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Hullo Graeme,
I am having a musical afternoon!
Unfortunately I am not getting any work done. I thought that I would be able to continue with my research on the internet whilst enjoying this beautiful music as a background. However, I found that I had to stop and listen to the chord progressions, the active left hand playing magnificent tenths, his runs up and down the keyboard, the fill ins (between bars) and those superb chord constructions.
John Sidney played with great sensitivity, lots of colour and a delicate touch.
It is going to take me weeks to get through them all as I cannot listen to them just once. On the very first CD there is not one number there which I have not played in the past and for which I still have all the sheet music, some with rather good arrangements.
I once played in the City of Sydney Eisteddfods (Jazz section) where the set piece was Fats Waller's, 'Alligator Crawl'. I came a lowly third.
Sidney's rendition of 'Aint Misbehavin' reminded me that I was always jealous of one of my school colleagues who had a different teacher to me and she had written him a fantastic arrangement of that fine melody.
Did Sidney have any close family? It would be interesting to know a little more about his background beyond what you have written in your promotions.
Did Sidney write down his arrangements?
Kind regards to you both and I really appreciate those CD's
Gordon ...
