I'd given up looking for jazz names in the Birthday Honour's List so this year I didn't bother which turned out to be somewhat remiss of me as hidden amongst the great and the good was Bill Geldard who, for his services to music, was as great and as good as any of them.
Bill, now William Geldard BEM, was born in County Durham as was his future wife the late trumpet player and bandleader Gracie Cole.
They were part of the George Evans Orchestra at Newcastle's Oxford Galleries before leaving to join the Squadronaires. This was possibly when Evans decided to dump the trombones and double the number of saxophones!
I was fortunate to hear Bill with Ted Heath and several times with the Johnny Dankworth Orchestra.
Like Gracie, who died in 2006, Bill was also active in the brass band movement, as well as being a first call session musician.
The award is well deserved although it should have been awarded long before he was 92! Lance
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