The New Golden Age.

There was a time, from the 1950s onwards, when it seemed as though the UK was overrun with top class sax players. Tubby Hayes, Ronnie Scott, Don Rendell, Tommy Whittle, Jimmy Skidmore, Keith Bird, Art Ellefson, Kathy Stobart, Barbara Thompson, Bogey Gaynair, Danny Moss, Don Weller, Bobby Wellins, Pete King, Joe Harriott, Johnny Dankworth, Harry Klein, Ronnie Ross and John Surman to mention but a few.

Then, one by one, most of them died and we began, once again, looking to America but, over there too, most of the masters were, figuratively speaking, six foot under.

However, the saxophone, like jazz itself, will never roll over and die. As in all great art forms, new virtuosos appear, often coming on stronger than ever, thus we now have a scene that historians may well look back and see as a new golden era.

I submit that, in Simon Spillett, Alan Barnes, Paul Booth, Dave O'Higgins, Alec Harper, Tony Kofi, Giacomo Smith, Leo Richardson, Alex Garnett, Alex Western-King, Mornington Lockett, Vasilis Xenopoulos, Alison Neale, Jo Fooks, Karen Sharp and countless more, we have players who can hold their own with the past and, maybe, even forge the future.

Not just in London, but throughout the regions where burgeoning talent is forever emerging such as in the north-east where Harry Keeble, Faye Thompson and Jordan Alfonso stand alongside those seasoned pros who, for personal reasons opted to stay home such as the great Lewis Watson, Mark Toomey, Sue Ferris
and Paul Gowland. All have made their mark, and, once this pesky bug that's going around disappears this brave new world will be swinging again. Lance

ps: I know that everyone mentioned aren't all British but they are resident and, as such, relevant  to the local scene.

pps: Apologies if I've missed out any mega names.

ppps: Alex Garnett can be heard tonight at the 606 club live and online from 9:00pm.