Alice in Jazz Land

The pianist/composer Stan Tracey is one of the most important figures on the British jazz scene. His career goes back to the 1940s when he played with wartime big bands. He spent a long stint, between 1960 and 1967 as the house pianist at Ronnie Scott's Club, backing most of the American visitors that included Sonny Rollins, Sonny Stitt, Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, Lee Konitz and many more. At the same time he was making small and large-group recordings, that included the iconic quartet recording, 'Under Milk Wood', which was the first of the Resteamed re-issue series.

'Alice in Jazz Land', was recorded in 1966 and is now available on CD for the very first time. For the follow-up to 'Under Milk Wood' Tracey chose to write for a big band, that featured some of the leading British jazz musicians of the time: Ronnie Scott, Bobby Wellins, Tubby Hayes, Kenny Wheeler, Alan Branscombe, Kenny Baker and many others.

This session was the first time that Tracey recorded an entire album of his own arrangements for big band. As one of the most 'orchestral' pianists in jazz, it is unsurprising that Tracey made full use of the greater variety afforded by the larger instrumentation. These vary from the all out clout of "Murdering The Time", perhaps one of the most perfect examples of a big band in roaring full flight, to the gentle pastel voicings of "Fantasies in Bloom". These extremes are beautifully captured by what must be one of the best recording balances ever achieved on a British big band album.

Personnel: Stan Tracey (piano), Tubby Hayes (tenor saxophone), Kenny Wheeler, Kenny Baker, Eddie Blair, Ian Hamer, Les Condon (trumpets), Keith Christie, Chris Smith, Wally Smith (trombones), Alan Branscombe, Ronnie Baker (alto saxophones), Ronnie Scott, Bobby Wellins (tenor saxophones), Harry Klein (baritone saxophone), Jeff Clyne (double bass), Ronnie Stephenson (drums)