Bryan Rodwell – The Man On The Clapham Organ

CD Duration: 63.24 / Year: 2013

2013 release at the Wurlitzer Organ in The Granada Cinema, Clapham Junction. Recorded in January 1978.

You Made Me Love You (Signature Tune) / Lady Be Good / Sophisticated Lady / Fascinating Rhythm / Trolley Song / If I Could Learn to Live Again / Misty
Children’s Overture
Tea for Two
Fools Rush In / Midnight in Mayfair / Someone to Watch Over Me / Chinatown, My Chinatown / Laura / Take The “A” Train / Lullaby (Khachaturian) / Splanky / Ain’t She Sweet / Honeysuckle Rose / Sweet Georgia Brown / I’ll Be Loving You, Always / Close to You / Jeepers Creepers / The Man I Love / You Made Me Love You (Reprise)
ENCORE: The Wedding Dance / You Made Me Love You (Reprise).

SLEEVE NOTES:

The Man on the Clapham Organ The tracks on this release take us back to those days before ‘elf & safety’ when, for a collection to defray expenses at the end of the meeting, cinema managements up and down the country would open their doors on a Sunday morning so that groups of organ enthusiasts could stage their own concerts with any organist who could be persuaded to play for the princely sum to cover his or her expenses… and often as not for free.

The location is the famous Granada Cinema, Clapham Junction, which was the third largest cinema in the Granada chain. It opened in 1937 and possessed a fine 3m-8r WurliTzer with the added feature of a Grand Piano.

From 1973 the building was variously a triple screen operation and a Bingo Hall, eventually closing in 1997. At this point in time the main part of the building and auditorium serve as a church, and flats have been built over the stage and fly tower. For a short period in his musical career, Bryan was involved with the Bryan Rodwell Cavendish Club, which gained its name from the brand name of a range of Italian organs marketed in this country by Boosey & Hawkes. Mr. Alan Humby ran the club and by becoming a member you received cassette copies of special recordings. For various reasons the Club was short lived, and when Mr Humby passed away he gave the tapes to close friend, Ken Boarer. Several years ago, and in order to rescue their fast diminishing audio quality, they were given to me.

This compilation of tracks recorded back in 1978 represent Bryan at his finest, playing an instrument he considered to be one of his personal favourites.

…Alan Ashton (ORGAN1st Radio).