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Janet Fraser-Crook

BBC Four Sessions: Georgie Fame - The Birth of Cool

Georgie Fame - The Birth of Cool

22/04/2005

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Georgie Fame, along with many special guests, plays a set at LSO St Luke's in London.

Georgie Fame, who burst onto the scene in the 60s with his cocktail of jazz and blues, plays an intimate set at LSO St Luke's in London.

Filmed at St Luke's LSO in London for BBC Four, this session takes us on a musical, archival and anecdotal journey through Georgie Fame's career and the 1960s Soho scene which so epitomised the burgeoning British rhythm and blues movement and the blossoming of Georgie's career.

Performing with Georgie are some original members of the Blue Flames, British trumpet impresario Guy Barker plus Georgie's sons James and Tristan. Georgie will also be joined by his old friends from the scene and regular Flamingo Club performer Zoot Money, trumpet player Eddie Thornton and trombone player Rico Rodriguez. Famous soul and RnB session musician and former front woman of Blue Mink, Madeline Bell, will also joining Georgie on a couple of numbers. As Georgie takes us through stunning performances of classic such as Yeh Yeh, Getaway and Flamingo Allnighter, he intersperses his performances with stories that include some of the audience members - such as Geno Washington and the DJ at 1960s Roaring 20s Club, Count Suckle.

The Georgie Fame story started in 1943 when one Clive Powell was born in Leigh, Lancashire. Clive - or Georgie as he was to become - became aware of music through his father and the local church choir. Georgie took to blowing a harmonica and soon mastered the piano by ear, unaided by any tuition or guidance. After a meeting with the pop impresario Larry Parnes in early 1960s London, Georgie became one of Larry's stable of young stars along with Billy Fury, Vince Eager and Marty Wilde. Parnes employed Georgie as a sideman for his own groups and visiting American artists such as Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran. After a enjoying a residency at the Flamingo Club in Wardour Street with his band the Blue Flames and introducing the stars of young 60s London such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones to the joys of rhythm and blues, Georgie enjoyed his first number 1 hit with Yeh Yeh in January 1965.

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