Search - Karl Drewo, Francy Boland :: Clap Hands Here Comes Charlie - Karl Drewo Meets Francy Boland

Clap Hands, here comes Charlie Drewo, the most famous of all the Viennese tenorists ! - Well now, without exaggeration - Karl Drewo, 32 years of age - or Charlie as his American friends like to call him - is undoubtedly one of those rare specimen of European jazz talent. He plays as if he were born in the US and raised right in one of the darkest neighbourhoods of Harlem, possibly somewhere near the old Cotton Club where Duke Ellington used to excite his audiences for more than almost a quarter century. When you ask Karl what he likes in jazz, he'll tell you: "I like jazz". Period. As simple as that and without any nonsense and discrimination between the various styles and sub-styles of the subsequent jazz eras. Although he has some favourites among the great jazzmen, to Karl jazz itself is the one and only important thing in the world and he feels that a real connoisseur of jazz does not truly love jazz if he discriminates between the manners and mannerisms, because in essence there is only good and bad jazz - no matter what particular style. Karl's all-embracing love of good jazz is delicately present in his own playing as has here been recorded. If you listen close enough you may be able to find straits and influences of many a great jazz artist in his playing although Karl has developed a musical conception entirely his own. And for that matter: even today, after almost fifty years of musical experience and development, you can detect King Oliver's influence in Louis Armstrong's trumpeting. Having been influenced by a master is a good thing and certainly nothing to be ashamed of.