Worlds Greatest Jazz Band: Silent Night
Most jazz attempts at Christmas tunes are dire – especially traddie versions.
But this version of Silent Night – by Yank Lawson, Bob Haggart and the so-called World’s Greatest Jazz Band (in 1971 or ’72) – is excellent. I presume the arrangement is by Bob Haggart:
Trumpets: Yank Lawson , Billy Butterfield
Clarinet & sop sax: Bob Wilber
Trombones: Vic Dickenson, Eddie Hubble
Tenor sax: Bud Freeman
Piano: Ralph Sutton
Bass: Bob Haggart
Drums: Gus Johnson Jnr
Jim Denham said,
December 25, 2014 at 4:19 pm
I saw and heard this band in 1971, at Colston Hall in Bristol. It was the first gig of their first UK tour and very sparsely attended, which was (obviously) bad for the band, but great for the 17 year-old me, as the entire audience was invited backstage to meet the band at the end of the concert.
I met and spoke to them all, and especially remember the friendliness of Bob and Yank. I even held Vic’s trombone as he signed autographs – after I’d assured him that I knew how to keep the slide in place.