[Dixielandjazz] Bill Brunskill

[Brian Harvey]

I am told on good authority that the legendary British bandleader Bill
Brunskill passed this afternoon. Here is his entry from Brian Wood's
admirable glossary of New Orleans musicians 'The song for me'.

BRUNSKILL, William “Bill” Trumpet
1920, Feb 19: London, England
Originally played guitar during the thirties in dance bands before switching
to trumpet. He started playing jazz during WW2. As well as gigging around
Bill had spells with Cy Laurie and Bob Dawbarn. It was the latter band that
he largely took over to form a group of his own in 1955. He first played
with the original Cy Laurie band (with Charlie Galbraith on sax) in 1944. In
1951 he formed a band with Anthony Donegan and Jim Bray, both of whom joined
Ken Colyer in 1953. Now a redoubtable veteran of the British jazz scene,
Bill Brunskill has played to generations of enthusiasts. His unbroken 25
years residency at the “Lord Napier” pub in Croydon, South London is a
remarkable achievement that was in jeopardy in 1995 when the pub changed
hands, but that problem was resolved and the celebrated Bill plays on. Many
musicians, as varied as an 85 years old Nat Gonella and a then teenager
Sammy Rimington, have sat in with him over the years. An excellent example
of his style can be caught on his Bill Brunskill and Friends recording made
in 1993 not with his regular line-up but with a selection of his old
sidemen: George Berry clarinet and tenor; George Tidiman trombone; Phil
Durell banjo; Pete Lay drums, and Graham Wiseman on bass. An excellent
Thames Television documentary called “Whatever Happened to Bill Brunskill?”
and narrated by George Melly was shot in the Lord Napier during 1983. Bill
Brunskill Jr., a banjo player with the High Society Jazz Band, emigrated to
Australia in
1971. Chris Foreman was on clarinet with Bill Sr. early on; also played with
the Harlequin Stompers.