[Dixielandjazz] Tommy Whittle RIP

[Ken Mathieson]

Hi folks,

Robert wrote that he remembers seeing Tommy in the big band which I assembled to work with Benny Carter in the 1987 Glasgow Jazz Festival. Tommy was approached about being in the band but was unavailable, as was also the case with Goerge Chisholm. The two tenors were in fact Duncan Lamont and Jimmy Hastings.

The Daily Telegraph review cited Tommy as playing "in the Stan Getz style" and the Glasgow Herald obit 
http://www.heraldscotland.com/comment/obituaries/tommy-whittle.22487334 cited Don Byas as his model, but Tommy always named Wardell Gray as his principal primary influence. When I worked with him in the 1970s and 80s, he used to stay with us when he was working in Scotland and, during after-gig suppers, it was always Wardell Gray LPs he wanted to hear..

Cheers,

Ken