A very special LP is shared with you today, one that has stood the test of time - much like the Castle Lager beer slogan. It features some of the last recordings made by Chris McGregor in South Africa before departing for exile. Soon after the festival McGregor put together a prize winners band that recorded the LP Jazz: The African Sound. Try inconstant sol for more details The annual festivals - of which performances from the 1962 and 1964 concerts have been issued on record - were sponsored by Castle Lager, keen to win more customers and leveraging the link between beer, drinking, shebeens and jazz. The 1962 concert and this LP collects many of the top jazz bands of the day. Whilst many of the performances are middle of the road jazz covers it is the tracks by Chris McGregor and Eric Nomvete (featuring Dick Khoza on drums) that stand out. In 1964 Castle cancelled any future festivals apparently due to gang rivalry and the inability of the organisers to guarantee the safety of the crowds.
Tracks
1. When the Saints Come Marching In - The Chris McGregor Septet
2. Blues Story - The Chris McGregor Septet
3. I Like That - The Chris McGregor Septet
4. Let The Good Times Roll - Ben Masinga
5. This Can't Be Love - The Woody Woodpeckers
6. A Baptist Beat - The Jazz Giants
7. Kentucky Oysters - The Jazz Dazzlers
8. I Got Rhythm - Ben Masinga
9. String of Pearls - The Woody Woodpeckers
10. What is There to Say? - The Jazz Ambassadors
11. Pondo Blues - Eric Nomvete's Big Five
RS LINK
MF LINK
