Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Brian Leake was born November 9, 1934 in South Wales, Wales. He first played the clarinet in Mike Harris’ jazz band while studying architecture. After completing his military service, he moved to London, England where he worked full-time as a salesman. He was also active in the British trad jazz scene from the early 1960s and his first recordings were made in 1962 with Mick Mulligan and George Melly on At the Jazz Band Ball.

He also played with Dick Charlesworth on P&O ships and in 1964 he appeared on the BBC program Jazz Club with Charlesworth and His City Gents. By the end of the decade it was owned by Alan Elsdon & His Jazz Band. Leake led a mainstream jazz sextet called Sweet & Sour with the bassists Paul Bridge and Ron Rubin were members. He led the Al Fresco Marching Band, in which he played alto saxophone.

He was involved in recordings by The Nottingham Barbers’ Shop Quartet and singer Clinton Ford. Recordings of Leake’s BBC radio appearances from 1979 to 1990 appear on the album Benign Jazz. As a pub pianist, he appeared in an episode of the television series Nick Lewis, Chief Inspector .

Pianist, saxophonist, clarinetist Brian Leake, who composed traditional jazz, transitioned on  November 10, 1992.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Barre Phillips was born October 27, 1934, in San Francisco, California. He studied briefly in 1959 with S. Charles Siani, Assistant Principal Bassist with the San Francisco Symphony. In 1962 he moved to New York City in 1962 and during the Sixties he recorded with, among others, Eric Dolphy, Jimmy Giuffre, Archie Shepp, Peter Nero, Attila Zoller, Lee Konitz and Marion Brown.

Moving to Europe in 1967, Phillips’ 1968 recording of solo bass improvisations was issued under three different titles as Journal Violone in the US, Unaccompanied Barre in England, and Basse Barre in France on Futura Records, is generally credited as the first solo bass record.

A 1971 record with Dave Holland, Music from Two Basses, was probably the first record of improvised double bass duets. Since 1972 he has been based in southern France and in the 1970s, he was a member of the well-regarded and influential group The Trio, with saxophonist John Surman and drummer Stu Martin.

The 1980s and 1990s saw Barre playing regularly with the London Jazz Composers Orchestra, led by fellow bassist Barry Guy. He worked on soundtracks of the motion pictures Merry-Go-Round, Naked Lunch together with Ornette Coleman, and Alles was baumelt, bringt Glück!. He has also worked with numerous bassists, guitarists, clarinetists, saxophonists, and pianists.

At 87, double bassist Barre Phillips continues to be active on the jazz scene.

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Three Wishes

It was Al Shorter that she approached with the question of three wishes and he told Nica he had only one wish that summed it all up:

1. “I want to live more than my life. That’s all my three wishes, really.”

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Three Wishes

While having a conversation with Denis Charles the Baroness brought up the subject of three wishes and asked him if they could be granted what would he wish for and he said:

1. “To be able to be playing my instrument regularly, so as to truly express myself.”
2. “To be in a better position financially, so as to satisfy some of my personal wants, which I’m sure would make me much more calm inside.”
3. “Lastly, to stay healthy and enjoy living.”

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Graham Burbridge was born on October 1, 1933 in Stepney, London, England. He started drumming about the age of six, playing things like British Grenadiers with Boy Scouts Bands. It was only after the war when he was around twelve that he found jazz and progressed from Spike Jones through Spanier, Bunk Johnson to Lennie Tristano. It was a fairly rapid musical education that  sat him on the modern side of the fence in his genre choice.

Graham played drums in the RAF with a Military Band, but also managed to get into the dance band. Back in civilian life in 1954 he worked a daytime job and played in a trio in the evening with Pete Elderfield and Maurice Hinson. His early interests in jazz led him to all the clubs, sitting in whenever he could. One night in Humph’s he was invited to play with the Sandy Brown Band and the next day was asked to join the band full time, and his professional career took off. He played with Brown until Sandy retired.

Joining the Chris Barber Band in 1957 was fortuitous, as the relationship lasted nearly two decades. Off stage Burbridge’s interests ran towards new and antique guns, and building model aircraft, something that had been a part of his life for a long time. His interest in guns was a new endeavor but also helped to re-energize and replace the nervous energy used on stage.

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