Forum 2025
Correspondence from our readers this year
Topics:
May
Dave Burman Remembered
Lord Donegal
Alex Welsh - Davenport Blues
April
Quiz Question
Jazz Clubs Worldwide
March
Photographic Memories
Friends Of Barry Gray
February
Bill Brunskill
Copyright and AI
January
​
Dave Burman
American trumpeter Jeff Wilson writes: "One November, I took a short vacation to London when British Airways started non-stop flights from Denver, Colorado to Heathrow. After flying overnight, I arrived in London, cleared customs and found my way to my bed & breakfast in a dormitory at a teacher's college on the east side of town. After getting settled in, I went looking for a pub and some food. Being a Friday evening, the pubs were busy and I wasn't able to secure a table. As I turned away from 1 pub I saw a trombone player walking down the street. I caught up with him and explained that I had just arrived and asked if I could tag along to his gig. When we arrived (I later found out that I was in the lobby of RADA), the trombonist introduced me to a saxophonist named Keith. While they were setting up, I retreated to the bar and ordered a Carling's Black Label and a bag of potato chips to enjoy the music.
During the break, the trombonist introduced me to Dave Burman as a trumpet player from the States who had just arrived that morning. Dave looked at me and queried, "Are you any good?" Yes. "Do you read music?" Yes. "Can you play this?" Piece of Cake. He then went on to explain he hadn't played a lot of trumpet recently and he was normally the piano player, but couldn't find a trumpet sub for the band that night. He asked if I would take his horn and sit in for the 2nd set. It was an honour to sit in and play that evening. It wasn't until we had finished that he told me he had had a long-standing engagement at the 100 Club. I occasionally exchanged e-mails with him for a few years, but had not gotten a response the past couple of times. I recently found a reference to Molly Burman that mentioned Dave 'was the leader of the Vintage Jazz Orchestra.' With the sight-seeing I did around London for the next 4 or 5 days, my encounter with Dave Burman was definitely the highlight of the trip. As I lift a pint to Dave, I leave you with a hearty "Cheers".
​
[Dave Burman passed through the Departure Lounge at the end of 2024 a link to the London Vintage Jazz Orchestra is shown in our Photographic Memories albums (here). Jeff now plays mostly with community concert bands in America , but picks up some 8 to 10 piece dance orchestra gigs and some musical theatre pit orchestra here and there. Ed]
Lord Donegal
Colin Bray writes: " I've been getting your digital magazine for quite some time and really appreciate it. A lot of the material is not my sort of thing, I am particularly interested in the period when Sandy Brown was playing inthe 50s and early 60s. I remember searching for some information on Lord Donegal and his jazz activities and tried to do so today but
discovered the links to the archives aren't working. Is there any chance of correcting this? I have several acetates made by Lord Donegal and was chasing up information. I've been interested in the British Traditional jazz scene from the 40s to the end of the 50s ever since I was in my late teens. My father was present at the very first evening George Webb's Dixielanders played at the Red Barn in Barnehurst and in fact went to all the performances up until his majesty invited him to go overseas to fight for him in May 1945. I probably have one of the largest collections of that period of Bitish jazz on 78 rpm recordings including many unissued test pressings and private acetates."
​
[I have now updated our page about jazz fan and supporter Lord Donegal here. Ed.]
Davenport Blues - Alex Welsh
Richard Aylmer-Hall asks "Hi Ian. Bit of a long shot, but worth a try... I came across this website while hunting online for a transcription of the piano and cornet parts for Bix Biederbecke's Davenport Blues, as arranged and performed by Alex Welsh and Fred Hunt (in the second part of our article here. Ed.) My son loves to play the tune on trumpet, playing along to the recording (from YouTube here), but it would be great if I could give the piano part to an accompanist so he can perform it properly. So my question is whether you are aware of any transcriptions of this version?"
​
(Has anyone made a transcription, know of one, or are able to help Richard and his son? Ed)
Quiz
Dave Parry writes: "Thanks for the March issue. Great stuff as usual even if it never fails to reveal my ignorance!! I have a quiz question that you may like to include: "Which jazz singer had to threaten people with a gun in an attempt to get paid for her music which had been used and played without her agreement? You can reply to me with the answer but be honest. I really want to score at least one hit against you!"
Dave did! - I didn't know the answer! The answer is here if you don't know either.
Jazz Clubs Worldwide
Peter Maguire has done a complete update of his website Jazz Clubs Worldwide. He says: "Post-COVID there have been many changes worldwide. Thus, I have done a complete revision of all listings. Overall, the international jazz scene has shown considerable resilience, although there have been some significant closures of important venues. However, there have also been many new, and welcome, additions. I discovered, in the course of updates, a jazz club, 'The Fat Cat', thriving in Ulanbator, Mongolia. The worldwide jazz scene continues to surprise and delight."
Photographic Memories
A message from Jimmy Thomson reminds me that I have not added to the series from some time ago where readers sent in photographs of times that reminded them of jazz-related events. That page became long and needs to be updated so I have made a start (here). If you have a photograph that tells a story, please let us know so that we can share it. Jimmy writes of the photograph below: "This is me with Acker Bilk in 1959 - Ian Richardson is in corner. I last saw Acker in 1999.; he was having lip problems, but he always remembered me over the years. At that concert he allowed me to blow his horn. He was with Scott Hamilton at Dundee Rep. He told me he was painting watercolours. All that from my first encounter in 1959 at Dundee Palais. I still cherish that memory."
​
(Scott Hamilton has recently celebrated his 70th birthday by releasing an album Looking Back ).
​
Friends Of Barry Gray
Eileen Mann has written asking whether any readers can identify the people in the pictures below. Eileen is helping someone who is writing a biography of composer Barry Gray. Barry was not a jazz musician as such, he composed music for many science fiction series (details here), but his friends were jazz musicians. Eileen says: "The pictures are from Barry Gray’s home movie shot in his garden in 1958 or earlier. We think number 3 is Stan Roderick. Number 5 might be singer Bill Elliott?". Does anyone recognise any of the people?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Ray Smith
Alan Bond writes that he has been in touch each Christmas with pianist Ray Smith (brother of Chris Barber's bass player, Dick Smith) who is an old friend of Alan's from his days with the Steve Lane band, but Alan was unable to make contact with Ray this year. Alan wonders whether any other readers are in touch with Ray?
Bill Brunskill
Our thanks to Marcus Holt who writes to tell us that the 1984 documentary Whatever Happened To Bill Brunskill is now available on YouTube here. At just under an hour long, George Melly narrates this film about trumpet/cornet player Bill Brunskill. You will also find an article for Sandy Brown Jazz by Don Coe about Bill Brunskill here.
AI and Copyright
Chris Hodgkins writes that musicians' (and others') intellectual property rights "are at risk of being undermined to the benefit of generative artificial intelligence (AI) companies." Chris points out that consultation is currently taking place - until the 25th February and urges people to write to their MP on the issue. "The creative industries thrive on the power of imaginative minds to tell stories through music, film, imagery and art, all underpinned by copyright protections. However, certain generative AI developers are calling on the UK government to weaken copyright protections, threatening creatives’ livelihoods" Chris says. Information on the issue is in a briefing paper from UK Music here and a statement from PRS For Music here.
The Family Hall
Our 'Jazz Remembered' feature about trumpeter Albert Hall (here) mentioned that Albert's family were / are very involved in music, his brother Cliff playing piano with The Shadows, for example. Amanda Hall has seen the article and writes about another of Albert's brothers, her father, Henry: "Hello I was reading your article on Albert Hall Remembered and his brothers. My father was Henry Hall who sadly passed in 2011 he was a trumpet player and played the tenor horn in the British Airways Band for many years. Henry was also a trumpet player in the The Royal Airforce Western Band and he played in the Queens 1953 Coronation. After serving several years in the military he was medically discharged with a severe injury to his leg which affected him for the rest of his life. I miss my dad and uncles a lot. My grandad Gilbert Hall was a musician too and became a music teacher in a school. This was where my dad and his brothers learnt to play in Brass Bands in the 1930s with their father."
Rosetta Howard
Stephanie Bradford has seen our recent page on vocalist Rosetta Howard (here) and writes that she has come across an old 78rpm record by Rosetta and the Big Three Trio that we write about. It is nice to know that Rosetta's original recordings are still out there.
How To Listen To Jazz - Ten Tips
Our thanks to Tim Rolfe who has written to tell us about this publication from Bob Karcy of Arkadia Records. Their website has a number of different elements and a link to items on YouTube. To download the Ten Tips (free) you need to fill in an online form. Tim has done this and passed me a photocopy of the booklet that looks worth exploring. Take a look at the details here.
James Reese Europe
Thanks to clarinettist Alvin Roy who tells us of this YouTube video from Noble Sissle about James Reese Europe who formed the African American army band in World War I and brought a different sound to the American forces. The video (7.39 minutes) is here.
Requests For Information
We have received requests for information about the following topics - can you help?
The Folk Barge, Kingston-upon-Thames
Oscar Rabin
The Viaduct Pub, Hanwell