Jazz

Big Ben Banjo Band – Dancin’ Banjos (1958)

  • Posted on August 8, 2010 at 1:51 pm
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The Big Ben Banjo Band was created in the 1950′s by U.K. conductor Norrie Paramor.  After WWII, Paramor had grown tired of touring with various Jazz bands and decided to concentrate on studio work.  Ironically, both of his creations, the Big Ben Banjo Band and the Big Ben Hawaiian Band, grew so popular that he had to arrange tours of the U.K. to satisfy demand for their music.  There’s not much information in cyberspace about either orchestra, but Paramor had a long career with EMI and the BBC.  If you want his full story check out his Bio here.

According to the back cover of this album, “This is the music for your party”.  I wasn’t around in 1958 but I’m not convinced that a whole lot of people would be getting down to this music, even back in the olden days.  After all, side one alone showcases a kazoo ensemble and some whistling solos.  The entire album is three-song medleys.  Not exactly the formula to keep a room moving.  Ok, they didn’t actually mention what “type” of party this was for.  Maybe they were thinking more along the lines of an octogenarian celebration.  Probably just a difference of semantics.

Personally, I don’t mind listening to dixieland jazz like this.  It’s easy to leave on in the background if you’re doing homework, making dinner, or even writing an acceptance speech for your upcoming Nobel prize.  Well I actually only did two of those things while I listened to this album.

If you’re really digging the Big Ben Banjo Band, here’s a link to another one of their LPs at Recordo Obscura: http://recordoobscura.blogspot.com/2010/04/best-of-oldies.html

Tracks:

Side One

Side Two

Continue reading Big Ben Banjo Band – Dancin’ Banjos (1958)

Miosen Bade-Forenings Masage Band – Swingin’ in Live (1976)

  • Posted on February 19, 2010 at 10:13 am
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OK, I knew it was time to post again when Bob-O from Recordo Obscura started busting my chops for slacking.  Since I’m pretty sure he’s one of the two or three people who check my page regularly (hell, my wife doesn’t even read my rantings), I figured that I could blow off my homework for a night and do something a little more constructive.  Well…something a little more interesting.

Generally, if you stumble on to an LP with a strange picture like this one, odds are that the music is going to be pretty weird too.  Unfortunately that isn’t the case here.  There’s no reason to fret though.  The Miosen Bade-Forenings Masage Band just happens to play some damn fine swing.  And while I’m generally not a big fan of jazz, I’m not averse to something that swings as long as its got a good horn section.

I had a difficult time finding any information at all on these guys.  I figured that any guy who looked this comfortable in a bathrobe must be American.  It’s certainly my fashion of choice when I’m working from home.  The album and song titles are in English, but that’s it.  I do see a reference to “Oslo” on the back cover and the recording was done in the town of Trondheim.  Both of which are located in Norway.  So based on my Monk-like detective work, I’m going to make  a bold assumption that the Miosen Bade-Forenings Massage Band is in fact, from Norway.  (Not bad for a public education, eh?)

Not surprisingly, the story of the group is in some type of Scandinavian language (Norwegian perhaps?) so it’s of no use to me.   I did notice that all seven members of the group autographed the back cover so this may actually be worth the 50 cents that I paid for it.  That is, assuming that they signed it in ink made from 24k gold.

Tracks:

Side One

Side 2

Continue reading Miosen Bade-Forenings Masage Band – Swingin’ in Live (1976)