A pair of BBC music specials built around the popular ‘trad jazz’ sound of clarinettist Acker Bilk.
Clarinettist Acker Bilk and his Paramount Jazz Band perform a selection of their hits and traditional jazz standards in this studio-based music show. The programme also features performances from a variety of guest artists, including singers Shirley Sands and Wendy Hall, alongside the eccentric humour of Ivor Cutler.
This pair of specials was the BBC’s straightforward vehicle for one of the biggest musical stars of the early 1960s. Produced at the peak of the UK’s “trad jazz” boom, the programme capitalized on Acker Bilk’s chart success, most notably his international hit “Stranger on the Shore”. The format is typical of the era’s light entertainment: a simple studio presentation with the star performer acting as host, introducing a mix of musical numbers and variety guests. The production, helmed by Kevin Sheldon, offered an uncomplicated stage for Bilk’s commercially successful brand of jazz, presenting it for a mainstream family audience.
Broadcast: BBC, 2 Episodes, 14 June 1962 – 28 June 1962
Producer: Kevin Sheldon
Director: Kevin Sheldon
Main Performer: Acker Bilk and his Paramount Jazz Band
Guest Performers: Shirley Sands, A. J. Cutler, Ivor Cutler, Wendy Hall
