During the course of last night's Ronnie Scott's Story concert, Alex Garnett broke the sad news that Joe Temperley had passed away the previous day (May 11). The band then played Chelsea Bridge in his memory. It was an appropriate choice as Joe Temperley was a baritone saxophonist very much in the Harry Carney mould.
My memories go way back to his tenor playing days in the 1950s when I'm sure he then signed himself Jo Temperley.
I have fond memories of hearing him in concert with the greatest, in my opinion, of the Lyttleton bands at a concert in a hall in London somewhere near Covent Garden. This was the band that took Lyttleton firmly away from the trad scene. The band with Tony Coe on alto, Jimmy Skidmore, tenor, and Joe Temperley on baritone. Even to this day, I can recall Temperley playing Prelude to a Kiss with that big sound and it wasn't so surprising that, many years later, he sat in Harry Carney's chair in the Ellington Band.
I followed his progress after he left for America and of course when he made appearances here in Newcastle with Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra.
It was in June 2010 at Sage Gateshead that I arranged to meet him backstage after a concert by the LCJO.
Unfortunately, the band played a small group number that didn't include Joe and by the time the concert was finally over and I was able to access the backstage area Joe was nowhere to be seen.
One of the guys came over and said that he sends his apologies but he had to get back to his hotel in time to watch the World Cup on TV!
Scotland's greatest ever jazz musician? Got to be high on the list!
Sadly missed - thank you Joe for the pleasure your music has given me.
Joe Temperley was 86 may he Rest in Peace.
Lance.Obituary.
RIP Joe Temperley.
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