Manouche Maestro |
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Django's UK Itinerary 1938
- Aged 28
January 31, 1938 ~ Decca, London
Chaput and Vola are also mentioned as present for these dates so the Melody Make picture may be wrong or from 1939?
This concert was organised by the "Melody Maker" and also had an unknown George Shearing in Clive Bampton's Blind Band. The HCQ was a major success which prompted Lew Grade to organise a UK tour later the same year. The concert was a sell-out. Django spent his days in bed in his hotel (Not equipped for English Weather), varying this a bit with visits to a local amusement arcade where he won packet after packet of cigarettes with his usual ease. The band returned to France, and in February 1939 toured Scandinavia which involved travelling through Germany.
Britain's Leading Radio Station was the Light Programme -
1938
Front cover of the Cambridge Theatre
concert organised by the "Melody Maker" (1938). Carlo Krahmer was born in Shoreditch, London in 1914 and from an early age was 'drum crazy' spending his pocket money on drums and records and he was gigging at thirteen years of age. By 1938 he was playing with Claude Bampton's Blind Orchestra which included George Shearing, sponsored by The National Institute for the Blind, at the Cambridge Theatre on the same bill as Quintette of the Hot Club of France. He was active in the recording studios from this time: Carlo went on the Form the Band in the Nuthouse Club in Regent Street which Django also played. Jazz Hot (Filmed in Great Britain /
1938)
April 22, 1938 ~ Broadcast for
the BBC, from Paris 10th July: The Gig Club, Bourne Hall/Fishmongers Arms, Wood Green
where Django
gigged and gave a
'Cup' to the winner of a Quintet competition. Now could this have been the
Wood Green Jazz Club
at the then 'Fishmongers’ Arms' -
I worked at Wood Green Jazz Club from about 1962 to
1968-ish.
Tony Milliner remembers the two doors to the left of the building being those the bands used to take in their gear, and to go into Bourne Hall. Bourne Hall was part of the Fishmongers Arms, but a separate room at the back of the building, says Tony. Our second picture shows that something was once attached to the side but has since been removed to build new houses. Trumpeter Bunny Austin - The Bourne Hall was a wooden hall attached to the Fishmongers Arms. The Fishmongers pub was on the corner of Trinity Road and Wood Green High Road. This hall became the Wood Green Jazz Club run by Art and Vi Sanders circa 1947-8, but the Bourne Hall was used as a local dance hall during the 1920s. I know this is correct because in 1950 I played in a band with pianist Les Stanford, born in 1902, and Les told me he played in the Bourne Hall during the 1920s and 30s. The Bourne Hall became a favourite venue for the first Alex Welch band, but before he played there Art Sanders booked the Dutch Swing College band about 1949 and Joe Daniels jazz band around 1951 with Dave Shepherd, Alan Wickham, Nevil Skrimshire, etc.
Clarinettist Alvin Roy recalls:- Bourne Hall was indeed where Wood Green Jazz Club was situated. Bourne Hall was attached to the Fishmongers Arms and as you entered the doorway, you turned left and walked a short distance down a corridor to enter the club. If you turned right you went into the pub, which had its main entrance facing the High Road (Green Lanes). Art Sanders was usually stationed in the corridor at the entrance of the club ready to have a friendly chat as he took your money. The Fishmongers is still there, but Bourne Hall is now flats and part of our youthful memories has gone ... sad but inevitable. Mike Durell agrees: Regarding Bourne Hall and Wood Green, it was part of the Fishmongers Arms pub (at the rear of the pub). I played there many times. Richard White also writes from south-east Asia: - I am writing in response to your query about the "Bourne Hall" in the Wood Green area. I do not have access to any written records, but I was a denizen of Wood Green Jazz Club and the Fishmongers Arms from approximately 1960 to 1970. For a few years I had a flat within walking distance and I am sure that I can recall the name of the hall behind the "Fish" being Bourne Hall. I was sorry to read that it is now a block of flats. I have so many more than fond memories of Art and Viv and all the great bands and musicians I saw at Wood Green Jazz Club. Tony Milliner also remembers a notice put up for a gig with the Alex Welch band featuring George Melly. It advertised: 'Belch and Belly'! (Django Circa 1938) Django @ Bourne Hall Information provided in collaboration with contributors to Sandy Brown Jazz 11th July: Empire Theatre, Wood Green for a week.
The Wood Green Empire had been opened by impresario Oswald Stoll on 9 September 1912, with a capacity of 1840 and a stage 54’ wide by 37’ deep.
18th
July: Trocadero, Elephant & Castle The ceiling had a large circular dome, illuminated in dark turquoise and surrounded by a ring of large octagonal medallions. Seating was provided on stalls and circle levels. There was a large fully equipped stage, with dressing rooms and the cinema was equipped with a Wurlitzer 4Manual/21Rank organ which was opened by Quentin Maclean. The opening night was almost a disaster, as the crowd assembled outside the building, London was experiencing a dense black London 'pea-super' fog. As the 3,500 capacity audience entered via the the theatres two entrances, in rolled the fog, filling the auditorium, which made seeing the screen virtually impossible except for those sitting in the front rows of the stalls. Even the operator in the projection box had difficulties and was supplied with field glasses. Towards the end of the evening the fog cleared. 25th July: Empire Theatre, Shepherd's Bush for a week.
I
promised you a Django anecdote - 8th August
Metropolitan Theatre, London for a week. Probably Edgware Road - since demolished for the A40 flyover
which was opened bizarrely by the busty Jayne Mansfield. 15th August: Empire Theatre, Glasgow
for a week Duke Ellington Orchestra were in Glasgow (June 1933). At the first matinee they started up with 'Three Little Words', and Ivy Anderson sang 'Stormy Weather'. Glasgow was recognised as a centre for hot jazz, and a good starting place for major tours,
The Glasgow Empire Theatre was built on the site of the earlier 1874 Gaiety Theatre which was demolished to make way for the Empire in 1897. The Empire Palace Theatre, as it was first known, was built at the corner of West Nile Street and Sauchiehall Street. The Theatre opened in 1897 and had a seating capacity of 1,676 with 182 standing. The Empire closed in 1930 for major alterations when it was enlarged and refurbished and the auditorium was radically altered. The Theatre was also extended to the corner of Renfield Street and its reopening was in 1931. The Theatre closed at the end of March 1963 and was subsequently demolished. 22nd August: New Empress Theatre,
Brixton for a week. Bert Niblett attended this concert series and waited stage door for Django and Stephane's Autographs 30th August: Decca Studios, 165 Broadhurst Gardens, West Hampstead, London.
Django Reinhardt and the Quintet of the Hot Club of France with Stéphane
Grappelli
5th September: Palladium Theatre,
London topping the bill with Tom Mix and his horse. The theatre started out as The Palladium, a premier venue for variety performances. It is especially linked to the Royal Variety Performances, where many were, and still are, held. From 1928 it was managed by George Black and was even a cinema for three months. During the 1930s became the regular home for The Crazy Gang.
The ‘London’ part of the name was added in 1934. Black controlled the large Moss
Empires group of theatres. Responsible for bookings at the London Palladium was
Val Parnell.
12th September: Chiswick Empire Theatre, London for a week.
It is then unclear exactly where the
Quintet performed until its return to France at the end of October.
On a business trip to Paris, Lew saw what he described as a "fantastic group" called 'The Quintet de Hot Club de France', whose stars were Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli. He returned to England and immediately booked the duo as major 'headliners'. Reinhardt and Grappelli proved so successful that Joe and Lew decided it was time to stage their own programmes. Then in September 1939, Europe went to war and the future of the theatre circuit was thrown into doubt. Collins and Grade, who had built up a reputation providing quality acts from the Continent, perhaps had more to fear than most, but they adapted to the situation and managed to keep their heads above water. As the War dragged on Lew was employed by the War Office to provide entertainment for the Troops. It's an ill wind............ When British impresario Lew Grade first heard QHCF he remarked, "When I heard Stephane play, it was a revelation to me…Django Reinhardt of course absolutely shocked me. There was no doubt in my mind he was the best guitarist in the world…together they were a remarkable team." Lew immediately offered them a tour of England. A contract was written up and Stephane acted as the businessman for the band. Before meeting with Lew, Stephane and Django agreed that Steph would read over the contract first and then hand it to Django, who was illiterate, but would pretend to read and accept the contract. During an interview with Paul Balmer, Stephane recalls the story and tells how Django randomly pointed to a statement in the contract and blurted out, "This is not acceptable!" He was pointing to the part that covered all their travel in first class accommodations. Stephane quickly told Django under his breath to "be quiet you idiot!" All went well and they were booked as the headliner in England and according to Lew Grade were "an absolute sensation" |
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