The Clarke Boland Big Band is "All Smiles"

Wednesday, June 28, 2017
by Steven Cerra

Georges Paczynski, the author of the immensely important, Une Histoire de la Batterie de Jazz, which won the “Prix Charles Delauney 2000,” offered this succinct, background information about the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band:

“The C.B.B.B. - The Clarke Boland Big Band - was formed in 1962 through the efforts of Francy Boland and Kenny Clarke. The pianist and the drummer wanted lo form a European orchestra whose sound would be instantly recognizable.

After recording in Cologne on May 18 and 19, 1961. with a smaller group - Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland (The Golden Eight) - the two leaders decided to put together a bigger band, and on December 13. 1961, the recording of Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland ("Jazz is Universal") took place. Among the thirteen musicians were the future mainstays of the band: the American trumpeter Benny Bailey, the English alto sax player Derek Humble, and the trombone player from Sweden, Aake Persson. After the success of this disc, the decision was made to increase the band even further; on January 25. 26 and 27. 1963 the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band recorded in Cologne with 21 musicians. Throughout its career, the band never included less than 12 nationalities.

The personalities of the two leaders. Kenny and Francy. were directly opposite of those of the legendary big band leaders, iron-fisted megalomaniacs like Buddy Rich or Benny Goodman. Not only did Francy write the arrangements for a given instrument, but in thinking of a particular musician in the band, and composed according to the sound, phrasing and style of the individual. Team spirit reigned in the C.B.B.B. Each musician was aware of his importance in creating a good ensemble sound. 

The name of Kenny Clarke is definitively associated with the birth of bop drumming. Following in the footsteps of Jo Jones and Sidney Catlett. it is to him that we owe the fact that still today the rhythm is played on the ride cymbal, with snare drum/bass drum punctuations. Jazz lovers see Kenny primarily as a small group drummer, forgetting that he was also a great big band drummer [check out Kenny’s playing in Dizzy Gillespie’s first big band in the 1940’s].


Drummer/leaders have existed from the earliest times in jazz. After "Papa Jack" Laine. there were Ben Pollack. Chick Webb, Gene Krupa. Buddy Rich, Don Lamond. Mel Lewis... the list (and the beat) goes on. The C.B.B.B. is situated in the grand traditions of the big bands. The basic musical concept was of a rhythmic foundation on which the entire orchestra reposed. Here the role of the drummer is clearly vital; along with the bassist, he plays throughout the piece, and is both accompanist and soloist.

read more at: http://jazzprofiles.blogspot.com.br/2017/06/the-clarke-boland-big-band-is-all-smiles.html