Ivor Kirchin (21 January 1905 – 22 January 1997) was a British band leader, and the father of noted composer Basil Kirchin (1927–2005).
Born in London, Ivor Kirchin was the leader, singer,
drummer, conductor and business manager for The Kirchin Band, a popular big
band formed in the 1930s. The Kirchin Band performed on the Mecca ballroom
circuit during the Second World War. There was always plenty of work around the
dance hall circuit for the band but there were no recordings until 1954, when
George Martin of EMI spotted the talent and arranged the first recording date.
The band billed themselves as 'The Biggest Little Band in the World' because their arrangements made them sound like a larger band that they were: four trumpets, four saxophones, piano, bass
and drums. From the time he was 14 Ivor's son Basil took over the drum stool, and was often featured as a soloist. The band played fast and loud, with a varied repertoire that included standards, mambos and straight-ahead jazz.
The band billed themselves as 'The Biggest Little Band in the World' because their arrangements made them sound like a larger band that they were: four trumpets, four saxophones, piano, bass
and drums. From the time he was 14 Ivor's son Basil took over the drum stool, and was often featured as a soloist. The band played fast and loud, with a varied repertoire that included standards, mambos and straight-ahead jazz.
In 1946 Basil left to work with Harry Roy, Teddy Foster,
Jack Nathan and Ted Heath, while Ivor's band continued to play the Mecca
circuit. In 1951 Basil returned to The Kirchin Band, now renamed the Ivor and
Basil Kirchin Band, which made its debut on September 8 with a year-long
residency at the Edinburgh Fountainbridge Palais, followed in November 1953 by
an engagement at the Belfast Plaza Ballroom that extended into the spring of
1954. At the same time, the group also backed singer Ruby Murray during a
13-week series for Radio Luxembourg.
They returned to London in 1954 for a summer residency and
an appearance at the 1954 Jazz Jamboree. Unfortunately at this time a serious
car accident sidelined Ivor, requiring Basil to take over band leadership and
business management for the band, which he soon realized he enjoyed much less
than the music. With his father's return to health, the band took on a
brassier, more spontaneous sound which proved immensely popular. It was at this
time that the band came to the attention of a young 28 year old engineer for
Parlophone Records named George Martin, who proceeded to launch a whole new
recording career for the band.
The band continued to
enjoy success, with Billy Eckstein and Sarah Vaughan insisting that the Kirchin
Band backed them when they toured Britain. Their shows would break attendance
records and were featured in Melody Maker polls. By 1955 the band was now
recognised as a swing/jazz type band and they were on a Swing Session broadcast
on the BBC Light Programme. The show was shared with others and the Kirchin
Band played three arrangements by Jimmy Deuchar: "Flying Hickory,"
"Lester Leaps In" and "Swing Session" and a vocal from
Johnny Grant.
At the close of the decade music trends began to move away
from big bands toward smaller jazz combos, and soon rock & roll appeared.
The Kirchin Band made some attempts to stay relevant with novelty cha-cha and
rock and roll numbers, but the end was clearly in sight. By 1967, Ivor Kirchin
retired the band.
By the early 1980s, Kirchin settled in Kingston upon Hull,
East Riding of Yorkshire, near to his son. He died there in 1997, aged 92.
(Info from Wikipedia)
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For The Kirchin Band Gotta Be This Or That - EMI Singles, go here:
http://www11.zippyshare.com/v/xluvUPEx/file.html
1 Mambo Macoco
2 Tangerine
3 Tango Mambo
4 Panambo
5 Lester Leaps The Mambo
6 Lanigiro
7 Down Under
8 Trumpet Blues And Cantabile
9 Rock A Beatin' Boogie
10 Stone Age Mambo
11 (Oh, Baby) Beedleumbo
12 Bandbox
13 Mambo Rock
14 Tweedle Dee
15 Gotta Be This Or That
16 The Great Lie
17 Flying Hickory
18 The Roller
19 St Louis Blues
20 Big City Blues
21 Lover Man
22 Big Deal
23 Pour Quoi
24 Sing Sing Sing
25 Taboo
26 Jungle Fire Dance
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