The attached photo shows the Panama Jazzmen frontline that won the Clem Millard Jazz band competition at the Oxford Galleries in 1955 but with Dave Thurston on Bass.
The brown Blazers Joe Mac, Dave and Myself are wearing were purchased with the cash prize from that comp. (Don't know what happened to Ronnie McLeans brown blazer but I recall he always liked to look pretty dapper and might have been pretending he was the leader?)
At that time the Panama used several bass players as available.
Joe Garner (on national service so rarely available)
Ray Jobling (a left-handed bass player but a great swinger)
Dave Thurston
Barry Philips ( also a guitar player of some note).
I was using a German Oehler system clarinet prior to my graduation to the Bohem System as can be seen in the solo photo from the same session as the group picture.
Sorry if I am being a bit of a bore but the Panama of the mid 1950's was a very good band and should be recorded at least pictorially since i have not been able to locate the tapes from one session that I am certain was recorded at the City Hall concert in I think 1956 (Newcastle Arts Festival).
Don.
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