Farewell, Sir John

Jack Bowers

Senior Contributor since 1997

A former newspaper writer / editor who has been writing about big-band Jazz for more than fifteen years.

Recent articles (1,750 total)

Published: March 4, 2010

John Dankworth 1191426 Images of Jazz—Copyright © 2009 Brian O'Connor Some of us are old enough to remember when Sir John Dankworth John Dankworth
1927 - 2010
saxophone was simply Johnny Dankworth, and quite simply one of the finest jazz musicians Great Britain has ever produced. Johnny became Sir John in 2006 when he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth, nine years after his wife, the marvelous singer Cleo Laine Cleo Laine
b.1927
vocal , was made a Dame of the British Empire.

As befits a Knight of the Realm, Dankworth, who died February 6 at age 82, wore many hats during his long and illustrious career: accomplished saxophonist, bandleader, composer, educator, goodwill ambassador, philanthropist and Laine's music director since 1971. As a writer for films and television, he was widely known for his themes for The Avengers, Danger Man, Tomorrow's World, Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, Darling and Modesty Blaise, among others. In 1969, he and Laine founded the Wavendon Allmusic Plan and a theatre, The Stables, at Wavendon in Buckinghamshire, whose 300-seat concert hall serves as a proving ground for young musicians and a venue for promoting jazz. In 1985, Dankworth founded the London Symphony Orchestra's Summer Pops program, and eight years later formed the Dankworth Generation Band with his son, the bassist Alec Dankworth. A daughter, Jacqui, followed in her mother's footsteps and is a well-known jazz singer.

Born in 1927, Dankworth was raised in Walthamstow in outer London, where he began his musical journey by studying piano and violin before switching to clarinet, a change influenced by his exposure to the music of Benny Goodman Benny Goodman
1909 - 1986
clarinet . Before entering the Royal Academy of Music, Dankworth moved from clarinet to saxophone, settling on alto after hearing the great Charlie Parker Charlie Parker
1920 - 1955
sax, alto . Following service in World War II (1943-47), Dankworth and his friend Ronnie Scott Ronnie Scott
1927 - 1996
sax, tenor joined Geraldo's Navy, a band that traveled between Britain and the U.S. on the Cunard fleet of luxury liners. After working with Bert Ambrose Bert Ambrose
b.1896 's band and the Skyrockets, Dankworth, named Musician of the Year in 1949 by readers of Melody Maker magazine, formed the Johnny Dankworth Seven, a co-op group based loosely on the music of the trailblazing Miles Davis Miles Davis
1926 - 1991
trumpet band. Members of the Seven included trumpeter Jimmy Deuchar Jimmy Deuchar
b.1930 , tenor saxophonist Don Rendell Don Rendell
b.1926 , trombonist Eddie Harvey Eddie Harvey
b.1925 , pianist Bill Le Sage Bill Le Sage
b.1927 and drummer Tony Kinsey Tony Kinsey
b.1927 .

In July 1953, Dankworth formed his first big band, which lasted until 1964. Laine, who joined the Dankworth Seven as vocalist in 1951 and was married to Dankworth seven years later, continued as the band's featured singer. By the mid-1960s she had become a soloist in her own right, and Dankworth devoted much of his time after the early 1970s to serving as her music director and as a composer of music for film and television. Although in failing health for several months, he was to have performed at a concert at The Stables on February 6 2010. Instead, Dame Cleo announced from the stage that he had passed away that day. He leaves a remarkable legacy that endures owing to his devotion to jazz and to the many younger musicians who have benefited, and will continue to do so, from his singular generosity and counsel.

Albuquerque Jazz Festival

New York-based trumpeter Scott Wendholt Scott Wendholt
b.1965
trumpet , a mainstay with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, the John Fedchock John Fedchock
b.1957
trombone , Toshiko Akiyoshi Toshiko Akiyoshi
b.1929
piano and Bob Mintzer Bob Mintzer
b.1953
saxophone big bands and assorted other groups in and around the Big Apple, was in Albuquerque from February 18-20 to take part in the annual Albuquerque Jazz Festival, an event that focuses for the most part on local high school and middle school ensembles. The marquee event on Saturday evening was a concert performance at Eldorado High School with the Albuquerque Jazz Orchestra under director / trumpeter Bobby Shew Bobby Shew
b.1941
trumpet . The AJO opened the show with "Do It Again," arranged by Fred Sturm, the classic Tom Kubis Tom Kubis
arrangement of "When You're Smiling" and Duke Ellington Duke Ellington
1899 - 1974
piano 's fleet-footed "Cottontail" before inviting Wendholt onstage to perform a pair of his compositions, "Times Line" and "Beyond Thursday," followed by Thelonious Monk Thelonious Monk
1917 - 1982
piano 's "'Round Midnight" and, saving the best for last, a spirited duel with Shew on Clifford Brown Clifford Brown
1930 - 1956
trumpet 's buoyant "Joy Spring."