John Wurr
John Wurr | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | John Alexander Wurr |
| Born | 24 July 1940 Hertford, Hertfordshire, England |
| Died | 2 February 2023 (aged 82) Plymouth, Devon, England |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Instrumentalist |
| Instruments | Clarinet, alto saxophone, baritone saxophone |
| Years active | 1960s–2020s |
John Wurr (24 July 1940 – 2 February 2023) was an English jazz clarinettist and saxophonist.
Biography
He was born in Hertford, Hertfordshire, England, but grew up in Worthing, West Sussex. As a boy he won plaudits for his recorder playing[1][2] and singing, but it was when a schoolfriend introduced him to New Orleans jazz and he saw British trad jazz cornetist Ken Colyer perform in 1957 that he resolved to buy a clarinet and to teach himself to play.
In 1962, he moved to central London and took over Keith Nichols' band, which became the New Sedalia Jazz Band. He later joined Steve Lane's Southern Stompers and in 1972 became a member of Ken Colyer's band.
During the 1980s, he became part of the house band at the 100 Club in London's Oxford Street, alongside Al Fairweather and Alan Littlejohn and backed touring American artists including Billy Butterfield, Slim Gaillard and Wild Bill Davison.[3]
From the late 1980s, he became increasingly in demand at jazz festivals and in concert tours. In 1989, he joined a touring stage show organised by John Petters to mark the 75th birthday of George Chisholm OBE, for which he wrote the musical arrangements.[4] Following the tour, Maxine Daniels, who had been vocalist in the production, asked him to become her musical director.[5]
He continued to tour and perform widely and recorded tribute albums to Johnny Dodds and Sidney Bechet. In the early 2000s he also toured with Keith Smith and Georgie Fame, as well as with his own Louis Armstrong tribute band, featuring Enrico Tomasso and Colin Bowden.
In his later years, he moved to the Southwest of England and continued to perform with local bands, alongside occasional concerts around the UK and in Europe.
He married Judy Lynn in 1964, with whom he had two sons.
Discography
Albums (as featured artist)
- Heah Me Talkin' John Wurr/John Petters Hot Five (Rose Records, 2004)
Albums (as sideman)
- I Want To Be Happy Ken Colyer's All Star Jazzmen (Happy Bird, 1975)
- The Swinging and Singing Ken Colyer and his All Star Jazzmen Ken Colyer's Jazzmen (Happy Bird, 1975)
- Jazz-wise Steve Lane's Southern Stompers featuring Barbara Passanisi (VJM, 1979)
- Give Me A Call Rusty Taylor's Jazz Makers (Stomp Off Records, 1984)
- Swinging Down Memory Lane George Chisholm and Maxine Daniels with John Petters Swing Band (CMJ, 1989)
- Just Imagine Steve Lane's Famous Red Hot Peppers featuring Pam Heagren (VJM, 1989)
- Swing and Sing Ken Colyer And His All Star Jazzmen (1995; recorded November 1975)
- What Do You Want Me To Do? Norman Thatcher's Ragtime Band (Jazz Crusade, 1997)
- Blame It On The Blues John Petters' Bechet Centenary Band (Rose Records, 1997)
- Moten Swing at the 10th Bude Jazz Festival by Des Bacon's Moten Swing (Raymer Sound, 1997)
- Once More For Auntie Ken Colyer (Upbeat Jazz, 1998)
- 'Swonderful John Petters and His Broadway Melodists (Rose Records 1998)
- Friday Night In New Orleans John Shillito's Select Six (PEK Sound, 2009)
- That Old Gang of Mine John Shillito Band (PEK Sound, 2014)
- Steve Lane Plays Vintage Jazz Music Steve Lane (Lake Records, 2017)
External links
References
- ↑ Boys' High School recorder success, Worthing Gazette, 21st May 1952
- ↑ Late entry - won, Worthing Herald, 20th May 1955
- ↑ https://londonjazznews.com/2023/02/23/john-wurr-1940-2023-by-john-petters/ John Wurr obituary, London Jazz News, 23rd February 2023
- ↑ https://traditional-jazz.com/john-petters John Petters biography
- ↑ Maxine Daniels obituary
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