F
THE CHINA MAIL,
FRIDAY, JULY 17, 1959.
HUGH'S NEW PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER WILL CERTAINLY
EARN
HIS SALARY
IS HONGKONG JAZZ GOOD ENOUGH FOR NEWPORT?
Birth
of the Jazz Club
The pianist leaned over the keyboard and tinkled an introduction, the rhythm section picked up the beat and the horns slurred their way into that great jazz classic, "Body and Soul",
if it should The immaculately-dressed, jazz band, which, distinguished-looking tener materialise, will be the first such saxophonist edged forward "gregation in the world.
To this end, Mr Joseph Keo, slightly, placed the mouth- plece to his lips and drifted-Probably the only modern jazz
pianist of his face in the into a breathtakingly beau- Colony, has been invited tiful solu which immediale Lerve on the committee. ly hushed all the chatter in the crowded ball of the Clubs Lusitano.
The man spinning this compelling spell over an au- dience that included doctors,
business lawyers,
exeent tives, servicemen and oflice- workers, was Connie Grego just one of the many top professional musicians who gathered at the Portu güese Club last week to entertain menbers friends of the newly-formed, but fast-growing. Hongkong Jazz Club,
Growing
and
And it is believed that
to
the
By
CARL MYATT
leader. The band's front line include Grego on tenor saxo- plieno and vibraphone Ban пло оп trumpet Concepcion Racing Mendoza oh baritene saxophone.
organization of this unt will be The rhythm
Jet in his hands.
section +11 5 made up of Carrillo on plane, Luis Blanco on drums and prob- The Jazz Club commiticeably the finest basist around in as progressive...as
today Peter
Colony of the some the muse it fosters-has great Endayn, Ideas for the near futuro. the first notion
their On
The net they played included "Betsy Moo," agenda being the participate bouncing tion of a longkong unit at "Body and Soul." "Alone To-
famous
Jazz gether" and "The Grump." the
Newport Festival. Last year, organisers of the Newport Festival four- ed Europe and arranged for at the talent there to play Festival.
Talent
The HK Juzz Club's C12- tention is " Europe could be represented, why not Asia?"
There certainly is the talent In this little Colony of ours, Our bid only to be present at So Luritano to have this proved to
them. in
As the feeling for jazz Krows in the Colony, does this club gain strength.
The brain-chlid et Tory Lopes, effusive, bustling insur ane salesman. The club Bally fourth its feet at its last ssion with the eletion of il Presi- dent, 1r Eddie Gouane and the Cornlive.
Tony Lapes, a persistent mall,
introducin started
jazz vla laps and hi-8 systems, nt row corded concerts at Recreio ad Lusitano. He finally persuaded musicians that they would only be doing themselves a world of good if they assisted him in live performances.
And from small beginning. the Hongkong Jazz Club
formed.
Was
return
to
the
But Lusitano. The vibraphone, ar lastrument that has nearly always been its zoriated with jazz, made detul il the HK Jazz Club session, mad was put to
very god use by its owner-Connie Grego-and Marlo Francisco,
The latter's Hotel cambo, on stage first, tantalised the audi- much with a beautiful winging version of "Willie the Willink." Other members of included
Fat1
The leader's fight scoring In the unison passages was evident
tall the numbers,
But the tune which war of particular interest to me which. "Body and Soul" mentioned before featured tenor of Connie Grego.
was
**
thic
Greo is a saxophonist who has obviously been influenced by the coal sound of that great tenor player Stan Getz. usually plays with the typicat of Getz, On "whooting" style Thursday however, Grego drifi- ed into a deep-sounding, strong sulo which was more a cross between Sonny Rollins and Bi Perkins than Gelz, it neverthe- less was beautifully played and my admiration for Grege went
a couple of notches.
2.11
Dazzling
For me, however, the high-
Night of a wonderful evening'a late Came entertainment during the proceedings, when unassuming. bespectacled tile clarinetist named Jary Eddir joined the Conis nextet on the stand, and blew his heart out on gnum- entitled "I Could Have ber Banced All Night”
The quintet
Viiria, Marlo's brother Lulz on piano, Artemis Craz bass Rudy Valderame on drums and Rieky Flores on bongos.
Pleasure
"Penches"
i
The club itself is still in its original, was taken at a slower
there tempo intney. On Thursday
ail for membership and ༣༥༡;T
re 00 enthusiasts promptly rponded. This encouragement is all that Tony Lopes and his rommittee needs.
Ambition
Ambition is one of Mr Lopes virtues and he is ambitious to the point where he visualises a J Club membership of 500 during the next two years.
le consident this figure reached and explains will be
is optimin this way "If we Chinese Beopla can get the Interested in this music as un art form, we will have an of the strongest jazz ciębs in the Far East."
First step in this venture is the formation of an all Chinese
Using the higher register
of
his instrument, Vilela went into our dazzling choruses which all but brought the roof down,
Terry Gibbs than the composer's re-
Here was a man in complete The corded version, but Francisco's control of his instrument,
was nevertheless interpretation
ils terhelenlly perfect. This group result was modern jazz at ployed all is numbers with the best. Thank you Mr Vilėta, subtlety of George Shearing, but refreshingly always grunded miginal.
A splendid rhythms section, In which Dhanist Luiz Francisco was
lune
Finally it was the turn of the Jericho Jazz Band to please the Traditional and Dixielandi members of the audience.
This group too was strength- ulgtending made every rea! Ilstening pleasure.
ened by the inclusion et trom- banist Trevor Ralph and their of such old "Micaight Suo" was another interpretations
as "Maggie Blues" of what standards outstanding example
Tiger Rag." Blues," group is capable of doing "Arez
Tessa's Blues" and "That's A
th
oll
I
1. For Mr Bevan he'll have to present Hugh Like this
Cummings
2. For M Cousins, Like this
sleeping dogs lie
H. GAITSKELL CHAIRMAN
of the INATIONAL-
•ISED
600
4 For the Middle-of-the-Roaders,
Like this
3. For the Keep-Left -Group, he'll have to show him like this-
5. To the Liberais as
I put you wise about Paris
HAVE decided to put an end to private in- quiries as to how to have the best possible time on the least possible money in Paris with this outline of the situation.
It will be easy to reply thut if it's money you're worried about don't come to Paris. In fact, such a reply would be misleading.
Ever since the devulus-
tion of the frane in Decem-
her, British tourists have heen better off, despite pessimistie forecasts of rising prices, than they have been for the past two cr three years.
Symbols
the bearer of Lady Violet's headgear-
Paris has always been an irresistible draw for tourists. At the moment this year's tourist flood is about to start rolling, and the China Mail's Paris reporter presents his guide to the city.
You can eat there (poor- more stimulating. As for the world of Aly Khun, all ly) but it is splendidly alive one can say is that it is round about midnight when rich, ripe and extremely ex- Mlle. Sagan is often on view, ponsive.
The three
Rendezvous
would ra
be a Tory
16. And to the Communists
as an arch Tory...
London Express Service.
from SAM WHITE
There you can expect to rub shoulders with Nirchos. Onassis, and the Duchess of Windsor.
A splendid place which plays recorded music and as a result serves drinks at half the price is
Arc the Etoile neat
do
Triomphe.
All three arc technically linown as clubs but only in the liberal French sense, which simply means that you have to be reasonably sober to quality Ds a member.
Unaccompanied males would te wasting their time to nothing of their francs at
of the three.
As for Montmartre-don't,
Thal is to say you cat Wines:
can
A
the
say
any
Ignore wine lists. Here are wines to drink if you want to both save
money and avoid fuss:
Rhone,
Beaujolais, Coles du Bourguell, Pouilly, Chablis and Rose de Provence.
well, drink well and see the categories
Aut Of the cafe terraces the famous prices roughly therefore are FS, for Fran- best, especially on Sunday quon
of the traditional Iashionable restaurants. coise Sagan, RB,
for mornings. is the Deux
This is the Petits Paves, Brigitte Bardot and AK for Mayots,
charges which which
Is definitely F.S., B.B. Aly Khan,
In fact on a lucky stiffish prices, but compen and A.K. Here we go: Bars: Ritz sates by giving you bills night you may see all three.
Hound the corner trum it s the slogan (AK), Crillon (FS BB and stamped with
Li a traditional late supper Taxis: SW) (Sam White). The "Rendezvous of the Inteilec restaurant invoured by unem- Crillon is recommended for tual Elite."
ployed or partly employed poli- ucinns.
The best way I can think lunch-time drinks, when it Fouquets on the Champs of categorising Paris bars, gets a heavy newspaper and Elysees is very A.K., but its restaurants and night clubs British
Embassy prices are fortunately more
for for Expensive
jockeys Chan
and
Good beer here.
A place which enjoys a high reputation among kome of for France's heaviest caters is Le
where
ot
Paris,
is best to go after us
least a 24-hour fast.
is in terms of the persona clientele. lities who frequent then, eating. A personal favourite proprietors. It has an excel- Grand Comptoir in the Halles, Here, therefore, are three in the evening is the bar lent terrace restaurant for the Covent Garden Symbols-Francoise Sagan, of a small hotel, the Hotel summer lunches. And a very Brigitte Bardot and Aly Bellman, which gets models horsy bar. Khan-who can serve as and fim stars.
Restaurants: One of the best bets both of for drinking and eating expect both in
expensive) is the (both price and atmosphere!
In general I should say Relais Plaza in the heart of one cats better at a Brigitte the dress house quarter.
terms
Celo Carrillo's sextet was Plenty had the crowd stamp-indicators of what you may
and provided ain their feet. next pleasant contrast to what we had already heard.
Apart from Ralph, the unit was made of leader Bob David- sun on trumpel. Robert Acheson on clarinet, Peter Morrison on plano. Franz Rowan
-m banjo. Stan Robertson bass and Peter the Penny drums.
This combo managed to give the impression of a big band in full night and this was in no small measure due to the ex-
u! arrangements cellent
It was announced towards the end of the evening, tha! Glan- carlo's group rule be twośred at the next Jazz Club meeting.
11
Bardot restaurant than at The best Left Bank bar Francoise Sagan one, is Village (very F.S.) which though the company at a enjoys the reputation of Francoise Sagan bur or being the rendezvous nightclub is likely to be Left Wing intellectuals.
When General de Gaulle has settled the Algerlan problem he will no doubt turn his attention to taming the Paris taxi-driver. He remains an obstreperous and mulish as ever and considers it something of an
be Insult to hired at a time when he is his way home to lunch or din
per.
נזס
nvold However, to
what In the same category of good
be described Go taxi French caling at
moderate might prices and until late at night lcers three points should be borne in mind. (1) There is a art such famous brasseries #3 50 francs
surcharge Dn the Closerie des Lilas and the
the meter which is quite legal: (2) which has a Taxi fares are doubic after solid Corner House atmosphere. m.; (3) Dan't do as in London
Harry's, which is part of the Hemingway legend of famous Paris in the '20's, is now rather mawkish. But it sound value for late-night
drinking,
The biggest thing that has happened in Parts In the past year is that it has produced poor man's Maxims,
Coupole
11
and take the first toxi in the rank. Always take the lost. Tho
Night clubs: irst tax has been waiting
The two cholecal or the longest and therefore expects to White Elephant and Jimmy's be hired to at least Lyons or (both F.S., B.B. und A.K.) Marselles to make up for his where whisky costs £1 and a long wait.
a
bottle of champagne £8.
~(Lendon Express Service).
As The Heat Wave Swept Britain Last Weekend...
SKINNY?
Amazing
NEW
WATE-ON
SAFE EASY WAY
PUTS ON QUICKLY
POUNDS and INCHES
of FIRM SOLID FLESH on
SCRAWNY FIGURES
TRY WONDERFUL
NEW
HONOREMLIED EMULSION
WATE ON
AT SLE-FRUS & DEFT. STORE
SOLE AGENTBI
SHEWAN, TOMES & CO., LTD.
ROUND
RADIOACTIVITY IN FOOD
THERE are
more radioactive materials in everyday food than there is Bronium 90 in the air after nuclear explosions, according to the annual report at the British Empire Cancer campaign. The rhysics' depart ment of the Institute of Cancer Research, Royal Cancer Ilospital, recorda, "It FRE ́been found that the daily intake buman belgs of radium and thorium to foodstuffs
bo several hundred res higher than was previously thought to be the case and that ordinary eating pat- terns can result in the intake of naturally occurring alpha ac- tivities many hundreds of times greater than the dolly Intake of fisalon products, such $1 Strontium 50,"
"NIGHTIE-RIDERS"
M2
1
MAEN will wear frilly nighties and their wives wear Pyjamas in midnight steeplechase on a disused nero- drome at Leithlon Buzzard this shanih. Tho' "night-riders" aro taking part in floodlit carnivàl and barbecue organlıod by the Whaddon Chase Hant. Thero will also be music and dancing to the Baganham Girl Pipers, a danoe
Cor band
awing enthusiasts, and a busting horn content. Two oxen will ba roasted whole on spits over open fires.
"Lot's try the back roads-can't be slower."
London Express' Bervice.
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