[Dixielandjazz] Drummers Unite

[Ken Mathieson]

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Marek Boym 
  To: Ken Mathieson 
  Cc: Dixieland Jazz Mailing List 
  Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2014 10:06 PM
  Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Drummers Unite



    Marek wrote (among other things):


  John McLavy!  Do you bring back memories!

  John McLeavy soloed with the last GREAT band Benny Goodman too on the road.  I have the Stockholm recording (dounle album) - soujds like a dream, after hears and years of rather mediocre bands.

  I don't believe I have ever seen a trumpeter getting as red in the face as he did when he was turning out those magical solos!


  Hi Marek,
  John played in Goodman's "British" band composed of UK-based musicians and another tour with a band made up of US and UK players. He also worked with Goodman in small groups and was immensely proud of all his work with Goodman. The all-UK band had people like Bill McGuffie on piano, Bobby Orr (drums), Lenny Bush (bass -he was actually Canadian but had worked in UK for years), Bob Burns (alto - also Canadian), Duncan Lamont (tenor) and many other great players. Much later on, he did some work with the BBC Scottish Radio Orchestra and was the featured trumpet soloist in a superb concert with Ella Fitzgerald, who was completely knocked out by him.

  He had been a child trumpet star with George Elrick's pre-war stage show on the British Variety Theatres circuit at the age of 15 using the stage name of Johnny Hudson and appeared onstage in short trousers. I've got an ancient videotape of him from a BBC TV programme about the Music Halls and used to kid him mercilessly about the short trousers. Later on he played with Francisco Cavez's marvellous little latin band at 
  (I think) the Savoy Hotel in London and there's an LP on which he plays excellent bebop trumpet. After that gig folded, he worked as a session musician for years but had major dental problems and eventually lost most of his teeth. After he was kitted out with false teeth, he got back into the business, but simplified his style and became heavily influenced by Clark Terry's approach, although he was always recognisably himself. 

  In the 1970s and 80s he worked extensively with accordionist Jack Emblow in a marvellous duo: fiery, tasteful, wonderfully accomplished playing from both of them. That's when I got to know him and I worked frequently with him over a period of over ten years. He was a great stickler for "energy without volume" and I owe him a great deal for his advice and guidance over the years.

  His father had been a dance hall drummer in Dundee, Scotland, when John was a child and John used to tell me that his dad had great time, swung like mad and had played with Louis Armstrong. I always thought that this sounded like something a musician father might say to his son to impress him, but a few years after John's death a friend of mine, who had been doing some research involving the local Dundee newspapers of the 1930s, sent me a clipping reporting Armstrong's solo appearance in a Dundee dance hall with the resident band. It turns out John's dad had actually played with Louis. 

  He was a good friend and I still miss him a lot. His close accomplice, Jack Emblow, is well into his eighties now, but is still active and will shortly be appearing in the Dundee Jazz Festival in a duo with guitarist Martin Taylor. Not to be missed!

  Cheers,

  Ken

   

   

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