Goodmanesque. He was also a sight reader and with perfect pitch.'For recent correspondence click here or scroll further down this page.
There are also a number of articles you might find interesting - click on the one you would like to read:
| Jazz On The Road | The Dancing Slipper, Nottingham |
Trumpeter Sydney Wardman contacted us to ask about Geoff Sowden, and Gerry Salisbury told us that sadly Geoff died in 2004/2005 (Gerry had played Geoff quite a lot near Malaga in Spain).
Thinking of Geoff took Sydney’s mind back to the early days of jazz in Leeds and of Malcolm Duncan who bought his first trombone from Geoff Sowden. Sydney recalls some of the people that he knew in those times:
'Malcolm Duncan was a bit of a maverick - he could do some strange things. He once walked out of an important exam (he was clever and could have easily passed) to hurry home to practise his trombone. There was also the time at school when we were members of the 6th form music group. We met in the teachers’ common room and one of the teachers who led the group was asked by Malcolm if we could form a rhythm club. The scene was like a setting from a Bateman cartoon. We didn’t get one!'
'When Malcolm bought his first trombone from Geoff Sowden, he practised day and night and he seemed to get the hang of it very rapidly. He gigged around Leeds for a while until I suppose he did his National Service. I lost touch with him after that. Next I heard he was playing with Ken Colyer. The jazz fraternity in Leeds was shocked at the manner of his death. (Malcolm took his own life by setting himself alight).'
'Geoff Sowden was a friend, amongst a group of friends and musicians who decided to form a jazz group and called it the Delta Dixielanders. We took part in a Melody Maker competition in around 1947.'
'I remember Geoff telling me he used to practise in the toilets when he was in the Army camp. He had two accidents. He lost his two front teeth in one and damaged his hands in another with a tank door. After he returned from National Service he formed a band called Geoff Sowden and his Chicagoans.'
'Freddy Tomasso was a friend and a wonderful trumpeter – his solos were annotated and written in orchestrations. He had perfect pitch and was a sight reader. When he formed Harry Gold and his Pieces of Eight, he left Leeds for London straight into the studio for a broadcast. The BBC ‘Tristrams’ were panicking as to what would happen when Freddy saw the music for the first time. They need not have bothered, Freddy was magnificent.'
'I knew Ernie Tomasso, he was a consummate musician and brilliant soloist – very Goodmanesque. He was also a sight reader and with perfect pitch.'
'His son Enrico Tomasso is a great trumpet player. He impressed Louis Armstrong when as a child he played for him when Louis visited Leeds.'
Enrico Tomasso
(Click here for a video of Enrico Tomasso playing Ain't Misbehavin' with the Harlem Ramblers)
'I also played jazz violin - that’s how I knew Dis Dizley. Dis was a super artist as well as a brilliant guitarist. His portraits were immaculate – photographic in accuracy. He was doubly talented.'
'I once did a gig with Alan Cooper. He was a fine clarinettist almost from the word go. In the early days he had a metal clarinet, a bit of a novelty at the time.'
Alan Cooper
'An amusing incident happened when Geoff Sowden, Freddy and Ernie Tomasso were rehearsing for a gig and could not get the pianist of their choice. Another pianist, who fancied himself, said he could do it. Unfortunately he was no musician which infuriated Ernie, causing him to fling his clarinet across the room. Geoff said to him: ‘What are you playing? What about the chords?’ ‘They’re all there,’ protested the guy. ‘Yes, but they are in the wrong order!’ (pre-dating the Morcambe and Wise sketch with Andre Previn by about 30 years!).'
'Geoff said to me: ‘If you try all the pianists and this is the only guy left – cancel the gig – he’s a gig ruiner!’
'I always thought that Geoff never got the accolade he deserved. His Jack Teagarden like solos thrilled us all. Mentioning Jack Teagarden, when he came to England he heard Freddy Tomasso and wanted him to go to the States with him, but Union troubles stopped that.'
'There were other trumpet players I was friendly with. Mark Class, who played with Joe Daniels. Terry Heap, who played lead trumpet with Sid Dean in Brighton and who also took up vibes and eventually became MD for Dickie Henderson.'
'Dickie Hawdon was a wonderful trumpet player. I remember when he first started. A clarinet player friend of mine said: ‘Come down to the 101 club (a jazz venue) and listen to this guy – he’s like Louis.’ It was Dickie, and he was very good. He was about 17 at the time (I was 16). He played with the Yorkshire Jazz Band, but his playing got better and better, and as you know, he joined Johnny Dankworth. He was well respected by his peers – Kenny Baker, Kenny Ball, Jimmy Deuchar and many others, but sadly he died recently.'
(Sydney Wardman no longer has his photographs of many of the musicians mentioned in this article - if anyone has photos that we might borrow, please contact us).
Jeff Matthews has been thinking about the difficulties of locating suitable live venues:
'Here's a thought. If all we 'jazzers' looked out for suitable venues for putting on jazz in our own geographical areas and then posted them online, bands could then follow up and we might get some more jazz played. Then all those enthusiastic 'returning' musicians (click here) will get to play, gain experience and improve. Perhaps then 'mentors' will step forward and offer to help build solid jazz muscle in new players from their playing experience.'
Danish trombone player Fessor Lindgreen has written to ask if anyone is able to help him to 
contact the Jamaican trombone player Rico Rodriguez. Please contact us if you can help.
Wikipedia tells us that Rico Rodriguez was born in Kingston, Jamaica. In 1961, he moved to the UK and started to play in reggae bands here. In the late 1970s, with the arrival of the 2 Tone genre, he played with ska revival bands such as The Specials. One of his most notable performances was on The Specials' song, "A Message to You, Rudy". Rodriguez also led his own outfit, Rico and the Rudies, to yield the albums Blow Your Horn and Brixton Cat. Since 1996, amongst other engagements, he has played with Jools Holland's Rhythm and Blues Orchestra and he also performs at various ska festivals throughout Europe with his own band.
Click here for a video of Rico playing Take Five with the Cool Wise Men in Japan in 2007 - hard not to get up and dance!
Click here for more about Rico Rodriguez.
(October 2010)
Steve has written to us after inheriting his father's jazz vinyl collection.
He says: 'I know all the records themselves will be in above average condition as he was a jazz fanatic and collected for many years. I would like to sell the collection as a whole or if need be individually and I understand you may be the people to help. If you are not interested in the collection I would very much appreciate if you could point me in the right direction where I can sell them as I know he spent a great deal of time researching and obtaining his collection and also many hundreds of pounds on the records, and obviously I do not want them to go for nothing. My children have inferred that perhaps I should keep them for another day as they believe they will be come more valuable as time goes on, however when I mention that perhaps they would like to store them in their houses until that time arrives, I get a typical vague look.'
We guess that this is not an uncommon situation! We have suggested to Steve that he uses ebay to value and perhaps sell the LPs individually, but we have also come across another website called Discogs that sells records across the world. If anyone is interested in contacting Steve about his collection, please let us know and we'll put you in touch.
Jim Douglas writes: 'I was born near Edinburgh in 1942 and came into jazz at the back end of Sandy's reign in the West End Cafe in that city. I first met him whilst appearing at a concert with Pete Kerr's Capitol Band in the Usher Hall in the late fifties when he topped the bill with the band he co-ran with Al Fairweather. Later as a member of Alex Welsh's band our paths crossed many times and I like to think I became a good friend of both he and Al. I was delighted to be asked by Sandy to play at his Christmas parties in his home in Hampstead on several occasions with bassist Tony Archer. As you can imagine they were less than sober occasions! In the sixties I played on a cover version of 'Those Were The Days' with Sandy and Bobby Mickleburgh. As a fellow 'Auld Reekian' and musician I considered him a good friend and a wonderful clarinettist.'
When Alex Welsh died, Jim was involved in running a restaurant in Woburn but he kept in 
touch with Alex's wife Maggie: 'We started seeing each other and eventually married and have a son William. I returned to professional ranks in 1986 to join Digby Fairweather's 'Superkings' and subsequent shows such as 'Let's Do It' with Paul Jones, 'Lady Sings The Blues', Val Wiseman, and 'The Great British Jazzband'. I also toured Germany with an all-star American band led by Bob Haggard, and played the Berne Festival, etc. I was involved in quite a few recordings during this period including three CDs for a Post Office sponsored band - the 'First Class Sounds'.
Jim returned to cooking two years ago in a small pub near Woburn Abbey, but is considering retirement and just playing a few gigs again.
Photograph © Jim Douglas
(From Eric Jackson, January 2010)
Eric Jackson tells us that Stu Carter was well know to him when he was playing around the Enfield area. Apparently Stu subsequently moved to the Wirral with his wife Polly and went on to play with the Peninsula Jazz Men, but sadly died after an asthma attack about four to five years ago.
(From Steve Fletcher, October 2009)
Steve Fletcher writes: 'Do any of your readers know of a fine trumpet player named Stewart Carter who ran a band in the Ponders End district of North London in the early 1950s?' Contact us if you can help.
(From Alvin Roy, July 2009)
One of the benefits of the internet is to discover videos of both recorded and live jazz performances. Here's one. Alvin Roy tells us of this video of his band at London's 100 Club in 1986 with Alvin on clarinet, Alan Littlejohn (trumpet), George Oag (guitar), Boots Baker (trombone), Roger Marsden (piano), Mick Hutton (bass) and Colin Seymour (drums).
Click here: for the Alvin Roy Jazz Band playing the Woody Herman number The Great Lie.
(From Bill Brown, Australia, March 2009):
'In regard to that reference to a session with the Alex Welsh Band minus Alex but with this 'Ken Doughty' on trumpet that Jim Keppie listed. I have a cassette session from November 1957 where Len Doughty deps. on trumpet for a hospitalised Alex. It was a Jazz Club Broadcast compered by that fine Welsh pianist Dill Jones. The personnel of the band were as Jim mentioned - Crimmins, Semple, Hunt, Staunton, and Richardson. The tunes were - Monday Date, Squeeze Me, Japanese Sandman, New Orleans, Swingin' The Blues (minus trumpet), Sentimental Journey, Foolin' Myself (Crimmins feature), and There'll Be Some Changes Made. I've never heard of another 'Doughty' but I could be wrong of course. If there is another such session in existence I'd love to hear it.'
(From Roger Strong, New Zealand, 2009):
'I have been reading the article on Alan Littlejohn and I thought that I recalled an old friend, Len Doughty, talking about him and sure enough there was Len's name in the article. A very long time ago - I think the late 60s or early 70s, I had a reel-to-reel tape recorder and there was some sort of directory to get in touch with people with similar interests. I got in touch with Len Doughty in the UK and we exchanged many tapes at that time.. Len mentioned several times that he played valve trombone but usually just in passing. However, I have subsequently found that he recorded with the Alex Welsh band on an album they called 'The Roaring Twenties' - just some tracks. I think it may have been re-issued under a different title but I have never been able to lay my hands on it. Does anyone know if it exists?'
Bill Brown wrote from Australia: ' I think that Len was involved in the late Sixties with a tape swop circle called World Wide Jazz Tapes run by the late Tony Thomas. I joined this group in 1995 (it is still going). Anyway, Tony mentioned Len's name to me. As far as the Welsh recording is concerned, an album was made in 1959 called 'Music Of The Mauve Decade' It had the then Welsh band plus Len on two tracks: 'Down Among The Sheltering Palms' and 'Bye Bye Blues'. Harry Gold on bass sax was the other guest, also on two tracks. In the Seventies the LP was re-issued as 'The Roaring Twenties'.
Jim Keppie also wrote from Scotland saying he has the same 'The Roaring Twenties' LP and mentions a cassette he has of the 'Ken Doughty Band' with Archie Semple, Roy Crimmins, Fred Hunt, Chris Staunton and Johnny Richardson (? circa 1955). Jim wonders if 'Ken' and 'Len' might be related?
(from Mel Henry, March 2009)
Trombonist Mel Henry remembers Ian Howarth whose departure we noted and follows up Jamie Evans' letter:
'The sad news of Ian Howarth's departure brought back some memories for me of sitting in with the Alan Cooper trio ( with Jamie on piano and Ian on drums) at some awful pub somewhere in Battersea about twenty or more years ago. All kind of strange musos would find their way there - something to do with Alan's flambouyant and eccentric personality I think - I particularly remember a couple of strange evenings with Stanley Adler on cello. I just loved playing with Alan, a really creative guy.'
(from Jamie Evans February 2009)
Drummer Ian Howarth was originally from Lancashire where he played washboard in his school skiffle group and trombone in his school orchestra before taking up the drums. He was an original member of the Vintage Syncopators, one of Red Hayes' Jazz Wizards, and played with and led the Temperence Seven. More recently in the 1990s he played with Alan Cooper's Trio. His friend, the pianist Jamie Evans, sent us the following eulogy presented by Jamie at Ian's funeral in January 2009:
"I played piano with clarinettist Alan Cooper on and off for over 30 years and during the latter part of that time, our drummer was Ian Howarth. I was dubious at first when Cooper suggested we use Ian because, although he was always an engaging and amusing man, I didn’t think a comedy band cum traditional drummer would fit in with our broader small group swing style. I was, of course, totally wrong. Ian turned out to be perfect.
He could turn his hand to most styles, from woodblocks to bebop. Not only that, he was great company and we would often meet for a few pints of real ale even when we had no gigs. “Dr Young’s elixir will soon put you right lad,” (excuse the Wigan accent) he would say toasting me with a glass of Youngs Special Bitter, tweaking his Panama hat (summer) or cloth cap (winter).
Well today is a particularly sad occasion personally. Cooper passed away less than 18 months ago and now, with Ian’s departure, I am sole survivor of what Ian always referred to as “Alan Cooper’s famous trio”. I am not too sure about the “famous” but to have lost two dear friends and great musicians within such a short space of time is a double blow. Ian also counted the late US drummers, Max Roach and Elvin Jones among his friends and he collaborated with a wide range of musicians in the UK, ranging from many New Orleans stalwarts to modernists like Lol Coxhill and Stan Sultzmann. I’ll never forget the look of delight on Ian’s face at one of our gigs when Lol Coxhill and Cooper duetted on the most amazing surrealist, free-form version of A Closer Walk With Thee.
One of Ian’s favourites was Thelonious Monk and for many years now I can’t hear two of the great man’s compositions without thinking of him. On one occasion I unwisely attempted a solo version of In Walked Bud but floundered hopelessly on the middle eight. “Not a bad version of Bud Nearly Walked In“, was Ian’s droll judgement. And at one of our residencies, in the days when pubs closed at 11 o clock, I used to serenade the departing punters with Round Midnight. Ian soon retitled that one to Round Ten Past Eleven. It’s a fond farewell to a loyal friend and, on his day, a superb drummer…"
(From Dave Bowen - December 2008 and Thorbjørn Sjøgren January 2009)
December's Video of the Month continues to interest visitors to the site. Of Ben Webster and Teddy Wilson playing 'Old Folks' we said: 'Unfortunately, we cannot tell you who the bass and drum players are, nor why a tear runs down Ben Webster's cheek as he plays with beautiful sensitivity this tune'.
Thorbjørn Sjøgren from Denmark has written to tell us that the bass player on the clip is Hugo Rasmussen, the drummer is Ole Streenberg and the recording date was 25th September 1970. Reeds player Dave Bowen from Dorset has written to tell us: 'You may be interested in the comment made by the Danish tenor player Jesper Thilo, himself a very fine reeds player who played with Ben in Copenhagen. In an interview for a TV documentary about Webster called 'The Beauty and the Beast', Ben was asked why he sometimes cried when he played. Ben replied, 'Because I play so beautiful'. Thilo thought that was fair comment'. To watch and listen to this clip again click here
(From Ole Fessor Lindgreen - December 2008 and Peter Quinn - January 2009)
Fessor Lindgreen wrote from Denmark asking if anyone knows where he might get a copy of Bruce Turner's biography? Peter Quinn has written from France to say that Bruce's autobiography is called 'Hot Air, Cool Music' and was published in 1984 by Quartet Books Ltd., a member of the Namara Group, 27/29 Goodge Street, London W1P 1FD. The ISBN number is 0-7043-2459-8. (Copies are available to buy online if you type the title and the author into a search engine such as Google).