In 1962, the London jazz scene was thriving but divided into two very different playing styles. The trad jazz scene was holed up at the 100 Club whereas across the road at The Marquee, modernist aspirations were fulfilled on Sunday evenings. If you wanted all night action, then you would head to The Flamingo Club in Wardour Street, where on dark and moody Saturdays, Soho’s underworld figures converged for sessions that ran from midnight to 6am.

Dance crazes such as The Twist and The Madison were taking off at various sophisticated venues in the West End. Modernists wouldn’t be seen here though; their clubs were unlicensed premises in dark smoky basements serving a wholesome menu of Coca-Cola and hamburgers. A more soulful jazz sound was breaking through, personified by The Flamingo’s house band, Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames, whose style was based on the kind of tracks found on this LP.

Collected on side one is the cream of British jazz from 1962, whereas side two showcases influential American sounds from labels such as Impulse, Contemporary and Prestige. This album captures the period just before rhythm and blues began to emerge as the dominant club sound, forcing clubs like the Flamingo to change in order to survive.
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Side One 

1.      Harry Flicks    Harold McNair Quartet     

2.      Manumission    Don Rendell Quintet      

3.      Theme from Beyond The Fringe    Dudley Moore Trio

4.      Have Jazz Will Travel    The Jazz Stars  

5.      Charlie Is My Darling    The British Jazz Trio           

6.      Good Morning Judge    Ronnie Ross/Jazz Workshop

7.      Cool    Tubby Hayes New Quintet

8.         

Side Two

1.      Hang Tough    Sounds Of Synanon & Joe Pass

2.      El Toro    Chico Hamilton    

3.      My Babe    Gene Ammons   

4.      Out Of This World    Kenny Burrell        

5.      Cabu    Phineas Newborn