Post by AlanB on May 27, 2015 8:51:17 GMT
....1968 that is! The year of the Paris Riots, the Grosvenor Square demo, the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy, Apollo 8 and Manchester United’s European Cup victory. It was also the year of the innovative 1st National Blues Convention. Nineteen sixty eight, September 7th and 8th, to be exact. Can you recall the blues scene twenty five years ago? If not, or you were too young to be interested in such music, then indulge me whilst I embark upon a short preamble down memory lane.
The year commenced on a high note with Paul Oliver’s three part examination of how the blues “contributed to the arts of our time” (to quote the Radio Times pre-publicity). “Development Of The Blues”, “Blues In Negro Society” and “Blues As An Art Form” were broadcast on the BBC Third Programme between 7:30 and 8:30pm on three consecutive Thursdays in January and February and were compulsory listening.
On the record front, the American Belzona label (later to be renamed Yazoo) released its first six albums of pre-war blues at the unbelievably high import price of £2 15s! Two other reissue specialists, Biograph and Roots, also came into being, UK Decca issued a collection of David Evan’s field recordings, “Goin’ Up The Country”, priced £1 17s 6d, whilst Blue Horizon’s album of previously unissued Chess sides by Elmore James & John Brim, “Tough”, was the coup of the year. President Records clinched a deal with Nashboro to licence Gospel material for the UK and Albert King’s Stax album “Live Wire/Blues Power” was released by Polydor.
In the world of literature Blues Unlimited celebrated its fifth birthday whilst Jazz Journal’s blues critic Derrick Stewart-Baxter heralded his magazine’s 20th year of publication with a vehement attack on the sorry state of the world and music in particular (“I feel that we are living in an age of anti-culture, an age where worthless trash is taking the place of genuine treasure”). Two important books were published, “Blues Records 1943 - 1966” (Leadbitter and Slaven) and “Screening The Blues” (Oliver).
Concerts and gigs seemed to flourish. That spring the Finsbury Park Astoria featured Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner sharing the same bill and in October eight nights of “Jazz Expo ‘68” at the Hammersmith Odeon included a “Story Of Soul” event featuring Muddy Waters Band supporting soul headliner Joe Simon. An evening devoted to the American Folk Blues Festival was staged at the Expo which lined-up various Al Smith artists - Hooker, T Bone Walker, Big Joe etc. Just before Christmas the London Blues Society, in co-operation with Blue Horizon, hosted a concert with Champion Jack Dupree, Curtis Jones, Bobby Parker, Duster Bennett, Gordon Smith, Jo-Ann Kelly, Steve Miller (not that Steve Miller!) and Alexis Korner.
That concert took place at the Conway Hall, a building synonymous with political meetings but, three months previous, the tradition had been broken when it was taken over by a weekend of the “1st National Blues Convention”, organised by the National Blues Federation, hereafter referred to as the NBF. Many blues “worthies” were on the NBF convention committee and others, of equal standing, had been co-opted to give talks, run workshops etc. This received much coverage in specialist, local, national and international publications which meant that, long before its 10:00am opening, there were blues fans from all four corners of the UK (and the world – USA, France, Holland, Germany) milling around Red Lion Square.
Passing through the portals of the South Place Ethical Society (to give the hall its other name) all participants were greeted by organisers Chris Trimming and Ron Watts and presented with a brown folder containing a programme of events, biographies on speakers and performers, a list of cafes and pubs, a name badge, a biro and sheets of note paper. On the latter I scribbled sketchy impressionistic notes that form the basis of this retrospective.
The events were staged in the Main Hall, the Club Room and the North Room. Mike Vernon was the first speaker in the main hall and, understandably, his recital focused on his years of producing British artists, playing records by John Mayall, Fleetwood Mac and the rest. Whether Vernon, as convention opener, was a wise choice we’ll never know but it certainly got the proceedings off to a contentious start, with purists firing questions like “why are you playing all this when you could be playing genuine music” . However, as Charlie Gillett perceptively noted at the time, “If they [i.e. Mac, Shack etc.] had to be played, this was the best time, as they could hardly have survived comparison with what followed”. Paul Oliver then discussed some of the topics raised in “Screening The Blues” whilst Paul Vernon (no relation to Mike), was at the same time in the North Room playing pre-war blues obscurities like Freddie Spruell and Fred McMullen. Oliver’s presentation was polished and erudite. Vernon’s was unstructured and very much of the “it’s rare, I’ve got it, so I’m going to play it” school.
Jay Miller’s various enterprises were the next main topic. Journalist-cum-disc jockey, James Hamilton, ran through a variety of Slim Harpo, Lightnin’ Slim and Lazy Lester 45s and then proceeded to play Miller’s racist Rebel Yell records, which went down like a lead balloon. You can imagine the affect on the audience when lines like “the only reason niggers go to school is to learn to write their names on welfare checks” assaulted the ears. Those who didn’t leave the room attempted to debate the suitability of such records at a blues convention . Hamilton was adamant that such records still reflected southern white attitudes and that Miller was a businessman catering for that market.
My notes on the afternoon session are less copious (post lunch euphoria?) but throughout the break there had been guitar and harmonica workshops hosted by the likes of Stefan Grossman, Steve Rye and others. There was a film show comprising of Big Bill Broonzy and Bo Diddley shorts, followed by Simon Napier discussing post-war field research with assistance from Mike Raven who operated the record decks. In the South Room, jazz critic Charles Fox, was giving an authoritative account of the classic blues era. The hour preceding the tea interval was given over to Mike Leadbitter who conducted a record auction in the main hall but I failed to note who benefited from the proceeds .
An evening concert was compered by Mike Raven, featuring among others, Jack Dupree, Canned Heat (surprise visitors) and a new unknown band described by everybody as “bloody loud” . They were called Free and they were bloody loud!
The Sunday session appeared to take on a more ad hoc approach - as had my notes. If you gave a talk that day I apologise for omitting your contribution. My jottings seem to indicate that the two Mikes, Rowe and Leadbitter, individually spoke on Chicago blues and post war obscurities (though I distinctly recall a Zydeco/Cajun session from Leadbitter sometime that weekend). There was a splendid recital in the Club Room by Charlie Gillett called “Rockin’ Rhythm And Blues” (based on his MA thesis, “Sound Of The City”, which was being serialised in “Soul Music Monthly”), which attempted to place singers like Wynonie Harris, Roy Brown and Amos Milburn in their correct cultural context and prompted thought provoking discussions. Whilst all this was taking place David Evans was discussing “Some Blues Myths” in the main hall. The day seemed to conclude with Mike Leadbitter and a procession of celebrities “winging it” from the main hall stage but no one seemed bothered since nothing could dispel the sense of bonhomie that floated around the Conway Hall that afternoon.
The NBF ran a rather low-key convention the following year but there weren’t to be any more.
Twenty five years on all this seems probably old hat to those who have attended Burnley and Gloucester for the past five years. However the 1st National Blues Convention, unlike today’s festivals was not performance based. Its primary objective was to disseminate knowledge, promote the exchange of ideas and bring into focus the vast amount of research carried out by a handful of very dedicated people. To that end it succeeded, and all for the princely sum of thirty-seven shillings and sixpence!!
(Eds Note: After twenty five years of loyal service to the bar, young Balfour’s memory is a little hazy when it comes to identifying some of the people in the photos. If we got it wrong, missed you out or you can identify anyone, let us know.)
Alan Balfour (Blues & Rhythm 83, October 1993. Less photos)
The year commenced on a high note with Paul Oliver’s three part examination of how the blues “contributed to the arts of our time” (to quote the Radio Times pre-publicity). “Development Of The Blues”, “Blues In Negro Society” and “Blues As An Art Form” were broadcast on the BBC Third Programme between 7:30 and 8:30pm on three consecutive Thursdays in January and February and were compulsory listening.
On the record front, the American Belzona label (later to be renamed Yazoo) released its first six albums of pre-war blues at the unbelievably high import price of £2 15s! Two other reissue specialists, Biograph and Roots, also came into being, UK Decca issued a collection of David Evan’s field recordings, “Goin’ Up The Country”, priced £1 17s 6d, whilst Blue Horizon’s album of previously unissued Chess sides by Elmore James & John Brim, “Tough”, was the coup of the year. President Records clinched a deal with Nashboro to licence Gospel material for the UK and Albert King’s Stax album “Live Wire/Blues Power” was released by Polydor.
In the world of literature Blues Unlimited celebrated its fifth birthday whilst Jazz Journal’s blues critic Derrick Stewart-Baxter heralded his magazine’s 20th year of publication with a vehement attack on the sorry state of the world and music in particular (“I feel that we are living in an age of anti-culture, an age where worthless trash is taking the place of genuine treasure”). Two important books were published, “Blues Records 1943 - 1966” (Leadbitter and Slaven) and “Screening The Blues” (Oliver).
Concerts and gigs seemed to flourish. That spring the Finsbury Park Astoria featured Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner sharing the same bill and in October eight nights of “Jazz Expo ‘68” at the Hammersmith Odeon included a “Story Of Soul” event featuring Muddy Waters Band supporting soul headliner Joe Simon. An evening devoted to the American Folk Blues Festival was staged at the Expo which lined-up various Al Smith artists - Hooker, T Bone Walker, Big Joe etc. Just before Christmas the London Blues Society, in co-operation with Blue Horizon, hosted a concert with Champion Jack Dupree, Curtis Jones, Bobby Parker, Duster Bennett, Gordon Smith, Jo-Ann Kelly, Steve Miller (not that Steve Miller!) and Alexis Korner.
That concert took place at the Conway Hall, a building synonymous with political meetings but, three months previous, the tradition had been broken when it was taken over by a weekend of the “1st National Blues Convention”, organised by the National Blues Federation, hereafter referred to as the NBF. Many blues “worthies” were on the NBF convention committee and others, of equal standing, had been co-opted to give talks, run workshops etc. This received much coverage in specialist, local, national and international publications which meant that, long before its 10:00am opening, there were blues fans from all four corners of the UK (and the world – USA, France, Holland, Germany) milling around Red Lion Square.
Passing through the portals of the South Place Ethical Society (to give the hall its other name) all participants were greeted by organisers Chris Trimming and Ron Watts and presented with a brown folder containing a programme of events, biographies on speakers and performers, a list of cafes and pubs, a name badge, a biro and sheets of note paper. On the latter I scribbled sketchy impressionistic notes that form the basis of this retrospective.
The events were staged in the Main Hall, the Club Room and the North Room. Mike Vernon was the first speaker in the main hall and, understandably, his recital focused on his years of producing British artists, playing records by John Mayall, Fleetwood Mac and the rest. Whether Vernon, as convention opener, was a wise choice we’ll never know but it certainly got the proceedings off to a contentious start, with purists firing questions like “why are you playing all this when you could be playing genuine music” . However, as Charlie Gillett perceptively noted at the time, “If they [i.e. Mac, Shack etc.] had to be played, this was the best time, as they could hardly have survived comparison with what followed”. Paul Oliver then discussed some of the topics raised in “Screening The Blues” whilst Paul Vernon (no relation to Mike), was at the same time in the North Room playing pre-war blues obscurities like Freddie Spruell and Fred McMullen. Oliver’s presentation was polished and erudite. Vernon’s was unstructured and very much of the “it’s rare, I’ve got it, so I’m going to play it” school.
Jay Miller’s various enterprises were the next main topic. Journalist-cum-disc jockey, James Hamilton, ran through a variety of Slim Harpo, Lightnin’ Slim and Lazy Lester 45s and then proceeded to play Miller’s racist Rebel Yell records, which went down like a lead balloon. You can imagine the affect on the audience when lines like “the only reason niggers go to school is to learn to write their names on welfare checks” assaulted the ears. Those who didn’t leave the room attempted to debate the suitability of such records at a blues convention . Hamilton was adamant that such records still reflected southern white attitudes and that Miller was a businessman catering for that market.
My notes on the afternoon session are less copious (post lunch euphoria?) but throughout the break there had been guitar and harmonica workshops hosted by the likes of Stefan Grossman, Steve Rye and others. There was a film show comprising of Big Bill Broonzy and Bo Diddley shorts, followed by Simon Napier discussing post-war field research with assistance from Mike Raven who operated the record decks. In the South Room, jazz critic Charles Fox, was giving an authoritative account of the classic blues era. The hour preceding the tea interval was given over to Mike Leadbitter who conducted a record auction in the main hall but I failed to note who benefited from the proceeds .
An evening concert was compered by Mike Raven, featuring among others, Jack Dupree, Canned Heat (surprise visitors) and a new unknown band described by everybody as “bloody loud” . They were called Free and they were bloody loud!
The Sunday session appeared to take on a more ad hoc approach - as had my notes. If you gave a talk that day I apologise for omitting your contribution. My jottings seem to indicate that the two Mikes, Rowe and Leadbitter, individually spoke on Chicago blues and post war obscurities (though I distinctly recall a Zydeco/Cajun session from Leadbitter sometime that weekend). There was a splendid recital in the Club Room by Charlie Gillett called “Rockin’ Rhythm And Blues” (based on his MA thesis, “Sound Of The City”, which was being serialised in “Soul Music Monthly”), which attempted to place singers like Wynonie Harris, Roy Brown and Amos Milburn in their correct cultural context and prompted thought provoking discussions. Whilst all this was taking place David Evans was discussing “Some Blues Myths” in the main hall. The day seemed to conclude with Mike Leadbitter and a procession of celebrities “winging it” from the main hall stage but no one seemed bothered since nothing could dispel the sense of bonhomie that floated around the Conway Hall that afternoon.
The NBF ran a rather low-key convention the following year but there weren’t to be any more.
Twenty five years on all this seems probably old hat to those who have attended Burnley and Gloucester for the past five years. However the 1st National Blues Convention, unlike today’s festivals was not performance based. Its primary objective was to disseminate knowledge, promote the exchange of ideas and bring into focus the vast amount of research carried out by a handful of very dedicated people. To that end it succeeded, and all for the princely sum of thirty-seven shillings and sixpence!!
(Eds Note: After twenty five years of loyal service to the bar, young Balfour’s memory is a little hazy when it comes to identifying some of the people in the photos. If we got it wrong, missed you out or you can identify anyone, let us know.)
Alan Balfour (Blues & Rhythm 83, October 1993. Less photos)