|
Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZBELL, Graeme(b 7 September 1914, Melbourne, Australia; d 13 June 2012) Pianist and leader. The Australian revival scene (see JAZZ) included players regarded as superior to some of their counterparts in UK or USA, of whom Bell was the best known. He began playing New Orleans-style jazz in Melbourne '43, toured Europe, ran an art gallery in the late '50s, then formed a new band. Records on Swaggie made late '40s-early '50s included some made in Paris in 1948; eight tracks made in London that year were included on a famous album The Great Revival on Esquire, with his brother Roger Bell on trumpet (d 17 June 2008 in Melbourne, aged 89) and vocalist Adrian 'Lazy Ade' Monsbourgh, who also played trombone and clarinet, with eight tracks by Ken Colyer on the other side of the LP. Monsbourgh (b 17 February 1917, Melbourne; d 13 July 2006) was offered a spot in Humphrey Lyttelton's band in England, but turned it down. Bell's autobiography, Australian Jazzman, was published in 1988. Bell was a gent who was well liked by everybody. He told a story on himself: he once expressed admiration for a piece of music, only to be told that he had written it himself years before. |