Freddy Gardner and his Swing Orchestra
Freddy Gardner played all the reed instruments and between 1930 and 1949 recorded many times usually as a featured soloist with a top name band.
From 1935 until 1939 he recorded with his swing orchestra that sometimes included George Chisholm or Ted Heath playing trombone. More...
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Lew Stone and His Stonecrackers
Lew Stone had led dance bands for many years before forming a short lived 'hot' group that at times included jazzmen Dave Wilkins, Tommy McQuater George Chisholm and Aubrey Frank. The band operated from 1940 to 1941 and recorded a dozen or so records for the Decca label, some of which were never issued. More...
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Eddie Carroll and his Swing Music
Pianist and band leader Eddie Carroll played with many top dance bands during the 1930s and from 1937, on and off, led his own bands. During 1937 and 1938 he recorded with his 'Swing Music' band and 'Swingphonic Orchestra' with Buddy Featherstonhaugh and latterly George Chisholm and Harry Hayes. More...
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Victor Silvester's Jive Band
During the war years strict tempo maestro Victor Silvester joined in the rush to play jazz and made a number of records for the Columbia label with a band that included George Chisholm, Tommy McQuater and Aubrey Frank. More...
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Buddy Featherstonhaugh
Popular on the BBC Radio Rhythm Club and recorded with his sextet from 1943 to 1945. During WWII (1940-45) he led his RAF Sextet a group that included personnel from his Radio rhythm Club band and recorded a number of 'Vic Lewis Jam sessions' . More...
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Tommy McQuater
He joined the RAF in 1940 and became a founder member of the RAF Squadronaires with whom he played throughout the war and for a period after. Played on many other dates with other 'hot' groups from the early 1940s, often with George Chisholm. More...
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Aubrey Frank
He joined the RAF in 1941 and despite his service commitments worked with Ambrose, Johnny Claes, Geraldo and Lew Stone. He was a member of the RAF Fighter Command Band and had wartime opportunities to play with members of the US service bands of Sam Donahue and Glenn Miller, which he regarded as career highlights. More...
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Jive Bombers
The group, reckoned by some to have made the first be-bop style record in Britain, began life as Ilford Rhythm Club Jam Group, with Ronnie Chamberlain on alto and soprano saxes.
A cutting from 'Melody Maker' (c1946) indicates the interest in the Jive Bombers as they were now known, despite their uncompromisingly 'modern' outlook. More...
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Johnny Claes
Formed his first band In May 1941 and subsequently led a band for various periods until the end of 1945. The bands were notable for the number of high quality jazz musicians that were employed. These included Tommy Pollard, Denis Rose, Norman Stenfalt, Ronnie Scott, Aubrey Frank, Pete Chilver and Kenny Graham. More...
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Heralds of Swing
By the latter part of the 1930s there were a number of British musicians who yearned to follow in the footsteps of the triumphant US swing stars and attempts were made to form swing groups. The first, that enyoyed limited success, was that of pianist Eddie Carroll, then came the short lived Heralds of Swing with George Chisholm and Tommy McQuater. More...
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Harry Hayes and his Band
From 1944 to 1947 Harry Hayes led a very modern sounding small band that from time to time included Kenny Baker, Norman Stenfalt, George Shearing, Aubrey Frank and Tommy Whittle. These bands featured an elegant, cool modern sound which was something of a sensation with the jazz loving public and was the forerunner of the new sounds about to engulf British jazz in the late 1940s. More...
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Harry Parry's Radio Rhythm Club Sextet
From 1941 to 1949 clarinet player Harry Parry led a number of sextets, and broadcast regularly on the radio. At various times his groups featured George Shearing, Tommy Pollard, Dave Wilkins, Aubrey Frank and Derek Neville. A young Joe Temperley,playing tenor sax, joined at the end of the period but made only one recording date. The arrival of bebop ended Harry's recording career.More...
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Squadronaires
The RAF No.1 Dance Orchestra was formed, and began to record and broadcast, in 1941. Drawn entirely from RAF personnel it was the first British big swing band and achieved huge success. When the war ended in 1945 the band became the Squadronaires and continued successfully as a top dance band until 1959.
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Black swing bands
The swing bands of Ken 'Snakehips' Johnson (from 1936-1941) and Leslie 'Jiver' Hutchinson (1944-1949) employed many musicians from the West Indies and were popular bands. Hutchinson was a fine trumpet player who worked with other prominent bands. Other musicians include Carl Barriteau, Dave Wilkins and Frank Deniz. More...
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Vic Lewis Jazzmen
During World War II Vic Lewis formed the Vic Lewis / Jack Parnell Jazzmen and they recorded from 1944. He also had his own Vic Lewis Jazzmen and in addition recorded a series of jam sessions often with Jimmy Skidmore, Ronnie Chamberlain and other leading musicians.
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