[Dixielandjazz] Roy Crimmins RIP

[Graham Martin]

G'day Marek,
Very sad news indeed! I spent a good deal of my time in the late  50s and early 60s chasing the Alex Welsh Band from club to club in that great 'hot' jazz scene we had going in those days. I have always been a huge Eddie Condon fan and the Alex Welsh Band was the best thing we had going for us in Britain. Slick said the same thing! My own band of those days, The Mike Graham Jazzmen, even got to play their intervals - several times at Osterley Jazz Club and once as openers for them at St Albans jazz club when they were delayed by fog.

Being a trombone player myself, Roy Crimmins was a big inspiration and his replacement Roy Williams also became a trombone hero for me. When Roy Crimmins returned to the band, I had already departed for foreign shores and so I did not get to hear that part of the bands history live. I am told it was like old times and it certainly sounds that way on the recorded material of that period.

Vale Roy and thanks for all the good times and memories.

Graham Martin
REDLAND BAY, Queensland, AUSTRALIA

-----Original Message-----
From: Marek Boym [mailto:marekboym at gmail.com] 
Sent: Friday, 29 August 2014 5:30 PM
To: Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
Cc: Dixieland Jazz Mailing List
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Roy Crimmins RIP

I have just received the sad news that Roy Crimmins of the Alex Welsh Band fame passed away yesterday of pneumonia.
In addtion to being a great player, among the best there were, he was a personal friend.
Blessed be his memory,
Marek