Steve Williamson - 57 yesterday

[Serial_Apologist]

A belated happy birthday to Steve - one of the finest of the Jazz Warriors intake!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nrz2DCzXZSA

(Or the Jazz Worriers, as Ronnie called them. Makes me almost feel old )

[Serial_Apologist]

Thanks, hosts, for correcting my typo.

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Just seen this...just now & tonight:

GUILDHALL SCHOOL

Tuesday 29 June at 5:00pm
Symposium: Joe Harriott, Harry Beckett, Shake Keane and the Caribbean Jazz Influence
Concert, Jazz

LIVE-STREAMED BROADCAST

Guildhall Jazz Department and Guildhall African Caribbean Society are proud to host a symposium discussing the influence of Caribbean jazz musicians on the British jazz scene past, present and future.

It will be chaired by University of Liverpool professor Catherine Tackley and feature saxophonist and composer Steve Williamson, double bassist and founding member of of the Jazz Warriors Gary Crosby, trumpet player Gabriel Garrick and journalist, broadcaster and author Kevin Le Gendre.

Get involved in the conversation on Twitter by sending in your questions and comments using the hashtag #GuildhallCaribbeanJazz.

This symposium precedes a live-streamed concert by the Guildhall Big Band directed by Scott Stroman."

[Serial_Apologist]

Just seen this...just now & tonight:

GUILDHALL SCHOOL

Tuesday 29 June at 5:00pm
Symposium: Joe Harriott, Harry Beckett, Shake Keane and the Caribbean Jazz Influence
Concert, Jazz

LIVE-STREAMED BROADCAST

Guildhall Jazz Department and Guildhall African Caribbean Society are proud to host a symposium discussing the influence of Caribbean jazz musicians on the British jazz scene past, present and future.

It will be chaired by University of Liverpool professor Catherine Tackley and feature saxophonist and composer Steve Williamson, double bassist and founding member of of the Jazz Warriors Gary Crosby, trumpet player Gabriel Garrick and journalist, broadcaster and author Kevin Le Gendre.

Get involved in the conversation on Twitter by sending in your questions and comments using the hashtag #GuildhallCaribbeanJazz.

This symposium precedes a live-streamed concert by the Guildhall Big Band directed by Scott Stroman."

Extraordinary coincidence! It was at a similar Joe Harriott symposium that I first met Steve Williamson and Courtney Pine. They were just then starting out - well. Steve was: Courtney was established by then, having been on the scene for a good 4 years. This would have been around 1989 - I may have a leaflet for it somewhere, even some handwritten notes - and it was organised by the National Sound Archives, and held where it was then located in Exhibition Road, S Ken, just up from the Science Museum. Archive Joe Harriott tracks were being played from the Parker-influenced 50s to the free-form early 60s and Indo-Jazz; Courtney and others were saying, how come we knew nothing about this man?

[Tenor Freak]

I have always preferred Steve Williamson's playing to Courtney's. Quick reminscence: I saw Williamson and his quartet (with Winston Clifford on drums) at the Watermans Arts Centre in Brentford, in late 1986. As was my habit of the time, I spoke to him briefly after the gig to say that I really enjoyed it. He was very modest about it, and I think he was very self-critical. I believe he's had more than his share of health issues (not in the old sense used by the beboppers) since. It's such a shame he's not better known now, he should really be up there.