DESCRIPTION:
Hot Club Records proudly presents: BENNY WATERS and Christiania Jazzband

1 MAHOGANY HALL STOMP (Williams) 3’34
2 THE MOOCHE (Ellington Mills) 4’18
3 WHEN YOU’RE SMILING (Fisher/Goodwin/Shay) 4’36
4 WHEN IT’S SLEEPY TIME DOWN SOUTH (Rene/Musa) 4’05
5 ALL BY MYSELF (Berlin) 4’08
6 IN MY SOLITUDE (Ellington/De Lange) 5’44
7 DEED I DO (Hirsch/Rose) 4’35
8 I’M GETTING SENTIMENTAL (Bassmann/Washington) 3’28
9 MATURE (Almquist) 4’18
10 BLACK BEAUTY (Ellington) 4’50
11 BLUES AMOR (Waters) 6’50
12 HARLEM BOUND (Johnson) 3’33
13 MEMORIES OF YOU (Blake) 3’58
14 ONE SWEET LETTER (Brown/Warren/Clarke) 3’59
15 I SURRENDER DEAR (Barris/Clisfford) 4’16
16 SUGAR (Pinkard/Mitchell/Alexander) 3’59

PRODUCED BY JON LARSEN

Recorded in Ny York Studio, Oslo, April 12th and 14th 1983, sound engineering by Håkon Manheim and Bengt Eriksen.
Tracks 2, 5, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15, with Göran Eriksson, was recorded at the Henie-Onstad Art Center, Høvikodden, December 15-16th 1982, sound engineering by Arne Akselberg.

BENNY WATERS – the Eubie of the horns – this thought crossed my mind immediately the first time I heard this living legend. This took place in Oslo 15 years ago. Benny Waters was born in 1902 in Maryland, same place as Eubie Blake. They have the same solid background, and the same wonderful sense of humour. Like Eubie , Benny started playing the piano at the age of six. But he played the trumpet and clarinet as well, and some years later he chose the tenorsax.

It is incredible to think that he was solist with bands led by Charlie Johnson, Fletcher Henderson and King Oliver – all big cannons during the twenties. The tone must be as least as big and juicy and the great Benny can’t have lost much of his spirit, because at the age of well 80 he can still take the breath away from both fellow musicians and the public when he first starts. He dances, sings and plays. The enjoyment of playing and high spirits shine out of his eyes. Benny has charisma, no doubt about that. He always manages to whip up enthusiasm. He still goes on tour yearly to 10-12 different countries, and is his own manager.

It is over 60 years ago that he made his first recording, long before any of the members of Christiania Jazzband saw the light of day, and it is amusing to think of this when we hear the result of this recording. It swings as much now as it did then.

Randi Hultin
Written for the first edition of this album, 1983.