Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen - The Concorde, Eastleigh (From Daily Echo)

Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen - The Concorde, Eastleigh

9:02am Wednesday 6th June 2012 in Music Reviews By Duncan Eaton

JAZZ star Kenny Ball had been bravely battling against a chest infection.

But his eyes lit up when between sets he was asked to autograph an album which in the 1960s helped to catapult him to worldwide fame.

And this was no ordinary copy. It was the prized Midnight in Moscow vinyl LP with the famous American Kapp Records label.

It was bought by a Southampton fan from a record store on Broadway, New York when Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen were as big as The Beatles.

“I can’t believe it,” said Kenny as he scribbled his famous signature on the record sleeve and John Bennett swapped his trombone for a camera to record the moment for the band’s archives.

Kenny and John founded the band before Midnight in Moscow hit the record sleeves. Their Concorde performance showed that this iconic number is still close to their hearts.

The veteran trumpeter, who has just turned 82, might not have been feeling 100 per cent. But there was nothing under par about this two hours plus performance of trad jazz at its best.

He led his multi-talented musicians through a lively play list which included Cole Porter’s Samantha – the band’s first big hit – The Green Leaves of Summer, Saturday Night Function and Someday You’ll Be Sorry.