sahib shihab and the danish radio jazz group

The Danish Radio Jazz Group
The Radio Jazz Group was founded in October 1961 when ten jazz musicians were granted permission to make one monthly broadcast. Already the next following season the sending period was doubled and I took over the management.

From the autumn 1964 the band was increased to 12 musicians, and to this came frequent performances by guest soloists, such as Sahib Shahib.

Sahib Shahib came to Copenhagen for the first time in the autumn 1962. He grew fond of the city and decided to stay on. In January 1963 he joined the Danish Radio Jazz Group. After having done a few arrangements of other people's compositions Sahib Shahib began making arrangements of his own music. His Opus 1 for the Radio Jazz Group was the "Di-Da", a joke over the sound "di-da" (staccato pronounced with stress on the first syllable) which is spreading round the band like an echo. The solos are played by the saxophonist, Bent Jædig, the trumpeter Palle Mikkelborg and Sahib, baritone saxophone.

The next Opus saw the light in March 1963 under the title "Dance of the Fakowees". The latter word, the name of an Indian tribe, should be pronounced properly, i.e. stress on last syllable, to avoid troublesome misunderstandings. Sahib Shahib knows the story told about "Fakowees". The soloists are Niels Husum (ss), Torolf Mølgård (tb), Fritz von Bülow (g) and Louis Hjulmand (vib).

In October 1963 appeared "Not Yet", where Sahib Shahib shows his mastership in maing the fullest use of a very simple material. The theme is built up on an ordinary ascending C-minor scale but the notes of the scale have got a rather surprising placing rhythmically. Apart from the first two notes one never knows which one comes next. It was settled through Sahib's direction in the drum solo played by Axel Riel. The other solos were played by Bent Jædig, Palle Mikkelborg, Sahib Shahib, and Niels Henning Ørsted Pedersen.

1963 at the end saw still another Sahib composition, "Tenth Lament", which falls in three parts: a slow opening and end with a more lively part in between in which the composer plays the baritone saxophone solo.

In November 1964 he dedicated to the Japanese poet Mai Ding a composition which bears the name of the poet. Here he gives a free reign to rhythms which are rather characteristically his own. He starts the band with a cowbell solo and then plays the baritone saxophone solo. For this recording an additional trumpeter has joined the band and the trombone has been replaced by a tuba.

"Harvey's Tune", composed in July 65, has been dedicated to the barman at Montmartre, our internationally known Jazz House. The flute solo is played by the composer.

"No Time for Criers" was likewise composed in July. It conveys a vivid impression of Sahib Shihab's ballad play on the baritone saxophone.

"The Cross-Eyed Cat" with solos played by Sahib Shihab and Bent Jædig, was composed for this record.

Erik Moseholm

srsly totally excellent record folks

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the sending period was doubled, people.