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| The Afro-Cubists and the Melody Maker... |
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| The "Melody Maker" was the leading weekly music paper during the period of the Afro-Cubists two year existence and the clips below give an idea as to the reporting style of the time. All the clips below have come from Richard Rainbird, whose father was Dicky Devere, Graham's drummer for most of the Afro-Cubists existence. I am very grateful to him for sharing the results of the research that he undertook at the National Jazz Archive. (David Taylor) | |||
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Melody Maker April,1950 Leading this group on tenor sax, and responsible for most of the arrangements played is former Ambrose reedist Kenny Graham. Name of this unusual outfit is the Afro-Cubists. As the name probably suggests, the group will play jazz with Cuban-styled rhythm section. This section will be seven strong and will form a backing for various types of jazz. Kenny's front-line partner is trumpeter joe Hunter, whilst in the rhythm section are such well known musicians as Charlie Short on bass, and ex Leslie Hutchinson saxists Freddy Grant and George Roberts. Up-and-coming South London club leader, Jack Honeyborne is on piano, and Cuban rhythm instruments are played by billy Olu Shanka and Eddie Davson. Dickie Devere is on drums. The Graham group is being handled by the Wilcox Organisation and follows its debut with further appearances at the Empress Ballroom, Ramsbottom (22nd); Essoldo Theatre, Newcastle-on-Tyne (23rd), and the Casino, Chelmsford (29th and 30th). Melody Maker December 16,1950 The coach was travelling from London to Birmingham, where the bands were due to play two concerts at the Tower Ballroom, and was approaching Dunstable when the bullet struck. Bringing the coach to an immediate halt, the Graham and Dankworth boys, with Johnny Grant, made a hurried search of the road and it's surroundings. No one was in sight and since the coach was already behind schedule the journey was continued with a brief halt at Dunstable, three miles ahead, to report the incident to the police. Arriving at Birmingham late in the afternoon, they found police and press men awaiting them, and Johnny Grant and members of of the bands were interviewed for some hours by Det-sgt. Haughton of the Birmingham CID. Before the two bands went on the stage of the Tower Ballroom that evening for their second show the coach had been submitted to a thorough police search without, however, discovering the bullet. Police were finally convinced that it had been fired from a .22 rifle but were of theopinion that it was a spent bullet. |
Melody Maker July 7,1951 Melody Maker July 14,1951 They were proceeding with others to the Jazz Festival where Graham's Afro-Cubists were the star attraction. Judy Johnson received shoulder injuries, but the party was able to extricate the car from the ditch and proceed to the Festival. Melody Maker July 21,1951 In other words, Graham's music was a completely unknown thing to 95 per cent of the audience. Moreover, I am inclined to think that nine out of ten listeners had come to hear traditional jazz - so that it was difficult for Kenny to sell his modern stuff. The witching hour past, things really got going at Studio '51, where Kenny Graham assailed the stand after a warm-up at the 20th Century Club in Leicester Square. The music was hot and the atmosphere would have made a cannibal's boiling pot frigid by comparison. Outside, a crowd, sometimes a 100 strong, tried to gain entry. At 4 a.m the outsiders persevered, the insiders just perspired. The Graham band played wonderful jazz, and Dickie Devere proved that he is now almost certainly the best of our jazz drummers. Another person impressed by the Devere work-out was Phil Moore, the American pianist who had declared the '51's Festival Week open. |
Melody Maker July 28,1951 Stokowski expressed a liking for Graham's percussion and both he and his wife were very impressed by Dickie Devere's drumming. Told that trumpeter Jo Hunter had been to the Royal college of Music, he lifted a surprised eyebrow ... "and it didn't spoil him" he said. While at the '51 the visitors heard Graham's "Good Bait", "Grey Hambo", "Skylon" and "Keen and Peachy". This is nothing less than the introduction of a five-tenor saxophone section. Explaining this innovation, Kenny told the MM "The public in general, and the BBC in particular, are always crying out for a new noise. In my reformed orchestra they will certainly find they have got one. I have introduced this experiment - which I shall continue with if it proves successful - because I feel that while I have developed my outfit as far as possible rhythmically, it does not go far enough harmonically. Just trumpet and tenor was most frustrating". Kenny will introduce the "new noise" on Sunday with an outfit lining up 14 members altogether, including vocalist Judy Johnson. The extra tenormen on this occasion will be Cliff Stonely, Norman Fantham, Oscar Birch and Alec Jack. Graham's Afro Cubism The band-within-a-band will follow the same lines as the Afro-Cubists Kenny has led for the past two years. "I am determined to cater for the fans as much as possible", Eric told the MM, "without losing the Orchestra's undoubtedly strong appeal for the general public". |
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##############KENNY GRAHAM - Tenor saxaphone, Vocals ################JO HUNTER - Trumpet ##################GUY WARREN - Bongos ####################LEONARDO - Maraccas ######################EDDIE DAVSON - Tambour Drum ########################CLIFF BALL - Bass ##########################JACK HONEYBORNE - Piano ############################DICKY DEVERE - Drums ################################and the ##############################FLAMINGOS ###############MINTON JAZZ? BOP?....... ###############.....call it what you will, the fact remains that Kenny ###############Graham has evolved a new exciting sound in modern ###############music. Graham frequent broadcaster over the years ###############with such name bands as the peerless Ambrose, sax ###############star and vocalist with Pleydell and Temple, jazzman ###############with the fabulous Belgian Johnny Claes and Nat Gonella ###############has applied a wealth of experience into making this new ###############departure in Minton jazz (yes! we'll settle for that Mr. ###############Race) such that it will intrigue musician, dancer, and ###############any listener alike. |
AFRO CUBISTS Kenny Graham (tenor) ##Jo Hunter (trumpet) ####Billy Olu Sholanke (conga drum) ######Leonardo (marracas) ########Guy Warren (bongos) ##########Dick Ball (bass) ############Dicky De Vere (drums) ##############Jack Honeyborne (piano) This group with a new sound created a sensation when it was formed only a few months ago and in this short time they have made sensational leaps in fame. Twice the Daily Mirror ran stories and photographs on this unconventional outfit and the musical press weekly carries stories on their achievements. Leader Kenny Graham played with most of the top line bands, including Ambrose, Claes and Nat Gonella before forming this group that fitted with his own very strong views on what modern jazz should be. The Afro-Cubists blend the rhythms of the Caribbean with the melodies and harmonies of modern jazz and thr result is an unusual and arresting blend. Jo Searle was chosen from over seventy applicants for the role of vocaliste with the band. | ||
| Note: Dick Ball is listed as the bass player for the "International Jazz at the Cambridge" date above but this may be a printer's error. William Morrison who is grandson of Dick and nephew of Cliff says that Dick had wound down his career at this time and the family is not aware that Dick ever depped for Cliff... | |||
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Kenny Graham biography and discography... the early classic records... The Afro-Cubists... The Afro-Cubists and the Melody Maker... Kenny Graham the composer... | |||