"I've Got What It Takes" - Diana Day with George Huxley's Jazzmen

“I’ve Got What It Takes” (Williams & Jenkins)
Sung by Diana Day with George Huxley’s Jazzmen.
Musicians:
George Huxley-clarinet, Bob Pratt-cornet, Derek Halford-trombone,
Tony Fisher-banjo, Dave Smith-double bass, Les Roberts-drums.
Recording date: 1963-4 approximately.
Audio recording © George Huxley
Audio recording by BBC Carpenter Road Recordings.
Producer : John Noddings inc. Mastering.
Re-mastered 2023 by Beaujangle Recordings.
Video Matrix No: DB0799
George Huxley and his Jazzmen have been performing at various jazz clubs, as well as running their own clubs in the Birmingham area since way back in the 1950s.
George himself is well into his eighties, and yet still playing beautifully on soprano sax, alto and clarinet.
During the 1960s, his band’s lady vocalist was the lovely Diana Day. Diana sang a wide range of songs, but when it came to the Bessie Smith repertoire, she certainly did the business in my opinion.
Recordings with Diana singing are very rare. Fortunately, a copy of the recording of “I’ve Got What It Takes (But It Breaks My Heart to Give It Away)” was handed to me by George Huxley, several years ago.
With so many videos of various performers on CZcams these days, I felt it sad that there was nothing of the lovely Diana.
Therefore, with the addition of a collection of appropriate pictures, including several of old Birmingham during the instrumental part, plus a couple of Diana with George’s Band at the end, I feel some satisfaction that there is at least something for people of a certain age, who might have seen her many years ago, to have another listen, and of course, hopefully to introduce her to others who might never have never heard of her before.
I believe that Diana moved to Holland or Denmark, or somewhere similar for several years, and sadly died around 2008, probably around the youngish age of seventy.
Bev Pegg
September 2023
Thanks are due to the publishers and artists of the images used for this short video.

[@benj5386]

Thankyou for uploading this. My dad is Bobby Pratt. I have no recordings of him playing so this is nice to hear.