Archive release

Jazz Bilzen 1966

Various · 1967 · Vinyl-LP · BE · FAMA 12.005

Een uitgave van het Davidsfonds. Opname: B.R.T. Limburg. Opnamedatum: 28 augustus 1966 Sleeve format is 33cm x 32,5cm, not the usual 31cm x 31cm. Liner notes in Dutch and English. The english liner notes read as follow: "When in September 1965 some daring idealists from Bilzen pushed off with a jazz festival, nobody would have thought that only one year later, their realization would be called in the interna- tional press the festival of great music. This was the result of an exemplary co-operation between the co-ordinating committee (of which the Davidsfonds was the heart) and the two producers Paul Bessemans end myself. The Davidsfonds together with the Europese Fonoclub decided then to issue a record with the Belgian (mostly Flemish) participants of this festival. The choice was fixed upon the groups of Sadi, Johnny Dover, Frans Sans, Jack Sels and Staf De Mol, whose performances are reviewed in detail. Sedi's 'Petite Suite', constitutes a suite of various themes with an apparent free jazz passage during which the soloists im- provise in a free way on a do 7th chord, after which they return to the basic themes. 'Coast Girl', the contribution of the Johnny Dover tentet, is exposed after a free introduction by Alex Scorier and Pol Delannoit, The soloists are Herman Sandy, Alex Scorier and Pol Delannoit. Then the theme is represented again, followed by a free bass-drums cadenza and the final chord. Student-architect Staf De Mol was rewarded with an appearance among the professional orchestras because of his fine performance during the amateur jazz festival. His own composition 'Heavy Steps', played in a spontaneous jam session-style, was the motive of this reward. The Peanuts from Antwerp represented the old style in Jazz Bilzen 66. They interpreted a.o. the jazz-classic 'Chicago'. As a peculiarity, the presence of Wannes Van de Velde on banjo, may be mentioned. The Jack Sels Quintet made music in Jazz Bilzen under the auspices of the Department of National Education. One of his most successful interpretations in trio, was his own combination of a blues and a waltz Blues Waltz. 'Gigi's Pad' by Sadi may be considered as a feature for the four soloists. In this track, an efficient use is made of the so- called stop chorus (partial improvization without acompaniment of the rhythm section, a capella thus). In spite of the fact, that almost exclusively own compositions here been interpreted, this LP hasn't but modest musical pretensions. Therefore the musical potential presented was too restricted and the technical possibilities, from the point of view recording, were too few. This record only wants to be via the mage of sound the lasting witness of a Flemish demonstration with inter- national radiation, a proof of growing consciousness and renewal of the spirit. Just for this reason we thank so very much the Davidsfonds who, from the beginning elaborated the design with us, patronized it and will moreover popularize the record among her members. We also would like to thank the B.R.T., who readily placed her recording tapes at the disposal of this cultural initiative and inspector Edgard Goedleven as well, who as a binging pivot mode the realization of this record possible. " liner notes written by Juul Anthonissen