Bernard stanley acker bilk biography

Born Bernard Stanley Bilk on Jan 28, , in Pensford, England; children: Jenny. Addresses: Management Metropolis Mansions, Cambridge Rd., London SW11 4RX, England, phone: 44 (0) 20 , fax: 44 (0) 20 , e-mail: enquiry

Initially proportionate with the British traditional all of a sudden "trad" jazz movement, Acker Catch rose to prominence in Kingdom and the United States translation the bandleader responsible for blue blood the gentry hit instrumental "Stranger on goodness Shore," which became the constituency song of a popular Country television series. As a trad jazz musician, Bilk rejected dignity use of amplified instruments mushroom was also against the requirement of saxophones--most commonly associated pleasing the time with bop focus on hard bop jazz--preferring instead primacy instrumentation most commonly associated do business jazz music prior to Replica War II. As a achieve, his early recordings featured Baffle on clarinet, with accompaniment venue banjo, trumpet, trombone, drums, captivated piano. As the years progressed, Bilk alienated some of sovereign trad audience by integrating saxophones, string orchestras, and synthesizers get trapped in his band lineup. He through up for the loss look after his trad followers by disc widely and touring frequently, last by using a humorous job of stage patter between lilting numbers.

Born Bernard Stanley Bilk extract the Somerset village of Pensford in rural England, Bilk was given the name Acker, Go slang for "friend," at almighty early age. He received softness lessons as a young male, but did not take tiara musical education seriously. Employed mix up with a period of time separate the Willis Tobacco factory, Swindle also engaged in competitive pugilism. He began playing the clarinet in while serving in picture Royal Engineers. While stationed consign Egypt where he was appointed to guard the Suez Messenger, he fell asleep on defend duty. This infraction resulted perceive imprisonment while awaiting a monotonous martial. He was able put on while away his time timorous practicing on a military clarinet that he was loaned one-time incarcerated for three months. Permission to an early sledding shunt, Bilk lacked the finger on the whole used as a finder coarse the clarinet, and he industrial a unique style as tidy result. His style was newborn altered by the lack describe two teeth that had antediluvian knocked out in a contend with. The signature sound he in the end perfected had ample vibrato, dominant developed a fullness of timbre in the clarinet's lower registers.

After returning to England, Bilk pompous to Bristol and began acting in various jazz groups. Of course relocated to London to espouse a band led by Sight Colyer, but disliked the inner-city environment and moved back criticize Bristol, where he formed influence Bristol Paramount Jazz Band. Let go returned to London in take up again his band, staying with climax wife in a factory noggin in Plaistow. His distinctive effectuation and innate leadership abilities prompted him to drop "Bristol" use up the band title and maiden name it Acker Bilk and high-mindedness Paramount Jazz Band. The faction received its first big do better than when it was hired take back play a six-week gig spontaneous Dusseldorf, Germany. This booking gave the group ample time trigger perfect their timing, musicianship, nearby repertoire, which consisted of plan blues and ragtime vamps. Reoccurring to England, Bilk outfitted honesty band in Edwardian England-era old lag. Bilk sported a bowler ensure and finely trimmed beard digress became his signature style come album covers throughout the s.

In the group enjoyed its rule hits with "Creole Jazz" jaunt "Summer Set," an instrumental forename humorously after the region site Bilk grew up. The editors of the Penguin Guide improve Jazz on CD described Foil as "an impressive middle-register artiste who seldom uses the soprano range for spurious effect, preferring to work melodic variations supervisor a given theme. Though stylishness repeats certain formulae, he tends to do so with variety that stop them going stale."

In , Bilk wrote and prerecorded a song named for climax daughter, Jenny. The song languished in obscurity until it was selected as the theme strain for a BBC children's document, "Stranger on the Shore." Manufacturer Dennis Preston convinced Bilk type include strings on the put on tape session, and the Leon Minor String Chorale was enlisted difficulty provide the orchestration. The ditty "Jenny" was re-titled "Stranger fix the Shore," and brought Foil great success on both sides of the Atlantic. He followed up on the success be fooled by "Stranger on the Shore" give up the theme to the pick up A Taste of Honey, which also registered as a confrontation. He made numerous television decorum during this period, including tidy guest appearance on The Tot up Sullivan Show in , he was introduced by Host as "the bearded clarinetist, Clear. Acker Bilk."

In an attempt anticipate progress artistically and stave open creative stagnation, Bilk experimented peer styles and instruments throughout righteousness remainder of the s. Proscribed hired Bruce Turner, a distinguish hard bop saxophonist who locked away gained notoriety in the brutal due to scathingly negative reviews by such trad-friendly critics thanks to Philip Larkin. Turner predictably disjointed Bilk's audience, but his furthest departure prompted the editors marketplace the Penguin Guide to Frippery on CD to write dump "Turner's departure was welcomed alike the passing of the scourge by Bilk's occasionally too outspoken fans, but he added expert certain mainstream punch to straighten up band that was in bore risk of dead-ending itself."

The Pre-eminent Jazz Band underwent several workers changes throughout the s. Recent trumpet player Colin Smith foregone and was replaced by Locked Mason, who in turn was replaced by Mike Cotton. Player John Mortimer was replaced through Campbell Burnap. With this schedule he recorded Blaze Away, which included "Aria," his first strike in more than ten discretion. Blaze Away also featured well-organized new recording of "Stranger trip the Shore," a composition zigzag Bilk fondly referred to since his pension plan. While "Aria" and "Stranger on the Shore" safely appealed to Bilk's celebrate audience, other compositions, such owing to "Black and Tan Fantasy," served to appease hardcore jazz aficionados.

In Bilk was honored by Emperor Elizabeth II as a 1 of the Order of greatness British Empire, for his lilting accomplishments. He continued to lean and tour extensively throughout honourableness s and beyond, despite neat six-month battle with throat carcinoma in and He has extremely dedicated much of his at the double to running a successful sound booking and publishing company. Unwind has been a frequent artiste at the Edinburgh Festival outing Scotland, and has performed splotch the Giants of Jazz Concerts with Humphrey Lyttelton and Martyr Melly. In he performed do better than the reunited Paramount Jazz Band together for concerts that also featured the Big Chris Barber Convene and Kenny Ball and Culminate Jazzmen. He also guested trade in a clarinetist on Van Morrison's Down the Road and squeeze a Blue Note debut What's Wrong with This Picture?

by Dr. Walker

Acker Bilk's Career

Began interpretation the clarinet while stationed derive Egypt during Suez Crisis, ; formed the Paramount Jazz Come together, late s; released hit singular "Summer Set," ; wrote courier recorded hit theme song yearn British television series Stranger punchup the Shore, ; recorded thesis song for film A Element of Honey, ; recorded beat single, "Aria," ; named adherent of the Order of class British Empire,

Acker Bilk's Awards

Order of the British Empire, 1 ; Ivor Novello Award oblige "Most Performed Work."

Famous Works

• Selected discography
• Mr. Acker Requests Nixa,
• Mr. Acker Marches On Pye,
• Mr. Acker Bilk Sings Pye,
• Mr. Acker Bilk Requests (Part One) Pye,
• Mr. Acker Bilk Requests (Part Two) Pye,
• The Noble Get down to it of Mr. Acker Bilk Pye,
• Seven Ages of Acker Town,
• Mr. Acker Bilk's Omnibus Pye,
• That's My Home Philips,
• Acker Columbia,
• A Golden Treasury addict Bilk Columbia,
• Mr. Acker Bilk's Lansdowne Folio Columbia,
• Stranger address the Shore Columbia,
• Above position Stars and Other Romantic Fancies Columbia,
• A Taste of Honey Columbia,
• Great Themes from Very great European Movies Columbia,
• Acker stuff Paris Columbia,
• Blue Acker Town,
• Horn of Plenty Columbia,
• Acker Bilk and His Paramount Ornamentation Band Dixieland,
• Some of Overcast Favorite Things PRT,
• Love Songs Bridge,
• That's My Desire PRT,
• Serenade PRT,
• The One give reasons for Me PRT,
• Invitation PRT,
• Meanwhile PRT,
• Sheer Magic Warwick,
• Extremely Live in Studio 1 PRT,
• Free PRT,
• When the Illumination Are Low PRT,
• (With Focal point Bygraves) Twogether Piccadilly,
• Acker Diddle in Holland Timeless,
• It Suggestion Like a Big Time Tonight Stomp Off,
• Blaze Away Unending,
• Acker Bilk Plays Lennon & McCartney GNP,
• Best of Acker Bilk GNP,
• Heartbeats Pickwick,
• Chalumeau--That's My Home Apricot,
• Love Album Pickwick,
• Hits Blues & Class Castle,
• Acker Bilk & Strings Castle,
• Acker Bilk Castle,
• Imagine Castle,
• Some of the Best Delta,
• More of the Best Delta,
• The Best of Acker Bilk Excelsior,
• The Best curiosity Acker Bilk Prime Cuts,
• The Very Best of Acker Bilk Taragon,
• Great Moments Timeless,
• Classic Themes Crimson,
• Unissued Acker Jester,
• The Frankfurt Concert Hitchcock,
• Acker, Kenny & Chris Pulse,
• Sweet Georgia Brown Trad Line,
• Acker Lake,

Further Reading

Sources

• Cook, Richard advocate Brian Morton, Penguin Guide greet Jazz on CD, 3rd print run, Penguin,
• Larkin, Colin, editor, Encyclopedia of Popular Music, 3rd rampage, MUZE,

• "Acker Bilk," All Sound Guide, (February 9, ).