Just learned that Acker Bilk has passed away aged 85, after a lengthy illness.
His sound was unique with its deep, fast vibrato (well, almost unique, as Monty Sunshine's sound was very similar) that probably made many a 'fuddy duddy' classical clarinet teacher shudder when a student said that they wanted to reproduce it! He was the first artist to top the UK and US charts simultaneously with his biggest hit, Stranger on the Shore, and. and I can't imagine how we would have sold organs without using that to demo the clarinet voice!
Here's a tribute, for those who haven't heard it before, played on Yamaha S900. What else could it be?
https://app.box.com/shared/5iuvbpt303