[ Les Pearce's Orch. ]
Famed trumpeter Ron Simmonds has kindly sent this great picture of the Les Pearce Band. Band that was resident at the George Hotel, Hinckley, and this photo was taken at DeMontfort Hall, Leicester, in 1949.
Left to right:
       Frank Lang (manager),
       Les Pearce -behind Frank Lang,
       Curly Hall -behind Hall
- then in the front row (l-r)
       unknown boy
       Al Rice (piano), holding sheet music
       Ron Orton (Tenor sax -almost completely hidden)
       Wally Holloway, (Trombonist)
       George Whitmore (Alto sax)
       Doug Oliver (Tenor sax)
       Billy Huckles (trumpet)
       Ron Simmonds (trumpet)
       Bunny Roberts (drums)
       and the Unknown engineer.

Ron Simmonds Continues:
    "It was a semi-professional band, but a very good one, as most of the British bands were. The drummer,
    Bunny Roberts, was responsible for getting me into the great Tommy Sampson band in 1947.
    Sampson had turned up at the Arden Ballroom, Bedworth, near Coventry, with a dep drummer, as his
    regular man, Doug Cooper, has been taken ill with chicken-pox." "After two numbers it was obvious

    that the drummer had no idea of what was going on, so Sampson went up to the mike and said as a
    joke, 'Is there a drummer in the house?' Bunny was standing near the band, and everyone shouted,
     Let Bunny play! When he did he played as if he'd known the book for years and Sampson booked
    him on the spot for the rest of the tour."

    "When he asked Bunny if there were any good trumpet players around, he named Cyril Narbeth and
    myself, so we went up overnight to Redcar, in the north of England, and played an audition. The
    number they struck up for me to play the lead on was Woody Herman's "The Good Earth". I must
     that because I joined the band at once.
The Big Bands Database Plus thanks Mr Ron Simmonds for sharing his memories of the Les Pearce Orch.

      [ Pickard's Chinese Syncopators ]
Currently no information available. The band was seen in a British made 1935 film.

      [ Eugene Pini and his Tango Orch. ]
Currently no information available.
Interestingly, this band was seen in the very early British made 1927 picture 'Sweet Devil'. They were again seen in a 1937 film, and also in the 1947 film 'The Flamingo Affair'.

      [ Lou Preager and his Band ]
b: January 12, 1906 or 1908, London, England, UK; d: 1978, Spain.
aka: Lou Preager
Lou started piano at the age of 4, and from age 11 on, he was already playing recitals, and for silent films. In the 1920's he played with many London bands, including Bert Firman's orchestra, where he was deputy leader.

Preager played Russian music in a department store restaurant before going to Paris to study the Tango and accordion music. He then spent almost 3 years at 'Shephards' Hotel in Cairo.

Preager formed his first band for an engagement at the 'Monseigneur' restaurant where he had a Tango orchestra. Then followed an engagement at 'Ciro's' with a regular dance band. This led to a five year engagement at 'Romano's' restaurant from where the band broadcast regularly.

By 1939 he was established as a big name, with band touring the whole of the UK. At the beginning of the war he enlisted in the intelligence corps because of knowledge of languages.

In 1941, he was in a bad accident when a truck he was travelling in overturned. Invalided out of the service, and no longer able to play as a result of injuries to his arm, he formed a band which ended its tour at 'Hammersmith Palais' where he was to remain for the next 19 years. During a series of weekly broadcasts from this venue in 1945 he organised a song contest called 'write a tune for a A31000' the winning song was 'Cruising Dow The River.

From the mid-1940's on, the band at 'Hammersmith Palais', -Lou's longest residency, had the following personnel:
Trumpets:
      Harry Finch (lead)
      'Tich' Charlton (2nd)
      Jimmy Mayers (3rd>

Trombones:
      Bill Brown (lead) (later replaced by in turn Jackie Armstrong, Don Lusher, Wally Smith all
            three went on to play with Ted Heath.)
      Rusty Hurran. (also on Vocals)

Saxophones:
      Jack Carter (1st Alto)
      Jack Dawkes(2nd Alto)
      Ken Oldham (1st Tenor)
      Mickey Deans (2nd Tenor)
      Freddie Cranstone (Baritone)
At other times, George Hunter, Tommy Whittle, Dennis Cracknell and Harry Bence were all members of the saxophone team.)

Rhythm:
      Billy Penrose (Piano --Later replaced by Eddie Taylor.)
      Dougie Calderwood (Bass)
      Paul Rich (Guitar)
      Norris Grundy (Drums --later he joined the Eric Winstone Orchestra.)

Featured Vocalists:
      Edna Kaye, Paul Rich.
Other later vocalists included Terry Devon, Eileen Orchard, and Ruth Howard (aka: Rita Williamson for recordings and broadcasts only), and Molly O'Connor (who was later with Billy Ternent's band).

Obviously in a residency lasting so many years there were many other musicians passing through the band, -some staying longer that others. Others, like drummer Norris Grundy and lead alto Jack Carter, were there for most of the 17 or so years the band was at that venue. Lou's band was also seen in a 1946 British film.

After retirement Lou lived in Spain where he died in 1978.
This information on Lou Preager, was graciously submitted by Mr. Roy Holliday, a member of the 'Coda Club' which meets once a month in London, England. Most of the members of the club are former dance band and night club musicians, with a wealth of experience going back to the 1930's. Roy has mentioned that much of the above was gleaned from his own memory and from reminisences of Lou Preager's drummer, Norris Grundy.

      [ Norrie Paramor Orch. ]
b. 1913, London, England, d. Sept. 9, 1979
Norrie Paramor is another 'easy-listening' music man who won't be placed into a notch. From playing piano and Swing arrangements early in his career, he progressed into the Rock and Roll era, and then into the "easy-listening" lush strings of the 1950's and 1960's, while both conducting and composing along the way.

In the 1930's and 1940's, Norrie was a working pianist, orchestrator, and arranger. In 1952, EMI-Columbia engaged him as a musical director. One of his early productions was trumpeter Eddie Calvert's 1953 hit "O Mein Papa", which was also a million-selling hit record in America for singer Eddie Fisher, with the anglicized lyric of "Oh My PaPa".

Paramor went on to produce "Teach You to Rock" with Tony Crombie and his Rockets, England's first rock-n-roll single. Among his other 'firsts' were the recordings of the U.K. Teen idol Cliff Richard, and also a string of albums by 'The Shadows', the band used to back Richard on his records. Some of the tunes, "Frightened CIty" for example, recorded by The Shadows were written by Paramor.

In the mid-1950's, Paramor turned to producing albums in the lush string style that was to characterize the 50s and 60s. One of his albums, "In London In Love", had a female vocalizing some wordless lyric. The effect was quite haunting but, whether for publicity or not, Norrie would not reveal the soprano's identity. However, the follow-up album "With Love From London" 'featured' the singing of Patricia Clark. During the mid-1950's, he also contributed the soundtracks for some U.K. films, including "Expresso Bongo".

In the early 1960's, Paramor's productions helped many of the new British pop stars including Billy Fury, Frank Ifield, and Helen Shapiro, -Britain's answer to America's Brenda Lee. In the late 1960's, Paramor left EMI Records.

      [ Jack Payne & his BBC Orch. ]
b. Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. Aug. 22, 1899 d. Tunbridge Wells. Dec. 4, 1969
Theme Song: "Say It With Music"
Jack was an aviator in the RFC during WW1 where he organized some dance bands for the Corps. Continuing in the dance band business after the war ended, he toured with some small groups. In 1925, his 6 piece band was booked into London's Hotel Cecil. In Dec. 1925, the BBC started remote broadcasts from the Cecil, and Jack enlarged the band to 10 men.

Let Watch the Jack Payne Orchestra playing   "Tiger Rag"   in Paris, France, 1932. (film clip: jozefsterkens)

Between 1928 and 1932, Jack was 'Director of Dance Music' for the BBC. (When he left, Henry Hall took over.) Interestingly, the band's personnel were contracted to Hall, and not to the BBC. Later, when Jack left the BBC, he took the band with him. Ten of his sidemen did not follow but instead formed a co-op band called 'The Barnstormers', using the 'tag' "Pleasure Without Payne", until Jack got a legal injunction preventing such use. In 1935, he was in the film 'Say It With Music' (his theme song). Also in 1935, one of his recording sessions featured the Black American pianist Garland Wilson. (See our 'Harlem Memories', link.) Mr Leonard Schwartz has kindly sent along this photo of The Jack Payne Orchestra at a rally for the then new Columbia "Grafonola" records. During this period, Jack Payne's Band was seen in such British made films as the 1930 picture 'Symphony In Two Flats', 1932s film 'Say It With Music', and in 1936, the film 'Sunshine Ahead'.

  "Anything Goes", (574 kb) . played by the Jack Payne Orchestra in 1934. Tune by Cole Porter.

Jack's 1936 band had a successful tour of South Africa. In 1937, Payne disbanded, retired to his Stud farm in Buckinghamshire, and devoted his time to being an impressario. He had many road shows under his control. but frequently ran into legal squabbles that often resulted in litigation.

Payne again started touring with a 20 piece band in 1938, and was on the 'Round The Dial' radio show. He was the first British leader to take his band to entertain the troops in France at the end of 1939.

In 1941, Billy Ternent stepped down as the BBC's resident Dance Band Director, and Jack Payne again assumed that position until 1946. In the 50's and 60's, he worked as a Disc Jockey on the BBC. At the end, he was in ill-health and died in Dec. 1969

      [ Sid Phillips Orch. ]
b: June 14, 1907, London, England; d. May 25, 1973, England
In-Theme: "Clarinet Cadenza" (music Sid Phillips)
Out-Theme: "Hors D'oeuvres"
Clarinet, Alto Sax, Piano, Composer, Arranger, Conductor
né: Isador Simon
The liner notes from Sid's album "Hor D'oeuvres" states:
       "Sid Phillips grew up in London's East End with his three brothers and four sisters.
       While still at school he and his elder brothers Harry (trumpet) and Ralph (banjo), all
       self-taught musicians, used to practise their instruments at the end of their garden
       because their mother chased them out of the house when they made "all that noise".
       However, their neighbours loved 'that noise' and dozens of them stood in the street
       outside listening, tapping their feet and clapping.

       Such was the start of 'The Riviera Five'. It was with this group, augmented in 1923 by
       Sid Kreeger (piano) and Joe Badis (drums), that Sid first toured on the continent and
       by 1927, now renamed 'The Melodians' they were favourites in most fashionable European cities.
(Note: David Comer's "Hors d'Oeuvres" album was the first post war 78rpm to be awarded a Golden Record for selling a million.copies. )

From about 1925, Sid performed mainly in Europe where he made recordings in three countries, and learned five languages, -a skill that would later help England during World War II. When the Melodians disbanded he became an arranger for the Lawrence Wright music publishing company. Listen now to Sid Phillips and his Melodians playing "Blue Again", (531 kb), back in 1930- vocalist unknown.

From 1933 thru 1937, he was a prominent member (saxophone) of the popular Ambrose Orchestra. Some of his more memorable arrangements for Ambrose included "Caravan", "Deep Henderson", and the Ambrose Orchestra theme "Hors D'oeuvres" (music by David Comer), which Sid later adopted as the "Out-Theme" for his own orchestra. (The 'In-Theme' was his own composition "Clarinet Cadenza".) All this while, many of his own compositions were becoming quite well known, including "Night Ride", "Streamline Strut", "Hullabaloo", "An Amazon Goes A-Wooin'", "B'Wanga", "Message From Mars", "Early Morning Blues", "Mister Reynard's Nightmare", "Night Ride", "Plain Jane", and "Cotton Pickers' Congregation". (Sid may have composed another 100 or 200 tunes (not all released). During the late thirties he freelanced and wrote arrangements and tunes for many British Bands.

In 1938, he travelled to the U.S. meeting with some well known leaders including Paul Whiteman, and recorded some big band sides. With WWII imminent, Sid spurned offers to remain in the U.S., and returned to London, England. In 1940, he was called into London's wartime "Specials" police, and soon after was called into the RAF, where his command of languages earned him a commission in the intelligence branch.

In 1945, after World War II ended (in Europe), Sid was de-mobilized and formed his Dixieland Jazz band which became Princess Margaret's favorite, and on several occasions in the 1950s, played the annual Windsor Castle Christmas Ball at her request. The band made frequent broadcasts on the BBC netwworks, and throughout Great Britain, he became known as "England's King of the Clarinet", while making about 200 records for HMV.

It is interesting to note that Kenny Ball, later a successful bandleader in his own right, was originally trained by Sid while playing in his band. Though world famous for the clarinet Sid also loved the piano which he would often play as a 'special' during a concert. ("Kitten on the Keys" was one of his favorites.). Few folks now recall that he was also an accomplished boxer- a strange hobby for a musician who must protect his hands.. He also loved to play Cricket.

In 1973 while playing his beloved cricket, Sid suffered a heart attack was rushed to the local Chertsey hospital where he died a few days later, - just three weeks before his 66th birthday.

Sid's 1952 orchestra (then resident at London's Astor Club) had:
Leader/Arranger/Clarinet:    Sid Phillips
Saxes:    George Bayton, Cyril Glover
Trumpet:    Cyril Ellls
Trombone:    Bob Lloyd
Piano:    Harry Kahn
Bass:    Ralph Phillips
Drums:    Michael Nicholson
Vocals:    Denny Dennis

Here's a photograph of the Sid Phillips 1959 Orch.. Sid continued to lead a band well into 1973 when he died suddenly.
    These notes on Syd Phillips were kindly supplied by Mr. John Pope (b: Sept. 18, 1928, London,
    Eng. UK). Served RAF 1946-'49. Became newspicture librarian with Planet New/United Press
    International 1953-'65. Freelance news and picture gathering untuil joining editorial staff
    of The Daily Telegraph in London 1966 as caption writer/sub editor. Deputised for Art Editor
    and night picture editor. Editor Great Western Echo (railway) magazine 1961-65, edited Sid
    Phillips (Jazz band) News 1953-2001. Founder editor Fanfare (military bands) magazine 1968-
    1987. Contributor to books on London theatre, evacuation in wartime England, short stories.
    Devised, co-produced on London's South Bank a massed military bands charity gala 1977.
    Recreated Sid Phillips band Queen Elizabeth Hall 1983. Editor in chief Swing (Jazz) News
    publication 2002. (Mr. Pope currently (2002) resides on the South coast of England.)

      [ Piccadilly Revels Band ]
The Piccadilly Hotel band led by Ray Starita with brother Rudy in the band. In 1928, Brother Al took over leadership when Ray moved to the Ambassadors Club. Al stayed until Oct. 1930 when Sid Bright (piano) took over.

      [ The Jack Parnell Orch. ]
b. August 6, 1923, London, UK
né: John Russell Carr (nephew of Impresario Val Parnell)
Instruments: drums/vocals/composer
This son of variety show artiste Russ Carr originally studied Piano, but then took drum lessons with Max Abrams. By age 17, he was working with Sammy Ash's band in Cambridge. He had previously played in Headley's Quartet during a summer season at Scarborough.

During WW2, while serving in the RAF Bomber Command, he played with Buddy Featherstonhaugh's Sextet; co-led a band with Vic Lewis; played in Leslie Douglas' Big Band; and worked with the Lewis-Parnell Jazzmen until summer 1945. Then, from the summer 1945 until January 1946, he was with Frank Weir, following which he would become a mainstay of Ted Heath's great band. He played, sang and even led a small combo within the band. In the Spring of 1951, Jack was bandleader on the 'Fancy Free Show', following which he formed a big band in January 1952 and took it on tour.

Mr. Ron Simmonds (trumpet, 1953 band) has informed us that
" Jack Parnell was a superb drummer. A feature of his show was a two-drum special, where the two drummers were on a stepped podium, one behind the other. This was moved downstage while they played an established routine. He did this with Phil Seamen, Allan Ganley and Kenny Clare. He was also a very good vocalist and the band made many commercial recordings. Around 1954 he added Dennis Hale and Irene Miller (vocals) for a tour of South Africa with the singer Eve Boswell. (She later taught singing in Durban, South Africa, together with Darius Brubeck, son of Dave.)"

Parnell's mid-1950s orchestra featured such sidemen as:
Saxes:    Joe Temperley, Don Honeywill, Bob Burns, Ronnie Keene
Trumpets:    Ron Simmonds, Hank Shaw, Jo Hunter
Trombones:    Mac Minshull, Laddie Busby
Bass:    Sammy Stokes
Piano:    Max Harris
Drums:    Phil Seamen
Vocals:    Marion Davis, Dennis Hale
Staff Arranger:    Jimmy Watson

In Dec. 1956, he appeared with Louis Armstrong at London's Royal Festival Hall. He became a Musical Director at ATV, as a result of studies in conducting, and for the next 20 years (from 1956), led his own band there. In 1976, he became a sideman again, playing drums with Tommy Whittle's Quartet. Following this, he free-lanced, working at times with Bob Wilber; in the Ted Heath 'Tribute' band; with Rudy Braff and many visiting Americans. He worked on the Keith Smith shows, and, along with such stars as Don Lusher and Kenny Baker, Parnell was featured (during the '90s) on 'The Best of British Jazz'. He backed Annie Ross on her 1995 and '96 London residencies.

Jack Parnell now (mid-2000) conducts The London Jazz Orchestra, run by arranger Laurie Johnson. Jack's son Marc also plays the drums (not with the LJO though).

Mr Ron Simmonds has recalled the band's make-up.
1951 LINE-UP
    Jimmy Watson (trumpet, arranger)
    Harry Roche, Don Lusher, Jimmy Wilson (trombones)
    Bob Burns, Ronnie Scott, Pete King, Dave Shand (saxes)
    Max Harris (piano, arranger) Sammy Stokes (bass)
    Phil Seamen (drums)
    Jack Parnell (drums, vocals, leader)

1952 LINE-UP
    Jimmy Watson, Jo Hunter, Mo Miller (trumpets)
    Mac Minshull, Brian Perrin (trombones)
    Bob Burns, Ronnie Scott, Pete King, Harry Klein (saxes)
    Max Harris (piano)
    Sammy Stokes (bass)
    Phil Seamen (drums)

JULY 1952 LINE-UP
    Jimmy Watson, Jimmy Deuchar, Jo Hunter (trumpets)
    Mac Minshull, Jimmy Wilson (trombones)
    Derek Humble, Jerry Alvarez, Ronnie Scott, Pete King (saxes)
    Max Harris (piano)
    Sammy Stokes (bass)
    Phil Seamen (drums)

OCTOBER 1952: add
    Ken Wray (trombone) Albert Hall (trumpet)' -- Jimmy Watson out.

JANUARY 1953
Ron Simmonds (trumpet) and Joe Temperley (tenor) replace Hall and Scott (Most of the band left in protest - Jack fired Pete King to make way for Ronnie Keene, who brought his wife (real name Marion Davis) with him. Pete King later became Ronnie Scott's business partner in the Ronnie Scott Club).)
    Jimmy Watson (trumpet)
    Laddy Busby (trombone)
    Bob Burns, Ronnie Keene, Kenny Graham (saxes)
    Allan Ganley (drums)
    replace Deuchar, Wray, Humble, King, Klein, Seamen.
    Add Marion Keene (vocal)

DECEMBER 1953 LINE-UP
    Ron Simmonds, Jo Hunter, Henry Shaw, Terry Lewis (trumpets)
    Mac Minshull, Robin Kaye, Bobby Lamb, Johnny Edwards (trombones)
    Bob Burns, Jimmy Phillips, Joe Temperley, Don Honeywill (saxes)
    Max Harris (piano)
    Kenny Napper (bass)
    Phil Seamen (drums)

FEBRUARY 1954
    add Annie Ross (vocal)
    Tubby Hayes (tenor)
    Kenny Clare (drums) joined around this time.
There were many small personnel changes - too many for me to put down here, but you have the main story.

AUGUST 1958 LINE-UP:
for ITV studio orch. (Independent Television)
    Ron Simmonds, Tommy McQuater, Basil Jones, Freddy Clayton, Derrick Abbott (trumpets)
    Jimmy Wilson, Laddy Busby, Jack Irving, George Chisholm (trombones)
    Bob Burns, Dougie Robinson, Bob Burns, Frank Reidy, Bob Adams, Phil Goody (saxes)
    Norman Stenfalt (piano)
    Lennie Bush (bass)
    Bobby Midgely (drums).
    Jock Cummings (drums) aad Tommy Whittle (tenor) later replaced Midgeley and Adams. Bobbie Pratt replaced Ron Simmonds in 1960 (Simmonds left to join Ted Heath)
The BigBands Database thanks Mr. Ron Simmonds for these notes on the Jack Parnell orchestra.

      [ Harry Parry and the Radio Rhythm Club Sextet ]
b. 1912, Bangor, No. Wales, UK, d. 1956
Currently no information available.
In private correspondence, Mr Leslie Roberts, who was a neighbor of Harry Parry, has advised that Harry was the eldest offspring of the Parry family. Then came Hughie (b: circa 1916) Vera, Unice, and Tommy (killed in the Normandy invasion during World War II).

At one time, Harry was invited by the BBC to front the band on the 'Radio Rhythm Show', and thereafter the Sextet was heard by the BBC listeners. In 1940, George Shearing was the pianist with the group. In 1945, the "Radio Rhythm Club Sextet" appeared in the film 'What Do We Do Now', and in 1949, saxist Joe Temperley (Fife, Scotland) joined the group. Harry Parry recorded well over 100 discs for Parlophone Records, including the 78 rpm discs: R2789; R3244 "I've Got You Under My Skin" with the Harry Parry Octet, as well as R3230 "Mood Indigo" and "Night and Day", with vocalist Dorothee Baronne.

      [ Van Phillips Orch. ]
Currently No Information Available.
Van recorded "I Kiss Your Hand, Madame", and "Vogues and Vanities". (Columbia), From that same show, let's listen now to Van Phillips and his orchestra playing "5 Step"