| John Dankworth |
John
Dankworth Performing at Buxton Opera House, on 4th Nov 2002
|
| Background information |
| Birth name |
Sir John Phillip William Dankworth |
| Born |
September 20, 1927 (1927-09-20)
(age 79) |
| Origin |
 Woodford, Essex, UK |
| Genre(s) |
Cool jazz |
| Instrument(s) |
Clarinet
Saxophone |
| Years active |
1950s – 1990s |
Sir John Phillip William Dankworth, CBE (born 20
September 1927)
is a British jazz composer, saxophonist
and clarinetist.
Born in Woodford,
Essex he
grew up in the suburb of Highams Park and attended Sir
George Monoux Grammar School in Walthamstow. He was brought up in a
family of musicians. He had violin and piano lessons before settling eventually on
the clarinet
at the age of 16, after hearing a record of the Benny
Goodman Quartet. Soon after that, inspired by Johnny
Hodges, he added the alto saxophone to his armoury.
After a period at London’s Royal Academy of Music, and
national service in the army, he began a career on the British jazz scene, being
voted Musician of the Year in 1949. During that year he attended the Paris
Jazz Festival and played with Charlie Parker. Parker's comments
about Dankworth led to the engagement of the young British jazzman for
a short tour of Sweden
with the soprano-saxophonist Sidney Bechet.
In 1950
Dankworth formed a small group known as the Dankworth Seven as a
vehicle for his writing activities as well as a showcase for several
young jazz soloists, including himself (alto sax), Jimmy
Deuchar (trumpet), Eddie Harvey (trombone), Don
Rendell (tenor sax), Bill le Sage (piano), Eric Dawson (bass) and Tony Kinsey (drums). After three
successful years, the group was wound up, although it reformrd for
several reunions over the years. Dankworth formed his big band in 1953. The band was
soon earning plaudits from the critics and was invited to the 1959 Newport
Jazz Festival. The New York Times
critic said of this appearance ".... Mr. Dankworth’s group .... showed
the underlying merit that made big bands successful many years ago -
the swinging drive, the harmonic colour and the support in depth for
soloists that is possible when a disciplined, imaginatively directed
band has worked together for a long time. This English group has a
flowing, unforced, rhythmic drive that has virtually disappeared from
American bands." The band went on to perform at the New York jazz
club Birdland and shortly afterwards
shared the stage with the Duke Ellington Orchestra for a number
of concerts. Dankworth’s band also performed at a jazz event at New
York’s Lewisohn stadium where Louis Armstrong joined them for a
set. By now, Cleo Laine's singing was a regular
feature of Dankworth's recordings and public appearances and they
married in 1958.
Beginning that year, Dankworth started a second career as a
popular composer of film and television scores (often credited as
"Johnny Dankworth"). Among his best-known credits are the original
themes for The Avengers
(used from 1961 to 1964) and Tomorrow's
World, plus the scores for the 1966 films Modesty Blaise
and Morgan: A
Suitable Case for Treatment.
In 1961,
Dankworth’s recording of Galt MacDermot’s African
Waltz reached the British charts and remained there for
several months. American altoist Cannonball
Adderley sought and received Dankworth’s permission to record the
arrangement and had a minor hit in the US as a result. The piece was
also covered by many other groups.
Dankworth’s friendship with trumpeter Clark
Terry led to Terry being a featured soloist on Dankworth’s 1964 album The
Zodiac Variations, together with Bob
Brookmeyer, Zoot
Sims, Phil
Woods, Lucky Thompson and other guests.
Other Dankworth recordings during this period featured many other
respected jazz names. Some were full-time members of the Dankworth band
at one time or another, like Tony Coe, Mike Gibbs, Peter King, Dudley
Moore, John Taylor and Kenny
Wheeler, while others such as Dave Holland, John McLaughlin, Tubby
Hayes and Dick Morrissey were
occasional participants.
During this active period of recording, the Dankworth band
nevertheless found time for frequent live appearances and radio shows,
including tours in Britain and Europe with Nat
King Cole, Sarah Vaughan and Gerry
Mulligan, and concerts and radio performances with Lionel
Hampton and Ella Fitzgerald.
Dankworth’s friendship with Duke Ellington continued until the
latter’s death in 1974.
Since then he has recorded an album of symphonic arrangements of many
Ellington tunes featuring another Ellingtonian trumpet soloist Barry Lee Hall. Dankworth also
retained his Ellington links by performing with the Ellington Orchestra
under the direction of Duke’s son, Mercer
Ellington. Further symphonic albums include one with Dizzy
Gillespie and the Rochester
Philharmonic Orchestra. Other jazz musicians with whom Dankworth has
performed include George Shearing, Toots
Thielemans, Benny Goodman, Herbie
Hancock, Hank
Jones, Tadd
Dameron, Slam Stewart, Oscar
Peterson.
Dankworth’s active jazz life, which also includes many
appearances and recordings with his wife, singer Dame Cleo
Laine, shows no signs of abating. He remains a prominent figure in the
British jazz scene.
From 1984 to 1986, Dankworth was professor of music at Gresham
College, London, giving free public lectures. He has always had an
enthusiasm for jazz education, for many years running the Allmusic
summer schools at the Stables in Wavendon, a theatre created by him and his
wife in their back garden.
He has appeared with Craig David on Later with Jools Holland
on BBC
Two. He set up his own record label, Qnotes, in 2003, to reissue some
of his old recordings as well as new ones. They include a number with Julian Lloyd Webber, Dudley
Moore and members of his family.
Dankworth and Laine's two children are both jazz musicians: Alec
Dankworth is a bassist who is also a member of his father's
band, and Jacqui Dankworth is a singer.
John Dankworth was made a Knight
Bachelor in the 2006 New Year's Honours List, the
first British jazz musician to receive such an honour.
External links
See also
- List of Gresham Professors of
Music
