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Burtie has played with many musicians and different bands. Here is his Hall of Fame of bass players
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Bernie Johnson - double bass
Memphis Blues recorded live at The
Globe in Morning Lane, Hackney,London, 10th Jan 2005, band members
Tom Brady tpt, Roy Mason clt, John Finch tmb, Burtie Butler bnj and John
Cottis drms
I started my playing days in the late 1950s with a skiffle group called "The
Cheques" with old friends of mine, Don Hurley and Ted Hope. After a few
years, I joined a small dance band called "The Viscounts" run by John
Pollard, with Roger Letley on accordion and Maurice Coveney on drums, up to
the early 1970s. Then I met up with Geoff Hatton and joined his band, the "Trad
Fad". At this time, the local jazz really took off for me and I played with
various guys like Sam Weller, and Dave Link, and played with Lyn Falvey's
"Touch of Class", and various other bands - The Invicta Jazz Band, Robin
Beames's Imperial Jazz Band, and also the Pilgrims.
It is with great sadness that we announce that Bernie passed away on the Thursday 15th March
2007. It happened very suddenly with Bernie collapsing at work on the Monday and passing
away in hospital on the Thursday with a massive heart attack. He leaves
behind his wife Jill and two daughters, Penny and Julia, and one granddaughter
Jennifer.
The funeral was held on the 2nd April at the Bluebell Hill Crematorium,
Chatham, Kent, and then afterwards at the Bridgewood Manor Hotel. The lads
gave him
a wonderful send-off. The first video clip is from the house to the end
of the road and the second video is from the Crematorium gates.
Closer
Walk with thee
The Saints go Marching In
click on picture or title to watch video clips
trombones:
clarinets:
Sam Wellar, Don York and Sean Maple
Ivan Gandon, Dennis Lear and Roy Mason
drums
banjos
Mick Brooks, Robin Beames (bass drum)
Burtie Butler and Nobby Willett
and John Cottis
sousaphones
trumpets
John Finch and Gerry Birch
Dennis Jenkins, Malcolm Walton, Dave Hill
Tony Pink and Roger Ely
Mike Durell - double bass and piano
Here is Mike playing Out of the Blue with the Alan Littlejohn Band, which
was used by the
BBC as the signature tune for 'Sports Report', this was recorded on Oriole in
1962,with band
members: Alan Littlejohn tpt/voc, Len Doughty v/tmb, Harry Lock clt, Keith
Ingham piano
Bob Mack gtr and Bernie Godfrey drums. Click on to Mikes name to listen
I started playing
piano with the George Wooding Band in 1955, then changed to bass in 1956 playing with the Fred Cogger band and then the Owen Bryce on and
off for the
next few years and also doing
whatever came along. With Bernie Godfrey (drums) I
joined the Alan Littlejohn's band in 1960; we made a EP45 for Oriole which was used as
the signature
tune for BBC "Sports Report" at that period. I then joined the Dave Shepherd Quintet in 1966
doing regular BBC's morning "John Dunn" show and evening
"Through to two", also BBC's
"Jazz 625" from Ronnie Scott's with Stéphane Grappelli and Teddy Wilson (final gig of UK tour with
Teddy Wilson and the Quintet). I also
played with the Freddy Randall Band. From then on I played
all kinds of gigs including the West End show " Three Men on a Horse" at the Vaudeville theatre,
Strand and the
odd matinees at the National Theatre for one and a half years and
played gigs with various bands including Alex Welsh's final tour. I was a member of the John Birch /
Dick
Morrissey Octet for the rest of the 80's until John's recent death. Also 1979 - 1984 I was in "The Eddie
Thompson Trio" at the "Playboy Club" Park Lane six nights a week and
accompanying various
American artists at the "Pizza Express" and the "Pizza on the Park".
Also I worked with Dick
Laurie's Elastic Band and the Dick Charlesworth Quartet
.........................and still here just
about!!!!............serves me right!!!!!!
Mike Durell
click here or picture to watch video
Video taken at Ronnie Scotts for the BBC TV
Mike with the Benny Waters Freddy Randall
Jazz 625 rec Nov 1969
Jazz Band rec 11th Dec 1982, London, England
Stéphane Grappelli
and Teddy Wilson piano
Jim Shepard tmb, Mike Durell bass, Laurie Chescoe drs
Mike Durell bass and John Richardson drms
Benny Waters clt, Stan Greig piano, Paul Sealey gtr
playing Tangerine
and Freddy Randall tpt.
The
World is Waiting for the Sunrise
St James Infirmary
When you're are Smiling
The Blues my Naughty Sweety gives to me
A side of ORIOLE 45
There
ain't no Sweet man worth the salt of my tears
Alan Littlejohn tpt/voc, Len Doughty v/tmb,
Harry Lock clt, Keith Ingham piano
Bob Mack gtr, Mike Durell and Bernie Godfrey drums.
So click on to the titles to hear the tracks on the jazzology cd and the A side of EP45 Oriole
Here is Mike playing at Belton House, Grantham,
Lincolnshire 1983
with Al and Joe Cohn the Grandfather and Father of Shaye Cohn of the Tuba Skinny
Jazz Band
L/R Mike Durell
Double Bass
Al Cohn
Sax ( Grandfather)
Mark Taylor Drums
Joe Cohn Guitar (
Father )
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Born 1942 in Speldhurst, but grew up in Ramsgate. Started playing (guitar ) in 1957 in a skiffle group. Played trombone for a couple of years but switched back to guitar in a university band. Played guitar in various bands on the London circuit in 1960's. Took up the bass in 1969. On return to Kent played bass ( and did vocals ) successively with Bod Bowles, Pete Rose, Bill Barnacle and the Imperial Jazz Bands, recording with the last three. Has also played in Hot Club style groups, dance bands, barn-dance outfits etc. Wrote arrangements for Latin American Street Band "Busker Du" in which he played tuba. Currently arranging for and accompanying a choral group. Formerly a science lecturer, he still teaches part-time for the Open University. Plays cricket occasionally and has just retired from the role of rugby coach.
Click on picture or here for video on You Tube by his daughter Kate
Colins 70th birthday party - celebrated round his house a full band
of musicians
After we finished I remember going up in lift . We played "When I leave the world behind" and "My Journey to the Sky" . What wits
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Mike Porter- Ward Double Bass Mike in this recording of 'Blue turning grey over you' . This was recorded with the Invicta Jazz Band at Chatham Studio's in 1990. Members of the band are: Dave Link tpt (sadly no longer with us), Kenny Pyrke tmb ( sadly no longer with us) Roy Mason reeds, Burtie Butler bnj and John Cottis drms I started my musical career playing guitar in a quartet whilst in the forces, I then switched from guitar to double bass. Came out of the forces and studied bass with the Principle bassist of the Midland Light Orchestra. Then I went to Guildhall School of Music in London and studied bass with the Principle bassist of the Philharmonic Orchestra. I then worked in many of the shows in the West End from Hans Christian Anderson with Tommy Steel, Canterbury Tales and Godspel with David Essex, Julie Covington and Jeremy Irons. I have made many recordings with musicians such as Bobby Scott ( A Taste of Honey ), David Essex, Tommy Steele. Also I worked with all the pop stars from Matt Monroe, Anita Harris, P J Proby to Sandy Shaw to name a few. I have played in some wonderful venues - the Olympic Stadium Athens, Windsor Castle, P&O Ships, the Ruinart Champagne cellars in Rheims, Cork Jazz Festival and the Isle of Man Jazz Festival. I have played with some wonderful musicians including Harry Connick Jnr., Scott Hamilton, Bobby Scott, Jim Mullen, Acker Bilk to name but a few. Later I bought a house-boat in Conyer, Kent and I was getting fed up with all the travelling, so I started playing locally with my musician friends and lived happily ever after. To book Mike his website : http://www.mikeporterward.co.uk/ Back to top Index back to music/video index
Roger Hooper - Brass String and Woodwind
This is Roger playing in the Blue Rhythm Kings
'From
Monday On' Back to top Index back to music/video index
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Trefor Williams - Double Bass Here is Trefor playing 'Baby Face' with the Phil Mason's New Orleans Allstars recorded 27th February 2007. Band personnel: Phil Mason cornet, Roger Myerscough clarinet, Micky Cooke trombone, Jim Mc Intosh banjo, Laurie Chescoe drums and yours truly, with a great vocal and a fine solo - Trefor double bass. This track is on their latest CD, 'Cotton Fields back Home', due to come out in the late summer - to get your copy contact Phil Mason on +44 (0) 1700 500635 I fell in love with the bass at the age of three. Every Sunday afternoon, in the early fifties, my parents used to take me to visit my Grandparents. My Grandfather had a beautiful polished wood radiogram in the lounge and he would play records from his collection of orchestral music and I would stand in front and conduct. It was the bass frequencies that vibrated through the floor and up into my little body that excited me, and later, when I had my own record-player, I would have the tone controls on "full bass". It was inevitable that I would eventually get my hands on a bass, after hearing the muses of Charles Mingus and Richard Davis.Originally I was an Essex lad, studied double bass with one of London's top session musicians and, subsequently, have worked with many top-line artists, from "Kid" Thomas Valentine, "Wild" Bill Davison and Sammy Rimmington to the "Midnite Follies Orchestra", the "Inkspots" and Eartha Kitt. I was a founder member of "Phil Mason's New Orleans Allstars" from 1992, worked for more than twenty-one years with the "Max Collie Rhythm Aces",and I have toured all over Europe, Scandinavia, the USA, Canada, Japan, the cities and outback of Australia and even the Jungles of Borneo. I continue to gain strength, direction and purpose from my deep Christian faith, my wonderful wife, Kate, and the fellowship and constant challenges I get from all the fine musicians I have the pleasure to work with.--------------------------Onwards and upwards God bless you Bassically yours Trefor Williams. Sadly Trevor has passed away on the 5th September 2017
Gerry Birch - Sousaphone / Double Bass Born in Essex in 1953. At the age of 10, I joined my local Brass Band where I learnt to play Trombone. I soon realised that this wasn’t the instrument for me and took up Tuba. I moved to Kent in 1972 and joined a local brass band. One evening, on the way home from band practice, I called into a pub for a pint and heard my first LIVE jazz band and the rest is history. I bought a Sousaphone and started listening seriously to records. My first playing experience was with the Expedient Brass Band from Sussex, which led on to a regular Friday night gig with the New Orleans Echoes, which at that time was run by trombonist Mark Bradley. The next 10 years or so was spent playing with many of the Kent an Sussex bands. I left Kent in 1988 and had 15 years in East Anglia, before moving back to Kent in 2003. Over the years I have played with many semi pro bands up and down the country . Although I have always been busy in the Summer, I found that Sousaphone was not always popular during the winter ,when the Summer Fetes had finished, so I took up string bass. At the time of writing I am running a local Jazz Club and have just formed my own band ; The Stour Valley Jazzmen. Back to top Index back to music/video index
This is Arthur in the Colyer Band taken around the early
80's, and interview with Ken but it is
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an interview on radio Kent with John Warnett and Julia George 23rd June 2009
- change of life style phone in
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