John Petters Remembers Louis Lince (1942 - 2020)

(This obituary was originally posted on Facebook and is reposted courtesy of the author. Thanks to Patti Durham for making this possible - Lance.) It is with great sorrow that the jazz scene heard of the passing of Banjo / Guitarist, Bass Drummer, Parade Marshall, Band Leader, Reviewer, Jazz Historian and Publisher Louis Lince, following a rapidly growing brain tumour, diagnosed just after Christmas. (photo - Ray & Jenny Knight) Louis (John Louis James Lince) came into the world on 22 July 1942 in St. Helens, Lancashire. Like many of his generation, he started out in a Skiffle Group – the Red Devils. Louis came south to London in 1958, working with several bands before leaving music in 1963 to concentrate on a career in Marketing. Eleven years later he returned to the semi-pro scene as a member of ‘Mac’s New Orleans Band’, founded by trombonist, Gordon MacKay  and featuring  the legendary Colin Bowden and hot clarinettist, Dave Bailey. He was a founder member of Dave Bailey’s Trio in Cambridge in 1975 and joined Barry Palser’s Savoy Jazzmen in 1976, staying until 1983. Louis played and recorded with the Ken Colyer All-star touring bands in East Anglia 1976-82. It was during this period that our paths first crossed. Louis was based in Bishop's Stortford, Herts at the time and I was living down the road in Harlow. Louis soon became an important part of my early jazz career.   We shared numerous gigs together in a variety of different combinations, normally with Dave Bailey and the much missed cornetist, Ken Sims.  Most notably, Louis was present on both my Gospel CDs, 'Walkin' With The King' and 'It's Me O Lord', and performed the first concert of ‘King’  at St Peter’s Church, Wisbech with guests Lady Linda Young and Tuba Fats Lacon, from New Orleans.   He regularly appeared at my residential festivals and recorded “Very Live At Pakefield” with Sammy Rimington, Cuff Billett, Mike Pointon, Annie Hawkins and Nick Dawson before an audience of just under 1,000 raving fans. Download a free track - Panama from this stompin' session He was also an important contributor to a fine quartet formed by Dave Bailey and bassist Annie Hawkins, formed as a result of appearances at my festivals.  We recorded the CD, "Eye to Eye" together in 2000. Together with my pal, Terry Maton, we formed CMJ Records, and Louis' Colyer session was one of the early CD releases.   Louis steered CMJ along an interesting course, supervising and sometimes operating the new Sony Digital F1 recording system, which captured the music direct to two track stereo, with no opportunity to re-mix or edit – just like the old 78 rpm days.  CMJ specialized in trying to capture jazz as you would hear it live. Louis sorted out the artwork and notes for the important CMJ recordings with Kenny Davern, Wild Bill Davison Art Hodes etc. In 1989 Louis produced the CD with George Chisholm OBE for my ‘Swinging Down Memory Lane’ show. In May 1989, Louis had access to a heavyweight Sony Digital video camera and captured the only video from The Legends of American Dixieland (Wild Bill and Art Hodes) tour in May 1989, some of which can be seen on YouTube. These may be the last moving footage of Wild Bill, who left the building shortly after the tour. Louis got out of Marketing in 1988 to return to professional playing. He formed Louis Lince's New Orleans Band, which he put together in 3 – 7 piece units, as the gigs required. He also led his New Imperial Parade Band, playing for funerals, weddings and carnivals. He recorded a CD, “Hot at the Dot”, with his Jelly Roll Kings, which featured Malc Murphy, drums, Paul Bonner, trumpet, Micky Ashman, bass, Tony Weston, clarinet, & Les Handscombe, trombone. He depped with Max Collie’s Rhythm Aces and many other bands and was co founder, in 1997 of the Annie Hawkins New Orleans Legacy, which he also managed. Louis was delighted to be invited to play in Monty Sunshine’s Band the following year, remaining until Monty’s retirement from music in 2000. Louis was a real devotee of New Orleans revival music and put together an odd little band – the Melody Inn Quartet - which emulated the Harold Dejan & Lionel Ferbos Mighty Four of 1950s New Orleans. Featured in this unique combination were George Berry, reeds, David Copperwaite, trumpet and Charles King, drums. It just proves that a band can be any combination of instruments and Louis recognised this. There aren’t many CDs which feature a quartet with just drums and banjo as a rhythm section, but Louis knew it would work and it did. In 2002 Louis relocated back to the North-west and settled in Romiley, Stockport, near to where he was bought up. He was asked to join Martin Bennett’s Old Green River band in 2003. He then joined the Savannah Jazz Band, leaving in 2013 to join Mart Rodger’s Manchester Jazz. Louis played all over Europe with various bands at most of the major festivals.  A visitor to New Orleans on an annual basis since 1990 – his first trips were in 1979, 80 and 86. He worked in New Orleans with - Linda Young and Tuba Fats' Chosen Few‑1992-95 (recording with them in 1995); Wendell Eugene 1998- 2017(recording in 2006); Lionel Ferbos 1996-2014; Jacques Gauthé 2000-7; Reginald Koeller 1996-2003; Gregory Stafford 1998-; Barry Martyn 1993-. In parallel with his playing career, Louis was kept busy as a reviewer of CDs for the niche “New Orleans Music”, magazine, taking over as its publisher until it closed in 2010. Most recently, Louis had been involved in a video project with Ray & Jenny Knight, documenting British jazz in the regions.  They set up “RayK Jazz” along with photographic artiste, Justin Hubbard and set about interviewing firstly, the Northern bands. Louis scripted and narrated the first documentary, “The Road to Southport Pier”, which was published on YouTube. Others followed and at the time he was taken ill, Louis was working on a documentary celebrating Cambridge bandleader, Barry Palser’s 60th Anniversary of his Savoy Jazzmen.  It was at this gig, near Cambridge, in September, where I last had the pleasure of Louis’ impeccable and rhythmic banjo in my set of Spirituals.  He also spent an hour interviewing me about my life in jazz, as well as many other musicians present at this memorable event. Ray and Jenny have asked me to help complete the project, which will be published not only as a tribute to Barry Palser’s contribution to jazz, but also as a memorial to Louis. Louis leaves behind his wife Jill and daughters, Mary-Lou and Vikki, legions of jazz fans who have either heard his music, read his reviews or watched his documentaries.  He rambled and he rambled, ‘til the butcher cut him down. RIP Louis and thank you for the music. John Petters Saturday, 08 February 2020 Published recordings: (Listed chronologically by published date) LP - You've got the Right Key - Savoy Jazzmen 1979 LP - Savoy Rag - Savoy Jazzmen - 1981 LP – Jubilee - Savoy Jazzmen - 1983 LP - Algiers Strut - East Side Stompers 1985 CD - Just A Little While to Stay Here - Ken Colyer All-stars, 1989 CD - Hot At the Dot - Louis Lince's Jelly Roll Kings 1991 MC - Backstairs Session - Louis Lince's backstairs Boys 1992 MC - Yearning - Louis Lince's Big Four 1993 CD - More Savoy Jazzmen - 1994 CD - Walking With the King - John Petters' New Orleans All-stars 1994 CD - Good Morning to Heaven - Linda Young & Tuba Fats 1996 CD - Mardi Gras Parade - Annie Hawkins' New Orleans Legacy 1997 CD - Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah - Annie Hawkins' New Orleans Legacy 1998 CD - It's Me Oh Lord - John Petters' New Orleans All-stars 1998 (Download) CD - Very Live At Pakefield - Rimington - Petters' N.O.Allstars 1999 (Download) CD - Back to New Orleans - Best of British Jazz Band 1999 CD - Dance Hall Days - Melody Inn Quartet 1999 CD - Eye To Eye - Dave Bailey-Annie Hawkins Quartet 2000    (download) CD - Everybody Loves My Baby - Brian Green’s Millennium All-stars 2000 CD - One for The Road - Martin Bennett’s Old Green River Band 2003 CD - One for My Baby - Martin Bennett’s Old Green River Band 2004 CD – Let The Good Times Roll – a concert for Katrina relief in Lincoln 2005 CD – Dixieland at the Thornton Little Theatre – Mike Lovell’s band 2006  DVD – 19th Jazzdag in Gelsenkirchen – Savannah jazz band 2006 CD – Drifting and Dreaming – Savannah jazz band 2006 CD - Jazz meets Gospel – St Augustine’s Choir in New Orleans 2008 CD – Let us take you to the Mardi Gras – Savannah jazz band 2008 CD – Wendell Eugene & his Mardi Gras band in New Orleans 2010 JOHN PETTERS 10 FEBRUARY 2020

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