert Avec Europe 1 (1969) RTÉ – aka TNP: Oct. 29th, 1969 (Delta Music), aka Paris Concert (Laserlight)
- Off Limits (1970) Polydor
- November Girl, Carmen McRae / The Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band (1970) Black Lion
- Changes of Scenes, Stan Getz and the Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band (1971) Verve Records
post-Clarke:
- Francy Boland – The Orchestra 1: Blue Flame (1976) MPS
- Francy Boland – The Orchestra 2: Red Hot (1976) MPS
- Francy Boland – The Orchestra 3: White Heat (1976) MPS
Video performances
- Live in Prague 1967 (DVD - 2008) Impro Jazz
Compilations and combination re-issues
- (Ebulient Roaring Screaming Big Band Sound of) Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland, Special Guest Artist Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis (1972) MPS – selected tracks from More Smiles and Sax No End
- The Best of the Clarke-Boland Big Band (1974) MPS – selected tracks from All Smiles, More Smiles and Sax No End
- Smiles (1976) MPS – Encore Vol. 7: The Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band – All Smiles (complete) + More Smiles (complete)
- Live at Ronnie Scott's (1976) MPS – Encore Vol. 9: The Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band - Volcano (complete) + Rue Chaptal (complete)
- Historically Speaking (1993) Emanon – selected tracks from 6 previously released albums plus some unissued tracks
- Blowing the Cobwebs Out (1994) Emanon – Volcano (complete) + Rue Chaptal (complete) + At Her Majesty's Pleasure (complete) + Off Limits (almost complete)
- Two Originals (1994) MPS – All Blues (complete) + Sax No End (Complete)
- Three Latin Adventures (1995) MPS – Latin Kaleidoscope (complete) + Fellini 712 (complete)
- Our Kinda Strauss (1998) Rearwind – Swing, Waltz, Swing (almost complete) plus several bonus tracks
- Blue Flame / Red Hot / White Heat (2008) MPS – Francy Boland - The Orchestra: Blue Flame (complete) + ...Red Hot (complete) + ...White Heat (complete)
- Now Hear Our Meanin' – The Complete 1963 Recordings (2009) Jazz lips – Now Hear Our Meanin' (complete) + Handle with Care (complete) + 4 tracks from Swing, Waltz, Swing
References
- ↑ Berendt, Joachim (1976). The Jazz Book. Paladin. pp. 366–367.
- ↑ Some years shown in this discography indicate the recording year, which is not necessarily the initial release year
- ↑ Although Open Door contains one track less than Jazz Convention Vol. I
- ↑ This same phrase was added as a subtitle / "sticker" to re-issues of four Clarke-Boland Big Band albums: Faces, Gigi Campi Presents 17 Men And Their Music 1; All Smiles, Gigi Campi Presents 17 Men And Their Music 2; Latin Kaleidoscope, Gigi Campi Presents 17 Men And Their Music 3; Fellini 712, Gigi Campi Presents 17 Men And Their Music 4
- Clarke-Boland Big Band discography at allmusic.com
- Clarke-Boland Big Band discography by Douglas Payne
- Clarke-Boland Big Band discography by David H. Taylor
- Kenny Clarke discography at allmusic.com
- Fats Sadi discography at antiek.telenet.be
- Prestige (label) discography at www.plosin.com
- SABA / MPS (label) discography at discog.piezoelektric.org