Regrettably, I don't think I ever heard Stan Robinson either live or on record. Although, such was his reputation as a tenor, soprano, flute and clarinet player, I surely must have done. Robinson, who died on April 9, played in a host of top bands both big and small and it is inconceivable that our paths didn't cross somewhere along the line.
Those bands included Maynard Ferguson, Tubby Hayes Big Band, Alan Ganley/Keith Christie Jazzmakers, Bert Courtley and many others most of whom I've seen at one time or another - maybe I was in the right place at the wrong time or vice versa.
So, although unable to quote a personal memory I will, nevertheless, bemoan the passing of a British jazzman who certainly deserved recognition beyond his peers.
Read the warm obituary on LondonJazzNews.
Stan Robinson died 5 days short of his 81st birthday. May he rest in peace.
Lance.
PS: There's a clip on the London site of Stan Robinson playing alongside Frank Holder at the latter's 91st birthday party which reveals him to be a very gutsy player. I must have him on an album somewhere - the search begins...
3 comments :
R.I.P. Stan.
A really good musician and nice guy. I had a lesson with him....late '60's. I didn't know him, or anything about him at that time. Don Rendell had told me to call him. The lesson lasted about two hours and when I asked how much I owed him, he replied "would a pound be alright?" I didn't see him for about five years after that until he was playing at the Torrington Jazz club in Finchley, North London. He saw me and he said (like I'd just seen him yesterday) "Hello John, how's it going?"
You're going to be missed, Stan.
I lived next door to stan in the 90s what a guy great friend great sax player with a heart of gold rip mate
I first heard Stan at the 606 club on Kings road in the early ‘80’s, on my first visit to London. I absolutely loved his playing, such a beautiful angular and pure approach, I met him booked my first lesson with him that evening. Over the years we became great friends, and when touring thru London years later to work at Ronnie’s, I always called Stan in advance and try to book him for more of his time for a lesson. I always had to talk him into it!
Well the word got around and soon Stan had a few saxophone player colleagues of mine from Vancouver BC Canada studying with him. We all loved him. Stan was a musicians musician, well known through reputation in jazz circles globally. Later on when studying with George Coleman in New York, I happen to mention Stan to George and George expressed being a big admirer of his playing.
No surprise that Stan was also a great story teller. He called me one day years ago to tell me about a lesson he had just taught. He had received a phone call from a woman who was a saxophone player who was interested in a lesson, citing that she had been a fan of his for years. So she booked a time with Stan. The day of, Stan was watching for her out the window of his apartment building and saw a convertible
Jaguar approaching with a woman he described as being the real life version of Jessica Rabbit behind the wheel. She pulls up in front of his building, grabs her alto from the passenger seat and buzzes Stans intercom. She comes up to his flat, Stan lets her in and they make some small talk before Stan out of sheer curiosity asks for you mind me asking, what do you do for a living?’ She says ‘I’m a saxophone player’
Stan says ‘well you obviously do very well! how can I be of any service?’ She says ‘well I’ve always had a question about the instrument and I’m wondering what this key does’ as she points to her octave key. Stan says ‘that’s your octave key, didn’t you tell me you were a professional saxophone player?!’ She replied yes. Stan then asks ‘do you mind me asking then what type of gigs do you do??’
She replies ‘I work in elite bars throughout Germany, I walk topless on the bars at last call playing my saxophone’
R.I.P. Stan
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