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Kenny Ball and his band had the most successful and longest lasting chart success of the Trad groups that came to the fore during the early 1960s. His success was probably due to a number of factors including his own skillful trumpet playing and a judicious choice of material. Although the band received crticism from elitist jazz 'purists' for venturing too far from the boundaries (whatever they are) of traditional jazz, Kenny helped to maintain the genre's high profile throughout the 1960s. Even after the end of their chart days, the band continued to be popular through radio, television and live appearances. Apart from one short period, during which Kenny temporarily lost his 'lip' and found difficulty playing his trumpet well, the band continued to thrive thoughout the following decades. He became a very important part of the 'Trad' concert party involving his former rivals, Chris Barber and Acker Bilk along with the George's -Melly and Chisholm Kenny Ball's list of hits include many on which he sang as well as played. These include his first chart success 'Samantha' and his last chart success 'When I'm 64'. Kenny is now well over 64, but is still loved by the many traditional jazz fans that he enlisted during its era of greatest popularity. |
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