Turned Out Nice Again

 

I have written about the gem of a video above before in Friends, I Wanna Tell Ya.

This performance of take The 'A' Train was recorded on 17 October, 1958, ten years after his previous visit to the UK. On that occasion, he performed only at the piano with Ray Nance, Kay Davis and was accompanied by a trio of British musicians - Jack Fallon, bass, Tony Crombie, drums and Malcolm Mitchell on guitar.

Ellington is reunited in the video here with Malcolm Mitchell a decade after their UK tour. 

From the website Gypsy Jazz UK:

"Mitchell was called on again by Duke Ellington in October 1958 for support on an ATV Broadcast. The Programme, Atlantic Showboat, (Ships Lounge) was produced by a Company owned by the Television presenter Hughie Green, and Jazz enthusiasts were outraged when he insisted on presenting it himself.  The Trio reassembled to play at Ellington ’97 Conference in Leeds, and Mitchell took part in Panel discussions where he gave a graphic account of his experiences with Duke Ellington. In the above Clip Mitchell plays a Fender Telecaster which although new to the UK then was hardly considered tobe a Jazz Guitar Instrument." 

More may be read about Malcolm Mitchell here. The video of Mitchell's priceless appearance on a discussion panel at the Ellington '97 conference referenced in the quotation may be viewed  here.

The presence of Hughie Green in the video clip is an excellent link to our post yesterday on composer, arranger and bandleader Bob Sharples, Sharples working with Hughie Green on the talent show Opportunity Knocks, where Green endlessly referred to him as 'Uncle Bob', for the duration of the series, 1964-78.

One of the other guests on the Atlantic Showboat broadcast was music hall comedian George Formby. Now, news comes from The George Formby Society that they have obtained a "first rate video" of the print, broadcast originally on 10 January 1959.

Here is the Showboat listing (if you'll forgive the expression...)

The Society's article about Atlantic Showboat may be found here.

The full video is to be shown at the forthcoming George Formby Society Convention which is taking place 13-14 September, 2025 at The Imperial Hotel, North Promenade, Blackpool. Details here.

Turned out nice again!