Roy Willox was a gentleman. Even though I never met him other than by listening to his music I knew that he was, without doubt, a gentleman as the many testimonies to him in this beautifully laid out biography confirm.
Within its glossy pages, 84 in all, are photographs and newspaper cuttings documenting a career that began when he took his first saxophone lesson from the legendary Harry Hayes. Hearing the youngster at that first lesson, Hayes marvelled at the boy's ability to identify notes with his back to the piano. "I think we have a find" said Hayes little realising that 76 years later those words would become the title of Roy Willox's biography!
His career progressed via the family dance band, various other bands reaching a peak from which it never dipped with the bands of Ted Heath, Geraldo, Jack Parnell, various BBC orchestras and a band that played under the precocious, but nevertheless accurate, title of The Best of British Jazz. How could it be called anything else with Roy, Kenny Baker, Don Lusher, Brian Lemon, Lennie Bush and Jack Parnell the players?
Lovingly written and produced by Roy's son Andrew and close friend Eileen Mann, it's a book that will appeal to every big band fan and most jazz fans whose preferences lean towards the mainstream/swing era although it must also be pointed out that Roy's sax, clarinet and flute playing added spice to many a pop record as well as a host of television jingles. He really was a man for all seasons - a true professional.
Initially, the book was produced as a labour of love for family, friends and those writers, such as myself and Sebastian Scotney of LondonJazz News who paid their own glowing tributes.
Needless to say, it deserves a far wider readership but don't expect to find it on Amazon and it might be a few hundred years before it turns up on eBay.
To purchase (all profits will go to The Musicians' Benevolent Fund) and for further details contact Andrew Willox: awillox@skymesh.com.au
Lance
Lance
No comments :
Post a Comment