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The Best Of Both Worlds | |
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In several ways The Best Of Both Worlds is a minor masterpiece, and a rare one, too: very few of the tracks have been reissued on CD. This is a great pity because, by the end of 1962, the "Ian Wheeler" version of the Barber Band had developed into a integrated musical unit in which every musician -- front line and rhythm section alike -- took on a key role. The band was by now playing tight and innovative ensemble arrangements without sacrificing any drive, and the soloists were at the height of their musical abilities and maturity. Then along came Edmond Hall and -- even more notably -- Louis Jordan, both of whom helped encourage the band to even greater heights than before. The Best Of Both Worlds includes eleven recordings from this period, four by the Barber band alone, three with Hall on clarinet (including "There'll Be Some Changes Made"), and four with Jordan on alto sax and vocals. To provide more information about these recordings, I've scanned articles from the magazine of the World Record Club, which issued this LP in Britain, as well as Peter Clayton's entertaining and informative sleeve notes.
Details for The Best Of Both Worlds: Chris Barber (trombone), Pat Halcox (trumpet), Ian Wheeler (alto sax), Eddie Smith (banjo), Dick Smith (bass), Graham Burbidge (drums); see the sleeve notes for the tunes on which Edmond Hall and Louis Jordan are featured. Recorded late 1962 & late 1963. Music: There'll Be Some Changes Made (recorded to computer from the original LP). |
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