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Tony Pitt - autobiographie
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I spent my entire childhood immersed in my parent's music, from 78 records of Harry James, Benny Moten, Al Jolson and many bands of the day, to family get-togethers round the piano, played by my Mum and often accompanied by Dad on banjo and his brother on fiddle.While I loved all this, I was very reluctant to respond to my dad's attempt to get me to play the banjo. This reluctance was to dissolve in a flash when, at age 14, I arrived home from school one afternoon (home was my dad's pub "The Good Intent" , Chatham), to find a jazz band rehearsing in the clubroom of the pub. It was the first time I'd seen a jazz band and I was instantly smitten. Within a year, I had joined the band "The Crescent City Stompers", along with brother Vic, both of us on banjo (I know what you're thinking!) I had been struggling to teach myself the instrument that I favoured, the trombone, but the band did not need a trombonist.In those days it was almost compulsory for bands of this type to incorporate a "skiffle group" so, along with getting to grips with the banjo, I had to figure out the guitar too. I managed to learn enough chords to get by for quite a while and, eventually, added a fourth chord. The year, 1955.The skiffle group soon assumed a life of its own and was to prove a useful stepping stone.In 1957, having heard that a group advertised to play at the then famous "Skiffle Cellar" at 49 Greek Street, were, in fact, not going to show up, we headed off to London, presented ourselves to the governor of the Cellar, Russell Quaye and, having explained the situation to him, got the gig for the night followed, thankfully, by regular rebookings. At this time the group included my brother who, by then, had become a very good and much in demand bass player.This was my introduction to the 'London Scene' and my first thought was, "I gotta have some of this!"The following three years were spent gigging at the Cellar, interspersed with sitting in at all the available venues, the "51" allnighters, Humph's Club (now the 100 Club), anywhere jazz could be played or listened to and a residency at a Mayfair drinking club, "The Tatty Bogle" with the much loved and missed "Banjo George Baron". Any or all of these activities would be followed by a kip on Charing Cross Station, the early train back to Chatham and a further kip during lectures at the Medway College of Technology, where I was studying engineering. (yeah, right!)Towards the end of this period, I was fortunate to tour, for a while, with the bands of Kenny Ball, Nat Gonella and Cy Laurie. It was during my time with Cy's band that he suddenly buggered off to India (I wonder if it was something I played) and the band became "The Terry Pitts Band". (the similarity of name has often led to confusion but we, long ago, agreed that neither one of us would accept responsibility for whatever the other may or may not have done).in 1960 I heard that the Alex Welsh Band were looking for a guitar/banjo player, so, having put in a dep at the Tatty Bogle, I took myself to the Tiger's Head, Catford, where the band was appearing with guest Memphis Slim. I did the gig with the band, got the job and a lift back to town in the bandwagon. I will never forget that short trip. We had an impromtu performance in the wagon from Memphis Slim singing and me getting to accompany him on guitar, running through the Big Bill Broonzy licks that I had been avidly listening to. (seventeen years later, after having been to see Ella Fitzgerald at the Ronnie Scott Club, with some friends, I was asked if I knew where we could get a late drink. I said we might get one at the Tatty Bogle, and off we went. I hadn't been in the place in the intervening years and was amazed to find the guy I had put in as a dep, still there. His first words, "Where the f ***ing hell have you been?" still make me smile.)At this point, I severed my links with engineering, exactly two months before I would have become a qualified machine tool design draftsman, ironically the only qualification I ever worked to achieve. That's the jazz bug innit?I stayed with Alex for close to four years then, after a short spell with the Mike Cotton Sound, was invited to join the Acker Bilk Band. After an incredibly enjoyable whirl of U.K. gigs, radio t.v., Royal Command performances, filming and world tours with Acker, I decided to retire from the music business, exactly 10 years later, and get a 'proper job'. What a schmuck!Since that time (1974), I must have set a world record for retiring.In 1978, joined the Kenny Ball Band, stayed for 3 years, retired. Rejoined in 1984 and retired in 1987.In 1989 I joined the Alan Elsdon Band, stayed three years, gave up retiring and joined Laurie Chescoe's Good Time Jazz. I stayed with this band for a record (for me) 12 years then joined Terry Lightfoot's Jazzmen with whom I still gig and, for the past couple of years have been a member of Phil Mason's New Orleans Allstars concurrently running my own band which grew from what was, originally, a band which I put together for a one-off gig and which, for me, embodies the spirit of the sixties.Concurrent with the above, I have had a longstanding association (some twenty years, I guess) with "Bob Bates Sousaphonia", an acoustic jazz quartet which, while largely required to provide ambience at corporate and private functions, still manages to be musically very rewarding and enjoyable.In amongst all of this, like most jazzers, I've been able to take work outside my regular bands and have had some very enjoyable times on the road with the bands of Pete Allen and Keith Smith, the latter having been a great year's tour with the incredible swinger Georgie Fame. I never expected to amount to much as a "jazz musician" in the grand scheme of things and am therefore not in any way disappointed. I always considered that I was along for the ride. What a ride! Looking back, I can't, for the life of me, understand why I kept getting off the bus. One thing's for sure, I ain't about to ring the bell again.Some cherished memories:-Working alongside Lenny Hastings in the Alex Welsh Band and his after hours Richard Tauber impressions.Backing one of my alltime guitar heroes, Denny Wright, whenever he would drop into the Skiffle Cellar.Playing "Burgundy Street Blues" with George Lewis on a BBC Jazz Club broadcast in the early 60'sMy entire time with Acker's Paramount Jazz Band and the friends we made all over the world.A tour of Scandinavian countries with Acker's Band featuring Sonnyboy Williamson.Playing Nuages as a guitar solo with a full orchestral backing while on tour in the 60's with Acker's Band, Shirley Bassey and the Leon Young Orchestra.Meeting up with my old mates in the Kenny Ball Band in Lithuania when I flew out, at short notice, to do a 5-week tour of the Soviet Union in 1984. (in the event the 5 weeks with the band stretched to 3 years).Some heartstopping moments:-Halfway through my guitar feature at Zurich Jazz Festival circa 1973, glancing to my left and seeing Barney Kessel watching from the wings, no more that 6 feet away.Being recruited, at a few minutes notice, to be part of a quartet, to back Peanuts Hucko in concert at Hastings Jazz Festival in the early '80's.Being told, with no warning, that I was down on the producer's running order to sing the first band number with the Kenny Ball Band on "Saturday Night at The Mill", a live transmission (brown trousers time). Taking the first solo chorus on "Nagasaki" with Ack's Band on Sunday Night at the Palladium only to discover (too late) that the stage hands hadn't switched on the power to my guitar amplifier. (also a live transmission).This was more than compensated for by the look on the trumpet man Ian Hunter-Randall's face (he had just that week joined the band) when I leaned forward and whispered to him that he would have to take the chorus.Some rare (fear-driven) forward planning by yours truly:-During my time with Alex Welsh, through the band's association with the Lansdowne Recording Studion, I miraculously found myself on the studio's fixer's list and was booked ocassionally to do session work. Not bad considering my sight reading comes closer to dyslexic spelling.I remember one session which came in for which I was told only the time, date, required instrument (banjo) and that it involved a single string solo passage (brick time!!) Following a bit of detective work I went to the Garrick Theatre that evening and asked the stage door manager if he would point out Eddie Cromer to me when he emerged. Eddie was in the pit orchestra and had written the arrangement for the session which was on the following day. This was duly done and I introduced myself and asked Eddie if he happened to have the score with him and, if so, could I take the banjo part. Luckily he did and I could. I raced home and sat up, literally all night, and got the thing off pat. I duly arrived at the studio the following day to find that the gig was basically a superimposition of a "trad" sound (provided by Sandy Brown, Chris Barber, Al Fairweather and me) over a latin-feel arrangement (provided by the Laurie Johnson Orchestra, all 30 of 'em) of a tune called "Doing the Racoon". Laurie Johnson eventually followed his enormous cigar into the studio and came almost straight over to me (Oh Christ, what now?). Having introduced himself he said "By the way, the banjo solo part is just for guidance, you can play whatever you like". Sounding a lot more self assured and confident than I felt, I replied "I quite like what Eddie has done, if it's ok with you, I'll play it as written". (and I did)Some final thoughts:-My axiom: Time and feel or nothing.My favourite quote: "It don't have to be correct as long as it's RIGHT!"My thought for the future: Not enough of it involves me.My desert island disc if I had to chose just one: Louis Armstrong playing "When You're Smiling".
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