Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Johnny Parker was born on November 6, 1929 in Beckenham, Kent, England. In 1940, his family moved to Wiltshire where he was exposed to American Forces Network broadcasts and first heard boogie-woogie piano at a U.S. Air Force base. He returned to Beckenham after the Second World War and worked a paper round to be able to buy records by pianists such as Pete Johnson and Albert Ammons.

While in Beckenham, he regularly watched George Webb’s Dixielanders perform, joined the Catford Rhythm Club, played at regular sessions, and became the resident pianist, until 1948. At this point, he was called up for National Service with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps as an ammunitions examiner, while accompanying jazz musicians. After his armed service Parker enrolled at Regent Street Polytechnic, and from 1950 to 1951 played in Mick Mulligan’s band. He would later join Humphrey Lyttelton’s band and was the pianist on the trumpeter’s 1956 hit record Bad Penny Blues. Staying with Lyttleton for six years, he also performed with Sidney Bechet, Louis Armstrong, Eddie Condon, and Big Joe Turner.

After a failed attempt to start his own band, Johnny took a position inspecting components at an aircraft assembly plant. He continued playing in jazz bands alongside Alexis Korner, Diz Disley, Cyril Davies, and Long John Baldry among others. Early 1969, he joined Kenny Ball’s Jazzmen, but undergoing a spinal operation in December that year, he recovered within months and returned to regular touring.

He performed with Ball until 1978 and subsequently led his own jazz groups around London and toured the Middle East. Retiring in 2005 due to long-term health problems, pianist Johnny Parker passed away on June 11, 2010.

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