[Dixielandjazz] Music Requests

[Gerard Bielderman]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Jeffmatthews111 at aol.com>
To: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Friday, March 02, 2007 9:41 PM
>
> Does anyone on the list have information about Archie  Semple. He played
> clarinet with The Alex Welsh Band. I have done some  research and have 
> recordings
> but there are few details of this distinctive  player.
>
Below the Archie Semple biography, written by Norman Simpson for my AS 
Discography, Eurojazz Discos No.66

ARCHIE SEMPLE BIOGRAPHY



Archie Semple was born in Edinburgh on 31st March 1928. His elder brother, 
John took up an interest in jazz - he played both cornet and piano, and 
Archie followed on clarinet, and, in the early days, also played trumpet.

Edinburgh in the late forties was reminiscent of the other Windy City in 
that it was the birth­place of some wonderfully talented jazz musi­cians: 
Sandy Brown, Alex Welsh, Al Fair­weather and, of course, the Semple 
brothers. Glasgow had similarly produced its share of Jazzers before the war 
(As a Glaswegian I am obliged to point this out!).

Archie did his National Service in the Navy and the Semple family emigrated 
for a short spell in South Africa, where Archie worked for the electricity 
board. The family returned to Edin­burgh where Archie and John worked during 
the day in their photographic shop and at night in a series of bands under 
Archie and John's leadership; The Archie Semple Jazzmen, The Capitol Jazzmen 
and The Nova Scotia Jazz Band. In 1951, John switched from cornet to piano 
and Alex Welsh joined the band, marking the beginning of one of the most 
sympathetic of British jazz partnerships. There is alleged to have been a 
New Orleans - Chicago divide in the Edinburgh jazz scene at this time 
between "opposing" Sandy Brown and Archie Semple camps. This is nonsense, 
since several musi­cians; Alex Welsh himself, Stan Greig and 
multi-instrumentalist Davey Keir played for both band leaders and Archie and 
Sandy were old friends who played jazz together often.

There was a tradition with touring jazz bands from London in the fifties 
with local semi-pro bands being hired as support groups. There was a second 
tradition in that when new musi­cians were required, the emerging stars from 
the local groups were pinched! Thus, when the touring Mick Mulligan band 
sought a second reed player alongside Paul Simspon in May of 1952, Archie 
accepted the job with Mulligan, beginning another long term association - 
with their trombonist Roy Crimmins. Archie's tech­nique and style developed 
and flourished in the professional environment. His earlier influence had 
been Edmond Hall and latterly Pee Wee Russell, but his earlier recordings 
bear witness to an emerging individual talent.

Archie and Roy both joined the popular Freddy Randall band in January 1953 
(the acrimonious circumstances of the move are recorded in George Melly's 
book "Owning Up"). The Ran­dall drummer of the time was Lennie Hastings; the 
beginning of yet another long term asso­ciation. Hastings left with Norman 
Cave in No­vember of 1953. However, in one of these mu­sical chair events, 
he rejoined Randall in June 1954 only to depart again in August to rejoin 
Cave. On this occasion Lennie brought Semple with him. In October, however, 
Cave himself left the band to join Sid Phillips taking with him the budding 
talent of trumpeter Kenny Ball. Lennie took over leadership and brought 
Archie's old Nova Scotia colleague Davey Keir on trumpet. This band did not 
last and Lennie joined Alex Welsh, who had also now trodden the well worn 
path to London, in December of 1954.

Archie himself joined Welsh in February of '55 and Roy Crimmins was also now 
in the Welsh band. The previous work together of these mu­sicians helps 
explain the excellence of the re­cordings of the time and their success in 
the jazz circuit.

The Welsh band's success continued, with the fine playing of Archie a major 
contributing fac­tor. As a bandsman and as a soloist he could be 
effer-vescent and fiery, or, particularly on ballads - his beautiful melodic 
style was a joy to hear.

Due to the excesses, often self-afflicted, of touring musicians, Archie's 
health began to suffer and he had an extended layoff from the band in 1959. 
Despite returning to the band, Archie's problems continued to the degree 
that he had finally to leave the band on 23 March 1963 (being replaced by Al 
Gay).

Archie performed a few musical gigs thereafter, including one in 1964 with 
Pee Wee Russell and Sandy Brown and some recordings for his friend Denis 
Preston, but his musical career was unfortunately over. He eventually died 
on 26th January 1974. As with the premature deaths of other virtuoso 
musicians like Sandy Brown, Tubby Hayes and Phil Seamen, one is only 
conscious of the tremendous waste. For­tunately, largely due to his mentor 
Denis Pre­ston, some superb recording material remains.

Norman Simpson