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For many parts of the UK, it’s been the coldest week for 30 years. In Birmingham temperatures got down to minus 9. The canals are still frozen and the geese and ducks in Cannon Hill Park are struggling to find a patch of water to swim in.

I wish I could have been in Oxford this week – Port Meadow froze and people were skating on it! Percy at Oxford Daily Photo has posted some photos and some nice images have been uploaded to Flickr by Isisbridge and robbie_shade.

I’m off down south for a few days to get my annual snow fix, so there won’t be any posts for the next week or so…

In the meantime, I’ve sourced some early Kenny Wheeler solos ! In 1966, British drummers Ronnie Stephenson and Kenny Clare recorded the Drum Spectacular album in London. (Rare on vinyl and not yet available on CD). The big band playing behind the drummers is all British guys – among them Kenny Baker (tp), Kenny Wheeler (tp), Tubby Hayes (ts) and Ronnie Scott (ts). And on South Rampart Street Parade and Topsy, the 8 bar trumpet solos are by none other than… Kenny Wheeler !

They’re pretty nice big band charts too, in a Buddy Rich sort of way. Righto, I’m off to clean my goggles and buy sunscreen.

Kenny Clare & Ronnie Stephenson Big Band – South Rampart Street Parade
Kenny Clare & Ronnie Stephenson Big Band – Dual Carriageway
Kenny Clare & Ronnie Stephenson Big Band – Topsy
From Drum Spectacular: Columbia-EMI [OOP]