Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Billy Munn was born William on May 12, 1911 in Glasgow, Scotland. He studied at the Athenaeum School of Music before moving to London, England and joining the band of Jack Hylton from 1929 to 1936.

During the Thirties he played on recordings with Spike Hughes and Benny Carter. Following these engagements Billy then played with Sydney Lipton from 1936 to 1940, and concomitantly played with Louis Armstrong and Coleman Hawkins on their tours of England, as well as with Wingy Manone in the United States.

He played with Stephane Grappelli in 1943 and George Chisholm in 1944, then led his own ensemble at the Orchid Room in Mayfair from 1945 to 1948. He co-founded the BBC program Jazz Club in the 1940s with producer Mark White and clarinettist Harry Parry.

From 1948 to 1949, Munn directed the Maurice Winnick Orchestra at Ciro’s club in London, England and subsequently led the house band at the Imperial Hotel in the seaside resort town of Torquay, England for three decades, from 1949 to 1979. He recorded several times with this group. After 1979 he played solo, mostly locally in Torquay.

Pianist and arranger Billy Munn passed away on May 2, 2000 in Ayrshire, Scotland, a few days shy of his 89th birthday.

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