Published at 11:23, Friday, 31 October 2008

A half-hour conversation with veteran jazz musician Kenny Ball flies by far too quickly.

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This man has many tales to tell, covering seven decades and counting. He can wax lyrical about his memories of playing in communist Russia or losing his beloved pet dog just the night before we talk.

In fact, it’s the latter that takes precedence. After an involved story, featuring apples and Mercedes cars among other things, it transpires the pooch was found this morning. “I was frantic!” he says in his cockney twang. “I’d imagined him roaming the streets, lost. I’m over the moon that he’s back! He’s my best friend. Anyway, I suppose we’d better get cracking.”

Kenny and his trad jazz band – who sing and play double bass, drums, clarinet, piano and trombone – are as popular today as they were when they had their first hit with Samantha in 1960.

“The band are a great bunch of blokes and we laugh at anything,” Kenny says. “You know, if I was working in an environment I wasn’t happy in, I’d rather not work.

“I’ve seen bands where people hated the bandleader. They couldn’t even look at him! “They would stay for years but I didn’t understand why they didn’t just leave.”

Kenny and his band, in its various incarnations, have enjoyed great success. As well as enjoying 14 top 30 records, in the 1970s they became a regular feature on the Morecambe and Wise TV show. They were also the resident band on Saturday Night At The Mill, which drew an audience of 9 million people.

Over the years Kenny has performed in Japan, Hong Kong, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, Fiji, Kenya and Mexico, and in the 1980s even performed behind the Iron Curtain. “We were the first band to tour there,” he recalls.

“My agent knew the Bolshoi Ballet agent so we did an exchange. We played in a hotel in Red Square. Everyone was throwing flowers at us, there were so many I’m sure they must have spent a month’s wages on flowers. It was incredible, the reception was amazing.”

Another highlight was playing at the evening reception for Charles and Diana’s wedding in 1981. He laughs: “Down the end of my trumpet all I could see were tiaras! It was the biggest gathering of crown heads in the 20th century. It was very nice and after we got a thank you letter, which I’ve got framed, and a layer of the wedding cake.”

This being the 50th anniversary tour, it stands to reason that Essex-born Kenny has seen a lot of changes in his time.

“Not all of them for the better. I think electronic music has taken a lot of soul out of music. I don’t think people can get a lot of emotion from it, they can’t feel very much. Modern music is very technically involved but it doesn’t seem to make you tap your feet.

“It appeals to the brain and not to the heart. I like music that appeals to the heart rather than just the head.

“I like playing music that makes people happy, even if that does sound corny.”

And even at the grand age of 78, Kenny has no plans to stop.

“I’ve been making a living playing the trumpet for 55 years and I love it,” he adds. “I’m doing what I love doing, and that feeling never fades away.”

n As part of their 50th Anniversary Tour, Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen play the Rosehill Theatre, Whitehaven, on Sunday at 7.30pm. Call 01946 692422. They also play the Swallow Hilltop Hotel, in Carlisle, on tonight. Call 01228 529255.

Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk