John Dankworth
Sir John Phillip William Dankworth, CBE ( Johnny Dankworth, born September 20, 1927 in Woodford, Essex, † February 6, 2010 in London) was a British jazz saxophonist ( alto), clarinet player, big band leader and composer.
Life and work
Dankworth comes from a musical family and learned piano and violin. After hearing recordings of Benny Goodman, he joined with 16 for clarinet. For alto saxophone, he came when he heard Johnny Hodges.
After studying at the Royal Academy of Music in London and the military service, he began to play professionally. Initially, he worked as a ship's musician before he became a member of the bands of Tito Burns and Ted Heath. He made his first recordings on 13 September 1944 as a member of the band Freddie Mirfield and his Garbage Men ( four titles, including the Good Old Wagon Blues ). On April 9, 1949, he was first with his own band, the Johnny Dankworth Quartet, recorded live. In the same year he was appointed by Melody Maker "Musician of the Year" and played in Paris during the jazz festival with Charlie Parker, according to which a Sweden - tour with Sidney Bechet joined.
In 1950 he founded the successful " Dankworth Seven," which existed until 1953, but later came together again and again. In her playing Bill Le Sage (piano ), Eric Dawson ( bass), Tony Kinsey (drums), Jimmy Deuchar (trumpet ), Eddie Harvey (trombone), Don Rendell (tenor saxophone) and he himself on alto saxophone. First recordings of 18 May 1950, Lightly Politely / Strike Up The Band / Marmaduke / Little Benny. By early 1953 the band moved to Parlophone where it was produced by George Martin since their first single Honeysuckle Rose on February 10, 1953. However, it required a variety of productions until 10 May 1956, the title Experiments With Mice arose, the hit parade with a first note - was rewarded - a seventh. In 1953, Dankworth formed his own big band that played at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1959, at Birdland in New York and several times in the UK as a backing band of Duke Ellington. Dankworth remained with Ellington friends, also took the title with his big band arrangements and on and played after the death of Ellington's with the ghost band under the direction of Mercer Ellington.
The singer Cleo Laine, who married Dankworth in 1958, sang regularly since November 1951 with the band and her husband the following groups and even with the Dankworth Seven. Also starting in the late 1950s, Dankworth began to compose. Together with Mátyás Seiber he wrote 1959, the Third Stream composition Improvisations for Jazz Band and Orchestra. As of May 1959, he named his band Johnny Dankworth Orchestra.
Above all, he composed music for film and television. Best known is the theme song for " The Avengers and melon " ( "The Avengers" ), which were broadcast for the first time in 1961. In the same year he had a hit with "African Waltz " by Galt MacDermot. In 1964 he took up with his friend Clark Terry ( and Bob Brookmeyer, Zoot Sims, Phil Woods, Lucky Thompson) " The Zodiac Variations". Its in its extended harmonies by Martin Kunzler the works of Gil Evans comparable arrangements and his extensive works such as the jazz opera Sweeney Agonistes life of sophistication in sound colors, but are sometimes becomes quite complex.
Among the members of his big band in the 1960s temporarily included Tony Coe, Mike Gibbs, Peter King, Dudley Moore, John Taylor and Kenny Wheeler and occasionally Dave Holland, John McLaughlin, Tubby Hayes, Dick Morrissey and Stan Sulzmann. Dankworth accompanied with his band Nat King Cole, Sarah Vaughan, Gerry Mulligan on tour and at various concerts Lionel Hampton and Ella Fitzgerald. Other musicians with whom he has worked on are George Shearing, Toots Thielemans, Benny Goodman, Herbie Hancock, Tadd Dameron, Slam Stewart and Oscar Peterson.
In 2006, Dankworth was defeated by Queen Elizabeth II as the first British jazz musician as a Knight Bachelor knighted after he had previously been honored as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire ( CBE). His wife had been ennobled in 1997 as Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE ). Dankworth was with his wife, a prominent figure in the British jazz scene and the honorary president of the National Jazz Center. 1984 to 1986 he was professor at Gresham College in London, where he gave public lectures as well ( free ). In his country house "The Stables " with cultural and theater center connected for many years he organized regular summer schools. The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, he was associated as the patron.
His sister is the music educator and author Avril Dankworth ( 1922-2013 ). His two children are also jazz musicians - Jacqui Dankworth ( born 1963 ) is a singer, Alec Dankworth ( born 1960 ) is the bass player, who also played in his father's band.
Disco Graphical Notes
- The Vintage Years (sepia, 1953-59 )
- The Roulette Years ( Roulette, 1961) with Danny Moss and Peter King
- Moon Valley (Audio, 1998) with John Horler, Malcolm Greese, Allan Ganley
- JD5 ( QNT, 2002/ 03)