Jazz Remembered

Neil Millett

Some while ago, Rich Millett wrote saying: 'I live in Nashville, Tennessee and haven't been back to England in far too long. My uncle was Neil Millett and I know he played clarinet all around the same scene as those on your website, which I have read with interest. I believe he lived in the Bournemouth area. I have a recording that he played on by the Original Georgia Jazz Band ... but I find that I want to know more about my uncle. My uncle died some years ago, but as a fellow musician, I've always been intrigued to find out more about him and maybe even hear more recordings and see some photos of him in action.'

Neil Millett with the Original Georgia Jazz Band playing High Society in 1973.

Since Rich wrote to us, a number of people have written to us and Neil's daughter, Susan Millett, has helped to tell Neil's story. If you would like to add memories to this page, please let us know.

Clarinettist Neil Millett was born in Harlesden on July 31st, 1929. His mother was Grace Ada Quick and father Anthony Millett. His daughter, Susan, says: ‘My mum, Pamela Parkes, and dad met at the Bun Shop Jazz club in Berrylands, south west London. They both worked in west London aviation places, mum at Faireys, and dad was a technical illustrator (I think he went to Twickenham or Teddington art school). He worked for various aviation companies around London Airport, and also later at Ham. I have some of his technical drawings on tracing paper, amazing pre-computer stuff. He was very keen and organised with his skills in this area. He continued this work until retirement, jazz always being alongside this and at least as important. I understand he learnt to play the clarinet (his main instrument) in about 1948 whilst he was on National Service'.

Mick Brocking recalled: 'I know that Neil started playing about 1950 with the Albemarle Jazz Band of Southall with Pat Halcox on trumpet.

The Albermarle Jazz Band?
Photograph © Susan Millett

Pete Lay and Ron Drakeford believe this is a picture of the Albermarle Jazz Band with Neil Millett (clarinet), Pat Halcox (cornet) and Colin Kingwell (trombone). Can anyone recognise the other musicians?

Neil married young; he was twenty-four and his new wife was just nineteen.

'Just after I was born we lived in a caravan in Abbeyfields, Chertsey,' Susan Millett continues. 'My mother was the eldest of eight and her family lived in Surbiton. I think my grandparents, or we, lived in Cranford for a while after our caravan. When I was very young, about two, the earliest memory I have is of having a day out with dad and visiting a friend who had a bee hive in his garden. There was a white picket fence. I asked dad about this not long before he died but he had no memory of who this was. I recently had a look on YouTube at some of the Crane River Band footage and was amazed to see a picture of the "home" of the band, which had a white picket fence. Apparently behind the White Hart in Cranford. Anyone remember bee hives there? I suppose it could have been a wasps' nest .... It would have been about 1956/7. Dad was in the Crane River Jazz Band and he was also a good friend of Sonny Morris, I believe.'

Chas McDevitt and Neil Millett with the Crane River Jazz Band 1955-56
Photograph courtesy of Chas McDevitt

Here is a video of the Crane River Jazz band playing Just A Little While To Stay Here with the white picket fence that Sue mentions later:

"Dad also played with Ken Colyer - he played drum in the marching band album Ken produced and his feet are on the cover although he is hidden by his drum! Mum says he was in a band called the Wolverines (I know there were a few of these!). I noticed on your site that he set up his own band and was advertised as the Neil Millett band playing at Eel Pie Island in the late 50s.’

Bass player Ron Drakeford recalls: 'Prior to moving to the South Coast, Neil was very prominent on the jazz scene in Kingston and the London area. He was a regular depper on clarinet with many bands and we used him often when I was with the Canal Street band. He played fairly regularly with Mole (Mo) Benn and had a club at Thames Hotel with Mole Benn at one point. As for recordings, I only am aware of one, and on that he is not playing clarinet. He (and Mole Benn) were in the line up on the 10inch LP Marching to New Orleans on Decca LF 1013 by Ken Colyer's Omega Brass Band. On that occasion Neil was playing the bass drum and Mole Benn on sousaphone. Both Neil and Mole often made the line up for various Omega gigs as did many other musos outside of the Colyer band." [At the time of writing the album is only available online as a 'used' album and so unfortunately we are unable to include a sample here - Ed]

Susan Millett remembers, 'We settled into a flat in Surbiton, having temporarily lived in Ealing in 1962 with a jazz friend couple of his. I remember Dad arriving back at the house in Surbiton with an enormous double bass. He was basically out all the time playing. He quite often went off to gigs in Germany or other places when they were young and married. I have to explain he was a very young dad (24) and Mum just 19 when I was born in 1954, the eldest of three, I have two brothers. The reason I point this out is that Dad was a bit absent, in fact totally out of touch with our family between 1981 and about 1995, so I've been piecing stuff together myself. Most of his early young jazz days I was a small child, so I don't remember too much. Mum says in the early days in Hounslow we had Ginger Baker as a paying guest."

Neil Millett 1b with Colyer and Lewis Sue Millett.jpg

Pete Lay and Ron Drakeford suggest the trombonist is Mac Duncan.

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