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More drummers and bass players...
Bobby Orr
Bobby Orr was born in Cambuslang, Scotland in 1928 and started his professional career as a trumpet player. He quit playing the trumpet after a spell with Basil Kirchin in 1954 when he experienced lip problems and from then on specialized on drums. During the late 1950s to the '60s he worked with Ronnie Scott and Tubby Hayes, amongst others, but is probably best remembered on the jazz scene for his work with Joe Harriott Quintet through the 1960s.

Thereafter he freelanced often accompanying visiting US musicians and did three tours with Benny Goodman, one with Billy Eckstine and Sammy Davis and continued to gig with top British musicians including Tommy Whittle and Don Lusher. During the 1990s he was with the UK Glenn Miller tribute band and Ray McVea's band. He was still active musically in the early 2000s...
Joe Harriott Quintet...

Ronnie Stephenson
Drummer Ronnie Stephenson was born in Sunderland, Co. Durham in 1937 and his first professional work was in Sunderland, until he went into the Army from 1955 to 1957. In 1958, while working in Newcastle, he was a founder member of the EmCee Five.

From 1960 to 1963 he was with the John Dankworth band and during the 1960s worked with top jazz names including Stan Tracey's Trio (at Ronnie Scott's club), Ronnie Scott, Tubby Hayes and again with John Dankworth. He recorded a drum spectacular album with Kenny Clare, under their joint names, in 1966. He then worked freelance and eventually settled in Germany. After playing trips to the UK in the 1990s he moved back to Scotland where he died in 2002...
John Dankworth...
Emcee Five...
Kenny Clare / Ronnie Stephenson big band...


Eddie Taylor
Born in Oldham, Lancashire in 1929 Eddie Taylor was in the RAF from 1947-9 before commencing his drumming career with work in a number of provincial bands. He joined the Dankworth Seven in July 1951 and stayed for two years. From 1954 to 1956 he worked with Tommy Whittle in his popular quintet with Harry Klein.

He then had a long spell from 1956 to 1964 with the Humphrey Lyttelton mainstream band. Thereafter he freelanced in a wide range of musical situations including, cruising, studio recording work, and theatre work including ten years in Oh Calcutta! to 1980. He then continued freelancing through to the 2000s working with Bruce Turner, John Chilton and Humphrey Lytelton again.
Johnny Dankworth Seven...
Tommy Whittle...
Humph Lyttelton mainstream sessions...


Kenny Clare (pictured below)
Kenny Clare was born in Leytonstone, London in 1929 and was playing drums from the age of thirteen. He joined the RAF in 1947, playing in various service bands. After working with band leaders including Oscar Rabin and Jack Parnell he joined the Johnny Dankworth Orchestra in 1955 and stayed for five years to September 1960. After a spell with the Dudley Moore Trio he began to freelance and toured with many top performers including Nelson Riddle, Tony Bennett, Henry Mancini and singer Tom Jones among others.

From 1967 to 1972 he was with the Kenny Clarke / Francy Boland Big Band and continued to freelance into the 1980s, again working with John Dankworth and Cleo Laine. he died in 1985.
John Dankworth...
Kenny Clarke / Francy Boland Big Band...
Kenny Clare / Ronnie Stephenson big band...


Kenny Clare / Ronnie Stephenson Big Band - July 6th, 1966 (Drum spectacular - Columbia TWO146)
Kenny Baker, Eddie Blair, Stan Roderick, Kenny Wheeler (tp), Keith Christie, Don Lusher, Johnny Marshall (tb), Jackie Armstrong (b-tb), Douggie Robinson, Roy Willox (as), Tony Coe, Tubby Hayes (ts), Don Honeywell (bs), Alan Branscombe (p), Freddy Logan (b), Kenny Clare, Ronnie Stephenson (d).
The Hawk Talks*/Topsy*/Dual Carriageway*/Afro Charlie*.
(*Vocalion CD - Big Band Spectacular / Drum Spectacular)

July 7th, 1966 (Drum spectacular - Columbia TWO146)
Greg Bowen, Bert Ezzard, Ian Hamer, Kenny Wheeler (tp), Keith Christie, John Edwards, Nat Peck (tb), Douggie Robinson, Ray Warleigh (as), Tony Coe, Tubby Hayes (ts), Don Honeywell (bs), Alan Branscombe (p), Lennie Bush (b), Kenny Clare, Ronnie Stephenson (d).
Drum Boogie*/Just You, Just Me*/Big Noise From Winnetka*/South Rampart Street Parade*.
(*Vocalion CD - Big Band Spectacular / Drum Spectacular)

August 11th, 1966 (Drum spectacular - Columbia TWO146)
Greg Bowen, Leon Calvert, Stan Roderick, Kenny Wheeler (tp), Laddie Busby, Nat Peck, Johnny Marshall (tb), Jackie Armstrong (b-tb), Douggie Robinson, Ray Warleigh (as), Art Ellefson, Ronnie Scott (ts), Harry Klein (bs), Stan Tracey (p), Lennie Bush (b), Kenny Clare, Ronnie Stephenson (d).
Drum Spectacular*/Caravan*/Portrait Of Elvin*/Talkin' About Drums*.
(*Vocalion CD - Big Band Spectacular / Drum Spectacular)


Phil Bates
Double bass player Phil Bates was born in Brixton, London in 1931 and he took up the instrument in his teens. He played with Ronnie Scott and Tubby Hayes' Jazz Couriers in 1958 after previous work at the 51 Club with Harry Klein and Vic Ash.

Through the 1950s and '60s he worked with some top bands including the Peter King Quartet, Jack Sharpe Quintet, and the Ronnie Ross-Bert Courtley Jazztet (for almost a year from April 1961). A longer spell, from 1962 to 1968 followed with the Dick Morrissey Quartet where he also worked with Harry South both in the quartet and South's own big band. He is heard to good effect as a soloist on the two Morrissey quartet albums recorded in 1963 and '64.

From 1970 he was a successful freelance and worked with Sonny Stitt and Jimmy Witherspoon and other visiting celebrities. He led his own trio from the 1990s and was also active as a teacher.

Dick Morrissey...



Pete Blannin
Pete Blannin was born in East London in 1926 and after service in the Merchant Navy and two years in New Zeland returned to London in 1948 where he worked with, amongst others, the Jive Bombers. By late 1949 he was gigging with Victor Feldman and the Leon Roy Big Band.
From 1951 to 1952 he was frequently with pianist Ronnie Ball and he is heard on the trio records Ball made for Esquire in this period, sometimes with Harry Klein. When Ball went to the US Pete Blannin worked in India for a time with Victor Feldman again and through the 1950s worked with top jazzmen including Tony Kinsey, Tubby Hayes and Bert Courtley and Don Rendell in the Jazz Committee.
From 1960 to 1964 Blannin worked with Humphrey Lyttelton's mainstream band but then left full time music to train as a teacher also working as a freelance bassist. His long teaching career, when he taught subjects other than music, included a two year spell in Sweden and he did not resume full time playing until the 1990s when he retired from teaching.

Ronnie Ball...
Humph Lyttelton mainstream sessions...



Malcolm Cecil
Malcolm Cecil was born in London in 1937 and became a professional bass player at seventeen. In the mid 1950s was working in London with Ronnie Scott and played bass on the Jazz Couriers debut in 1957. While serving in the RAF in the North East he became a founder member of the EmCee Five playing gigs in the Newcastle area.
After leaving the RAF he became an electronics consultant but continued to play jazz working first with the Pete King Quartet in 1960 and then spent a year with Vic Ash and Harry Klein's Jazz Five. Through the early '60s he worked with a string of top bands including the Dick Morrissey Quartet , Bobby Wellins quartet, Brian Dee Trio, and Stan Tracey Trio. Again worked with Ronnie Scott and accompanied many visiting musicians. From the mid 1960s, due to ill health, he played less and spent time developing synthesisers.
He eventually settled in the US where he became a producer and synthesizer programmer.
Emcee Five...



Spike Heatley
Bass player Spike Heatley was born in Lndon in 1933 and his first big name work was with Vic Ash in 1958 and 1959. In the late 1950s he worked for a while in Tubby Hayes' Quartet until he joined Eddie Thompson and also worked with Ronnie Scott in 1960.
Through the 1960s he toured with Kenny Baker, and spent time in Tony Coe's Quintet and Quartet as well as various Danny Moss groups. Through the 1960s and '70s he played regularly with Ronnie Ross and then with Bill Le Sage. With Le Sage he was a regular member of the Bebop Presevation Society and his solo work can be heard to good effect on the three LPs this group recorded.
From the 1980s he freelanced, often in Europe and around 1990 moved permanently to France where he continued to play.

Spike has written a detailed biography for his own page on the website...



This page was last updated during January, 2015.
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