Yet another BBC re-release, this time spanning the years from 1953 - 62. Many of the tracks have been transferred from original acetate and treated to produce an improved sound quality; however, don't expect the clarity of a remastered Miles Davis classic. These tracks were perfect for the narrow bandwidth mono wireless of the 50s and 60s: a compressed tone with little dynamic contrast, these are very basic recordings.

The BBC Jazz Club was a weekly radio show introduced by Mark White in the late 40s. In its early days, British jazz musicians were hired to fill the shoes of American jazz greats such as Armstrong, Dodds and Kid Ory. By the 1950s, the show was passed over to John Foreman who made the devastating mistake of disregarding modern and progressive jazz as well as be-bop; trad was the order of the day.

The three bands featured are Ken Coyler's Jazzmen (1953-4), Acker Bilk's Paramount Jazz Band (1960) and the Bob Wallis Storyville Jazzmen (1962). On first listening, the first sixteen tracks almost blend into one; there is very little variation. The ensemble playing does get a little tighter towards the end, and of course sound quality does increase in clarity. Personally, I found the clarinet playing of Acker Bilk almost offensive in the whole of his set, with vibrato so regular and wide, it becomes difficult to distinguish any pitches. The low register was forced and grotesque, maybe the only way to be heard in a dynamic-less band.

The highlight of the disc for me was the Wallis set, which was only allocated four tracks out of twenty. A shame. It was a relief to hear some tight ensemble playing and some good intonation from soloists. If you're a banjo fan, Sweet Sue, played by Hugh Rainey demonstrates ridiculous dexterity. It was also good to hear a tenor feature - played by Al Gay in I'm Confessin' - a welcome relaxed feel after eighteen tracks of seriously loud and fast counterpoint. Overall, the Wallis band is on a completely different level; more musical arrangements, played by more musical players with a more controlled, intelligent sound. It is almost worth buying the disc for the last four tracks alone!

Carl Raven