As JazzWax readers know, I'm a huge fan of slam-bang jazz instrumental interpretations of 1960s pop hits, especially albums by British bandleaders and arrangers. I love searching for them and finding absolute gems.
Yesterday I did just that and discovered Try This On for Size, a spectacular album that's super rare and delivers quite a punch. Arranged and conducted by Bob Leaper, the album was recorded in London in March 1970 and features a smashing British big band.
The lineup features Leon Calvert, Tony Fisher, Kenny Wheeler, Greg Bowen and John Huckridge (tp); Eddie Blair and Bobby Haughey (flhrn); Cliff Hardie, Wally Smith and Johnny Marshall (tb); Jackie Armstrong (b-tb); Mo Miller, Barry Castle and Jim Buck, Jr. (fhr); Alfie Reece (tu); Bob Burns (as); Bob Efford, Ronnie Scott and Tony Coe (ts); Ronnie Ross (bar); Kenny Salmon (p); Ike Isaacs (g); Spike Heatley (b); Kenny Clare (d) and Leaper (arr,cond). [Photo above of Bob Leaper]
The album is a tribute to pop composer Tony Hatch and his wife at the time, pop star and singer Jackie Trent. The songs by Tony are The Other Man's Grass, Don't Sleep on the Subway, Joanna, Too Much Too Soon, Call Me, Downtown, If You Ever Leave Me, Beautiful in the Rain, Where Are You Now? (a huge hit for Trent) and Who Am I? [Photo above of Tony Hatch and his wife, Jackie Trent]
Here's what Tony had to say in the liner notes:
BOB LEAPER . . . arranger, conductor, composer, raconteur, boat-builder and London tavern authority. Bob and I have been good personal friends as well as musical contemporaries since the day some 10 years ago [1960] when I first joined the Band of the Coldstream Guards on a three-year engagement as a musician with Her Majesty's Forces.
Corporal Leaper was in charge of copying, altering and generally maintaining the scores for the band, and I was to assist him. He quickly showed me that the best part of the day could be spent in the nearest cafe. I quickly showed him that by crawling suitably, I would become band copyist and he would be demoted to musician and start marching with the band again.
It is typical of Bob that he never held this against me. How could he? By the time he left the Army, I was a recording manager at Pye Records and Bob quickly established himself as one of England's best recording arrangers, working with top international artistes. Since those early days, it is probable that we have worked together more than any other team of producer/arrangers, thereby establishing an important sympathetic understanding and relationship.
Jackie [Trent] and I were very honoured when Bob suggested making a big band album of some of the Trent/Hatch songs. A challenge, without a doubt, but Bob has cleverly scored the songs in a style that is reminiscent of the big band era, yet he achieves a modern feel that's perfect for the 1970s. They say that the big bands are coming back. Based on that conjecture, this band is going to be a great success. All we can say is "Thank you!"
(Leaper also arranged another terrific album—Big Band Beatle Songs for the Phase 4 label in 1964, but we'll save that for another day.)
I'm sure I'll hear from John Cameron and other British composer-arranger friends to fill me in on Bob Leaper's biography. When they do, I'll pass all of the information along to you.
JazzWax note: To read my 2013 WSJ piece on Tony Hatch and the writing of Downtown, go here.
JazzWax tracks: You're in luck! I found Bob Leaper's Try This On for Size (Pye) at the Internet Archive. Listen for free here.
JazzWax clips: Here's The Other Man's Grass...
Here's Downtown...
Here's Call Me...
And here's Who Am I?...
