Johnny Dankworth - African Waltz: The Singles Collection 1950-62 (2024)

Sir John Dankworth CBE, as he was formally known, was a jazz saxophonist, clarinettist, bandleader and composer who probably did more than any other musician to introduce and promote modern jazz in the UK, becoming an internationally respected figure in the process, as well as introducing his future wife and renowned singer Cleo Laine to the jazz scene. Born in 1927, he trained at the Royal Academy of Music, before being further exposed to jazz while serving in the RAF and in post-war years playing on transatlantic liners enabling him to see and play jazz in New York. After playing with Charlie Parker at the 1949 Paris Jazz Festival he formed the Johnny Dankworth Seven in 1950, eventually developing to a big band in 1953. His early recordings came out on singles and EPs, and even as he turned increasingly towards albums, he continued to release singles on a regular basis. This 75-track 3-CD collection comprises most of the A & B sides of his UK releases on the Jazz Parade, Esquire, Parlophone, Capitol, Columbia and Fontana labels from these years, and features his Top 10 UK hits “Experiments With Mice” and “African Waltz”, which also made the US charts. It features vocal performances by Dame Cleo Laine and Frank Holder, as well as performances by noted British jazz musicians, including Jimmy Deuchar, Eddie Harvey, Don Rendell, Bill LeSage, Tony Kinsey, Steve Race, Tommy Whittle, Kenny Clare, Ronnie Ross, Alan Branscombe, Pete King and Dudley Moore. It’s a fine showcase for a noted pioneer of British jazz and a hugely innovative jazz personality.