History 1960 - 1970
History 1960-70
While Jazz was a popular music in the early 60's, the radio had introduced skiffle and Rock and Roll to the boomer generation and the Dance Orchestra's slowly reduced as 'Beat Groups', as they were known, started filling the Dance Halls. The Palais and the Chalet managed to maintain resident Dance Orchestra's though reduced in size throughout the 60's, but massive technological and cultural evolutions would sweep aside the formalities and etiquette of Dancing and Dance Halls of the previous 40 years. The same was true for Jazz, yet while Charlie Parker had left his Be-Bop legacy in the US, Rock and Roll, Elvis and the Beatles began to fill the airwaves, in Dundee, the young Andi Lothian was creating the East Coast Jazzmen to play Trad Jazz, principally for dancing and with great success. Jimmy Deuchar would move to Germany, Bob Clarke to Paris and Johnny McLevy was in London.
Click Here to see a History of the East Coast Jazzmen .
As the 'Swinging' (a term 1st coined in the Jazz world) 60's rolled out, the technological must have, was the record player or Phonogram, swiftly followed by the record collection. Dundee was well served by it's resident Music shops J.T Forbes, B.G Forbes and Largs which initially served for Instrument sales, Tuition and repairs, added limited record sales and Songsheets and dedicated record shops like Cathie McCabe began to appear in town, selling the popular music of the times.
Both the Chalet and the Palais managed to maintain a Dance band throughout the decade, with musicians from both venues replacing Dance hall gigs by forming small Dance bands and playing the popular music of the day across the city's social clubs and Masonic and church halls, for weddings, birthdays etc. A young Molly Duncan (AWB-Sax) was playing clarinet with the Chalet band. The Andi Lothian Dance Orchestra moved to a residency in the Palais in 1963.
The 60's was a boom time for all musicians in Dundee and groups like The Poor Souls with Dougie Martin and the Vikings with Drew Larg and Alan Gorrie emerged. Alan Gorrie went on to form the AWB Average White Band alongside the Ferry Horns of Molly Duncan and Roger Ball. Both who had served their musical apprenticeships between the East Coast Jazzmen or in the Chalet and Palais Dance bands.
Both Kenny Ball and Acker Bilk had hit records in the 60's and both played in Dundee in the JM Ballroom and in the Barracuda, which it became until the mid 70's. Also, Disney’s Jazzed up version of Rudyard Kiplings ‘The Jungle Book’, released in 1967 inspired a new generation of Jazz fans.
The City managed to be included on a national circuit for a while and the Caird Hall reverberated to the sounds of the Duke Ellington Orchestra, The Count Basie Orchestra, The Modern Jazz Quartet and Woody Herman Band between 1967 and 1968. Dundee University had a Jazz society and managed to promote some gigs and interest and there were Jazz sessions or 'Blows' between musicians across the city.
As the ‘Swinging 60’s’ closed, the live music scene across the city was growing rapidly.
