Soho Scene '63 - Jazz Goes Mod

2017 compilation 49 tracks - 24 page booklet

Rarely has a new year caught the British jazz scene in such as state of flux.’ So began an article in Melody Maker on January 5th 1963, commenting on new trends it had noticed in modern jazz. The Trad Boom seemed to be finally over, while Rhythm and Blues, the new style that had latterly begun to feature in London jazz hot spots like The Flamingo and The Marquee, had yet to truly prove its worth.

Mid 1963, R&B and Soul Jazz were beginning to feature in jazz hot spots like The Flamingo and The Marquee in Soho. The record industry was drip-feeding the work of the capital’s modernists to the record buying public via the jazz single. And they were all at it: Shake Keane, Vic Ash, Johnny Dankworth, Johnny Scott, even Tubby Hayes.

1963 was a year of transition twelve months in which Britain’s modern jazzmen went from chasing hits and following fashion to realising their own worth as artists. Where they went next is quite a story, but meanwhile this collection gives you plenty of juicy tracks to get your teeth into.