Lol Coxhill departs

[Guest]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oSjjotraR4

http://www.jazzwisemagazine.com/news-mainmenu-139/69-2012/12425-jazz-breaking-news-saxophonist-lol-coxhill-dies-age-79

[Bryn]

Sad, if not entirely unexpected, news. He will be much missed.

[Paul Sherratt]

Indeed, Bryn.
Just received this message from Doug Schulkind :
" A monumental loss. If anyone ever deserved to live forever, maybe it was Lol "

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF0MCesk3bE&feature=related

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

a life to be admired .... for creativity and presence and staying at it ...

[Serial_Apologist]

I shan't be the only one who will miss Lol hugely.

As a sort of "jazz groupie", I used to make use of the reasonably-priced three day ticket to the Bracknell Festival to mix with musos gathering after the day's events with the stars from abroad in the nearby Post House hotel, chatting increasingly drunkenly (me) into the early hours. On one such occasion, I found myself increasingly tongue-tied and isolated-feeling as members of a British contingent near to me displayed their multilingual skills. I was on the point of calling it a day, when over came Lol, sat down beside me, and said, "I thought you were looking a bit lonely". I was then "subjected" to the privilege of Lol reminiscing one-to-one with me on his early days in the music, when he had played at various non-advertised late-night Solo joints with the likes of Tony Knight's Chessmen and Prince Buster, and had known Joe Harriott and Shake Keane well.

Many years later Lol did a solo interval slot during a piano trio set somewhere out in Essex, where I was in attendance. The trio were performing standards in a style over-neatly imitative of the early Bill Evans Trio, and Lol, who had been engaged in friendly chat with them before they went on, nonetheless expressed disappointment that he had not been asked to join them, given that, as he had told them, some of their tunes were among his favourites. When Lol reappeared following the trio's second set, more than half a very stuffy audience got up and left. As Lol was unsure how he was going to get back to London, and I still had my motor, I offered to put him up for that night. Listening to British jazz recordings from the 50s and 60s, we both got pretty plastered on Courvoisier; I can just about remember sitting down at my late father's piano and attempting to play "Sophisticated Lady" - at the end of which Lol turned and said, "How does the bridge go? Can you play the bridge?" Thinking he was referring to the tune of that name by Sonny Rollins I turned round and replied daftly that I didn't know. Lol just said, "oh".

To me - leaving aside for others to comment on his instant recognisability, renowned versatility and surreal sense of humour - (while not forgetting he was one of the eldest in this country, after Derek Bailey, to embrace Free music) - Lol's kindness that night at Bracknell was typical of the man - it was the kind of act by a human being which stays with one.

Cheers Lol!

Serial-Apologist

[MrGongGong]

very sad indeed

[Bryn]

Spinning here:

http://matchlessrecordings.com/irma

[Serial_Apologist]

Spinning here:

http://matchlessrecordings.com/irma

Ahem..........

Erm, (cough), for those who (like me) have never heard of Tom Phillips, this link looks useful:

http://www.musicarcades.com/2009/08/tom-phillipsamm-irma.html

Bryn?

[Bryn]

Ahem..........

Erm, (cough), for those who (like me) have never heard of Tom Phillips, this link looks useful:

http://www.musicarcades.com/2009/08/tom-phillipsamm-irma.html

Bryn?

Lol's is the first name (as listed alphabetically by family name) on the CD. The group of fellow improvising musicians who also contribute to that recording are some of those one might expect to find at his wake.

[handsomefortune]

impish highly skilled and havin' a larf... till 79 yrs of age..... some achievement!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvHxM14P5rg&feature=related

:

[amateur51]

OK my hand is up. I'd only heard of Lol Coxhill's name, never seen him/heard any of his work before this thread and of course his death.

Your memories and links make a vivid and heart-warming impression

[MarkG]

Indeed a big loss to the music scene. He played in loads of different contexts and brought something unique to them. I'd recommend Miller's Tale with Steve Miller, Tony Moore and Eddie Prevost.

[Tenor Freak]

Saw him live a couple of times and I think he also acted on the telly from time to time. This is a sad loss, indeed.

RIP - I guess Stuart Maconie will play one of his solo pieces

[Oliver Postgate]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dG4xdjaZHu4 farewell maestro Coxhill.your conceptions remain immaculate

[eighthobstruction]

What a`lovely lovely nutter ....off to that skip in the sky....