Sun Ra Takes The A Train (Montreux 1976)

The 1976 European tour of Sun Ra and his Arkestra with concerts in Italy, France, Switzerland and the Netherlands did a lot for the popularity of that band from outer space among european jazz fans.  One of the reasons for this besides the impressive show that Sun Ra and band delivered, was that several star owned European TV stations filmed the concerts (or at least parts thereof).

Here is some footage from the concert in Pescara, Italy (uploaded by youtube user chieflittlenuts):

Youtube user chieflittlenuts alo uploaded the first part of the surviving footage from the Montreux concert on July 9th

As I think there can never be enough good quality Sun Ra on youtube, I have uploaded the rest of the known footage from the Montreux concert: Twelve minutes of Sun Ra and his Arkestra playing Billy Strayhorn’s “Take The A Train”. It starts with a long solo introduction by Ra and also offers a classic John Gilmore solo and lots of drumming by Clifford Jarvis.

Enjoy!

Milt Buckner rare studio footage (1976)

In 1976 Milt Buckner was on tour in Europe with his Lionel Hampton Alumni band, a mix of old veterans from the Hampton band such as Arnett Cobb or Eddie Chamblee and younger french musicians.

In Paris they made a stop at the Barclay Studio to record what was to become Eddie Chamblee’s LP “Ten Years After” for the Black & Blue label (one track was later released on a Black  & Blue CD of previously unreleased material by the Alumni band, see details in my Milt Buckner discography).

Black & Blue LP 33097

Only recently I discovered some highly interesting footage from the Barclay studio in Otto Flückiger’s large collection of material related to Milt Buckner. Apparently someone had a camera with him on April 30 and filmed the band while it was relaxing and rehearsing. Unfortunately I do not know who is responsible for this footage. It might have well been dutch Milt Buckner fanatic Kees Bakker. If you watch some of the videos of Milt Buckner that I put up on my youtube account – which definitely were filmed by Bakker –, you will notice that they have the very same camera noise.

In this rare and precious seven minute glimpse into the Barclay studios you will encounter: Milt Buckner, Wallace Davenport, Buster Cooper, Earl Warren, Arnett Cobb, André Persiany, Roland Lobligeois, Panama Francis, Eddie Chamblee and visiting guest Sam Woodyard. Enjoy!

Milt Buckner in Mantes-la-Jolie 1976

I found some more clips with Milt Buckner, and I will be adding one to my youtube account every other month or so. So here ‘s Milt Buckner and his Lionel Hampton Alumni at the Cinema Normandie in Mantes-la-Jolie (France) on May 2, 1976.

Wallace Davenport (tp), Buster Cooper (tb), Earl Warren (as), Eddie Chamblee (ts), Arnett Cobb (ts), Milt Buckner (p, org, vib, voc), André Persiany (p), Roland Lobligeois (b), Panama Francis (dr).

Enjoy!