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Somerset lays claim to many famous events, places and people but it is possibly best known for its propensity to produce musicians with distinctive character and a liking for apple juice. Think of The Wurzels, and recall such classics as: I am a Cider Drinker and I've Got a Brand New Combine Harvester; then slip a cog or two and remember Mr Acker Bilk's Stranger on the Shore or Aria. All great classics and all produced by lads from Somerset. With a county that brings you the heights of Glastonbury and the lows of The Levels - its musical prowess seems equally diverse.
 | | The Duke in 1977 - famous for jazz |
On 23 February 1977, Points West's Graham Purches met up with Acker during rehearsals for a TV show he was recording outside The Duke in Bristol - home to some great jazz musicians over the years. He'd recently suffered a heart attack - or pericarditis to be more accurate - and although his doctor had warned him off the fags, his liver was still happy to do battle with the odd glass of cider. In the report Graham Purches asked Acker about his early career and how he started playing the clarinet. What he didn't ask is how the man got away with playing the clarinet with two missing front teeth and a missing finger.
 | | Acker Bilk outside The Duke in Bristol |
Mind you, the answer is quite simple: he didn't have much choice - since Acker lost his teeth in a school fight and his finger came off the loser in an argument with a sledge. Still, the self-taught musician has nothing to explain really since his music says it all - and still does today - nearly 30 years after Points West caught up with him down at The Duke. More films from BBC Points West - Use the links on the right to other local Where I Live sites to see more archive film from Points West.
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