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Cliff "Kid" Bastien & George Berry

"The SeaSide Session Vol. 2"

Tunes:
1. Put on Your Old Grey Bonnet * 4:38
2. I Shall Not Be Moved * 6:41
3. C'est Magnifique * 7:06
4. I Can't Escape From You 7:31
5. Quand on s'est vu * 4:12
6. The Laughing Samba 6:00
7. Jambalaya (On the Bayou) * 6:45
8. Over The Wave 6:31
9. Moonlight Bay 5:59
10. Kid Thomas Boogie Woogie 5:04

Bonus tracks:
11. Where Is My Wandering Boy Tonight? 1:09
12. If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again 0:52
13. I'll Be Your Sweetheart 1:08
14. Rivers Of Babylon 1:03
15. Drifting 1:17
16. I Saw The Light 0:40
17. Loveland And You 1:06
18. When They Ring The Golden Bells 1:09
19. Jesus Is Calling (Softly and Tenderly) 1:10
20. Melody Of Love 1:07
21. Fifty Miles Of Elbow Room 0:30
22. The One Rose 1:06

Band:
Cliff ‘Kid’ Bastien (tp slapstick voc*)
George Berry (ts)
Kjeld Brandt (cl)
Bengt Hansson (tb)
Göran Magnusson (p)
Erling Lindhardt (bjo)
Stefan Kärfve (b)
Claus Lindhardt (dm)
Marilyn Rodgers (piano on track 11 to 22)

Recorded at SeaSide Jazzklub Frederikssund, Denmark, November 30, 2002 by Jørgen Vad · Mixed by Kjeld Brandt, Erling Lindhardt and Jørgen Vad · Mastering: Jørgen Vad · Jørgen Vad uses Audio-Technica microphones · Liner notes: Brian Towers Coverphoto: Göran Magnusson · Layout and finish art work: Kjeld Brandt. Track 11 to 22 recorded at Marilyn Rodger’s home fall 2002. NODCD 901

Liner Notes

A favourite band of mine is the Scandinavian-based “New Orleans Delight” led by clarinetist Kjeld Brandt. When the trumpet and charismatic vocals of “Kid” Bastien” and the belting tenor of George Berry were included in the line-up, the result was one of the most exciting combinations possible for afficionados of New Orleans jazz. Cliff “Kid” Bastien was finally persuaded to fly to Denmark in November 2002, for a two week tour with “New Orleans Delight”. The tour was highly successful and there were some great concerts in Denmark and Sweden. Happily for us all, much of it was recorded. Two beautifully produced CD's were issued after that tour. Music Mecca 4024-2 - “Live Recordings “Seaside Jazzklub” and Music Mecca 4069-2 - the Church concert “Sorgenfri Kirke”

It was therefore great news when leader Kjeld Brandt wrote to tell me that there was enough additional material from the tour to issue a third CD. Both George and the "Kid" are, sadly, no longer with us but their next-of-kin gave the go-ahead for this exciting new material to be released, appreciating that it would bring joy and happy memories to many fans.

Persuading Cliff “Kid” Bastien to fly to Denmark was no easy task. Cliff was highly nervous of flying! Christian Westergaard is an ardent lover of New Orleans jazz and he must take much of the credit for coaxing Cliff to make the trip. Christian wrote to Cliff in January 2001, inviting him to play with “New Orleans Delight” in a church concert in “Sorgenfri Kirke” Cliff replied in April 2001 saying how flattered he was to be asked, but pointed out that he was only an amateur who played but once a week in Toronto! Besides the flying aspect, his vegetarian life-style made things difficult when he was travelling. Christian sensed that this was not a flat ”no” response and so he persevered. A break-through occurred when later he chatted with Cliff's old friend George Berry at the Bude Jazz Festival in England, in September 2001. Canadian Marilyn Rodgers was also at that festival and she knew the Cliff and his “Happy Pals” very well and was a regular at the Grossman's Tavern jazz sessions in Toronto. Marilyn met with Christian and they talked about how they would try to overcome Cliff's reservations about flying to Denmark.
George said he would come to Denmark if Cliff came as well. This was a big inducement for Cliff and, after some more encouragement from Marilyn, who told him about meeting George Berry and Christian at the Bude Festival, he changed his mind and made the trip! In a series of letters and telephone conversations with Christian and Kjeld, he repeatedly said “I can only do my best”. This epitomises Cliff's humble and unassuming approach to his musical abilities.

It is worth digressing a little, to explore the earlier relationship between Cliff Bastien and George Berry. This will make it easier to understand why they were so delighted to be re-united musically for a tour of Denmark and Sweden.

Cliff started playing jazz in London, England in the mid- 1950's, with a youth club band. His first instrument was trombone, which he borrowed from the Salvation Army! The Salvation Army repossessed it, when he failed to show up at their rehearsals! He eventually bought his own trombone. Cliff switched to banjo when, as he modestly put it, "a better 'bone player showed up", for the sake of the band. In 1957 he visited Canada for the first time. He worked at part time jobs and saved up enough money to make the trip to New Orleans, by Greyhound bus. Once he had heard trumpet/leader Kid Thomas Valentine playing live, he knew the style of jazz he was after. It was the start of a long string of annual visits to New Orleans and he developed a friendly relationship with his hero and also with George Guesnon, who gave him banjo lessons. Eventually he was to switch instruments from banjo to trumpet, when he realised if he was to play in the style of his idol Kid Thomas, he would have to play trumpet, as a lead instrument.
Cliff emigrated to Toronto, Canada in 1962. There he formed first the Black Eagle and then the short-lived Magnolia Jazz band, playing banjo in both groups. In those days he was Cliff “Bastin”. He later changed it to “Bastien”, thus avoiding confusion with the famous Arsenal football hero of the 1930's, with the same name. Cliff also thought the name “Bastien” had a nice New Orleans Creole sound to it!

George Berry joined his first band in 1957. It was called the “Northdown Stompers” and they were based in South London. That band actually played several times in my old home town, Hastings. In those days I was involved in promoting events for the Hastings Traditional Jazz Club. It is a small world! George joined another London band, led by trumpeter Don Chapman, called the Olympia Jazz Band. It included Peter Savory on trombone. George played clarinet and occasional alto sax. Don and Peter emigrated to Canada in May 1966 and George followed them in May 1966. The Olympia Jazz Band was then reformed in Toronto! George first met Cliff in Toronto in 1967 and George went to New Orleans for the first time in 1969. After hearing Emanuel Paul with the Kid Thomas band, George decided he had to get a tenor sax and he did so on his return to Toronto.
This was around this time that Cliff had switched to trumpet and had determined to form a band playing in the style of Kid Thomas. He taught his bassist Max Leggatt to play banjo, so that he had some-one with whom to practice, while he learnt trumpet! In 1969 he asked George Berry to join him, along with Peter Savory, in a new Kid Thomas styled band, which was to be the Camelia Jazz Band. The Olympia had disbanded and so George was delighted for the opportunity to fulfil his ambition to play tenor sax in the “Manny Paul” style.
By late 1969 they were playing in Legion Halls. According to Max Leggatt, they were banned from the Women's Press club for drunkenness but that did not stop them!
The combination of George Berry on tenor sax and Cliff on trumpet and vocals was a good one. In May 1970 the Camelia Band secured a Saturday residency at Grossman's tavern, with Max, (aged 20) on string bass - “Kid” Bastien had started his long run at this historic jazz venue. Tragically George suffered a heart attack in 1976 and decided to return to England, for health and financial reasons. The departure of George led to the break-up of the Camelia Jazz band and the end of the fruitful Bastien/Berry partnership in Toronto. Fortunately there is a superb recording from this period, recorded September 11 1975. It is called “In The Mood” and the Camelia Jazz Band was really hot. If you are interested in “Kid” Bastien's officially published recordings, you can see my web page. The URL is http://hotfivejazz.tripod.com/
kidbastien19372003/

So this was the background to the relationship of these two “kindred spirits” Cliff Bastien and George Berry. They were delighted to be together again in 2002, to recapture their old magic. Being integrated with a band as good as “New Orleans Delight” meant that the jazz and the tour would be historic.
I had the good fortune to tour with “New Orleans Delight” in 2004, along with New Orleans trumpet ace - Gregg Stafford. Believe me it is a wonderful band that has fully absorbed the message of New Orleans jazz. I can easily understand how Cliff and George had so much fun and enjoyed such inspiration, when playing with them. Leader Kjeld Brandt's clarinet is always right on cue - never pushy or seeking the limelight but always there where needed, discreetly leaving the main fireworks to George on his tenor sax and of course Cliff's moving and appealing vocals.
Bengt Hansson plays trombone in true New Orleans style and with conviction. He had no trouble at all handling any new tunes Cliff had introduced to the band. The four piece rhythm section of “New Orleans Delight” is a real joy. The string bass of Stefan Kärfve, helps to rock the band with its New Orleans slap, and blends perfectly with Claus Lindhardt's tasteful drums. Erling Lindhardt (father of Claus) plays tenor banjo with the tone and panache of Lawrence Marrero and Göran Magnusson knits it all together with intelligent and thoughtful piano.

The first track sets the pace with Percy Wenrich's hit from 1909 “Put On your Old Grey Bonnet” and we quickly realise we are in for a treat, with the fun and spirit just bursting out all over. Cliff “Kid” Bastien very rarely takes a trumpet solo, being content to lead the ensembles in that “Kid Thomas Valentine” style. One can, however hear a rare solo from Cliff on “Moonlight Bay” (Percy Wenrich again). His superb vocals were his main forte - this man was a true entertainer and he just loved to please! George Berry was in exceptionally fine form during this concert and his tenor sax “takes off” many times during the concert. His idol Manny Paul would have been delighted. At the same time George had a sympathetic ear for his fellow musicians and, in particular, his interplay with the clarinet of Kjeld Brandt is always pleasing. The play list is thoughtfully varied. The mix is very much like Cliff would use with his own bands in Saturday matinees at Grossman's Tavern, in Toronto. Popular songs from the turn of the century mixed in with gospel favourites; an unusual folk song from Quebec, “Quand on s'est vu” and popular standards from the New Orleans revival period, such as “Jambalaya”, “I Can't Escape From you”, “Over The Waves” and of course the dynamic up-tempo twelve bar blues “Kid Thomas Boogie Woogie” where George again has the chance to really cut loose. We realise how much rhythmic depth the band has, when we hear the Latin or Creole beat in the “Laughing Samba”

After ten tracks of fine eight-piece ensemble jazz, we are in for a big surprise with the final twelve tracks. Before he made the trip, Cliff wanted "New Orleans Delight" to hear some of his preferred tunes. In this he had some excellent help from Marilyn Rodgers. With Marilyn on piano and Cliff on muted trumpet, they played a couple of choruses of each tune and recorded them on Cliff's old Marantz recorder, using an old and previously used cassette tape! Cliff then mailed off the cassette to Kjeld and Christian in Denmark, for the boys in “New Orleans Delight” to absorb. They loved it! There is a simple beauty in these lovely old tunes and hymns which Cliff plays with sincerity and affection. There is very little of the Kid Thomas influence in these tracks and it is a delightful contrast to the band work! They show Cliff in another dimension.
His trumpet tone is soulful and subdued, his practice mute firmly in place! These solo pieces are included in the CD as a bonus.
My thanks to all the friends who helped me with the background to the musical partnership of Cliff “Kid” Bastien and George Berry. George had left Toronto by the time I discovered Grossman's Tavern and its Saturday matinee jazz. The input of musicians like Max Leggatt (bass); Don Chapman (trumpet); Joe Van Rossem (trumpet); Rainer Hunk (banjo) Jack King (banjo) and many others was therefore invaluable to me in filling the gaps. Christian Westergaard was able to show us how Cliff and George were finally persuaded to fly to Denmark, to perform the tour and produce all that lovely New Orleans jazz music. I am also indebted to Bill Winter, who lent me Cliff's recordings with George from the 1970's. Other helpful contributions came from the radio interview with Cliff and George for Radio Jazz, Copenhagen and Cliff's 1996 interview for CBC, conducted at Grossman's Tavern by Jim Hiscott.
My friend Allan Rose is a Canadian poet and he was a good friend and fan of Cliff “Kid” Bastien. He wrote a poem in his honour, ”When Kid Bastien Plays His Horn”
and it is a loving tribute to a dear friend.
The poem comes from an anthology of Allan's poems which is being printed in book form. It is entitled “Butterflies in Winter” and will be available in late 2008.
I asked him if we could include it, to conclude this review and he very kindly consented.
It captures the “Kid” perfectly, according to the way I remember him.
See what you think!

Brian Towers, Canada,
July 28th 2008

When Kid Bastien Plays his Horn

Picture…
The battered John Lennon navvy cap,
The scruffy salt and pepper beard,
The defiant National Health glasses,
The calculated, crazed twinkle in his eye,
The spare, wiry, nervous frame,
The cocky bantamweight stance,
Of a champion fighter on his own turf,
Of a real man at home in his element,
Strutting the JAZZ on his belt buckle.

As the Pals rise, playing the chorus out
The delicate, dangerous hands,
Fingers poised over valves,
Pounce on urgent notes
Like a startled rattlesnake.

Bleats
into the sacred derby mute,
Snarls
like no caged beast ever unleashed,
Precision
like no astronomer could ever measure,


Heart
like it could never contain so much love of the music.
Heart
from the 1920s
from Dear Old New Orleans
to us
with our cell phones and computers
and CD players and fancy polyester.

We loved him unconditionally -
a love returned
as he
taught us
the holy scriptures
from the Book of Kid Thomas.
We, the privileged, the anointed,
gathering every Sabbath for the ritual,
listening so raptly,
secure in the knowledge
that we were truly blessed
as we witnessed
the miracle