Thanks once again to Franz Hoffmann, this more contemporary treasure — the Swedish band KUSTBANDET performing its own very rocking evocation of the 1929-30 Luis Russell Orchestra (original stars Henry “Red” Allen, J. C. Higginbotham, Charlie Holmes, Albert Nicholas, Pops Foster, Paul Barbarin) playing the living daylights out of W.H. Tyers’ atmospheric piece, PANAMA:
Franz dates this as September 27, 1985 for NDR-TV, and thinks the personnel is Claes-Goran Faxell, Bent Persson, Ola Palsson, trumpet; Jens Lindgren,trombone; Goran Eriksson, Jan Akerman, Erik Persson, reeds; Ake Edenstrand, piano; Hans Gustafsson, banjo; Bo Juhlin, brass bass, bass trombone; Goran Lind, bass; Christer Ekhe, drums.
Bent Persson plays Red Allen; Jens Lindgren does Higgy. I don’t know the reed section by name, or else I would surely credit them. Two questions: can anyone read the autograph / inscription on Goran Lind’s bass? It looks like a real treasure. And it may just be my point of view, but I am astonished at how serene . . . calm . . . impassive this television audience is. One fellow, at about 2 minutes in, to the bottom right of the frame, is fanning himself. That reaction I understand.
I never leap to my feet and shout YEAH! because I have a video camera in my hand, but this performance made me want to do just that.
