Bob Murray - a short autobiography
There were no records in my house, as I was growing up through 40s and into 50s, until I purchased Hi-Fi equipment; a Goldring turntable and arm and a Quad valve amplifier. As a family effort we built a folded horn speaker enclosure that used an 8’x4’sheet of 1” chipboard!
The first record I played was my brother’s 10” LP of the 1940 Ellington Orchestra. The sound of the orchestra, driven by Jimmy Blanton’s Bass, was so different from pre-1940. When I came home from school I played it while lighting a fire. Even now when I hear the Da Da Dah of muted trumpets in KoKo I can smell the fire getting hold!
The first record I bought was Fontessa by the Modern Jazz Quartet. All my vinyls are long gone as well as the Quad amplifier (that was a big mistake!) but when i recently streamed (Apple Music) the MJQ, I could remember every track as clearly as yesterday.
In the sixth form at school, I earned £1 a week as a laboratory technician and spent it going to the Flamingo Club in SoHo. One pound was enough for the train to London, chicken and chips in Lyons Corner House and entry to the Club. I can remember Tubby Hayes, Eddie Harvey and Joe Harriott, whose neck bulged alarmingly when he played. My parents let me go because they had no idea of the temptations in SoHo, sadly, neither did I! My group of friends were into modern jazz, we looked down on the Trad lovers, although I did go to Chris Barber at a local pub. Ottilie Patterson was lovely.
Johnie Dankworth and Cleo Laine were particular favourites.
Then I bought some Dave Brubeck albums (Jazz goes to College, Jazz at Oberlin). Again after 60 years I can hum along to all their improvisations. I moved on to Miles Davis and was buying his albums as they appeared (Cookin’ Relaxin’ Workin’). I came unstuck with Bitches Brew (my problem not his).
Maybe about 35 years ago I was bought a recorder, for a joke but I took it seriously. Eventually my wife and I were playing with the local branch of the Society of Recorder Players. It was wonderful to make music in a group, playing Bach and Telemann and feeling part of the Early Music movement.
20 years ago I was a regular at Jazzsteps in Arnold, thoroughly enjoying fantastic musicians, live.
After being widowed I went jiving (Ceroc) and to tai chi, to force myself to socialise. I found instead of just tapping my foot, I could move my entire body to the music. I could dance.
About 13 years ago, tango found me. The movement of the dancers, the sound of the music, the history of Argentina, all so intriguing and an infinite pathway to follow. There followed three trips (pilgrimages) to Buenos Aires to dance and plenty of sightseeing in that large and beautiful country.
Photo - the author dancing with Flavia
Argentine tango is an intimate, sensual (not sexual) dance usually performed in a close embrace, making chest to chest contact and heads touching. Covid has made this impossible and the tango could be lost again with a more deadly opponent than the fascist governments in Argentina!
I have two blogs
www.treboryarrum.blogspot.co.uk
which covers a lot of my holidays including 3 visits to Buenos Aires
Jan/Feb 2011
Jan/Feb 2012
Sep/Oct 2013
www.milongabob.blogspot.co.uk
which covers important aspects of tango, in particular the link to tai chi and its health benefits and how tango and jazz have developed in a similar way.
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