Jazz at 100 Oxford Street

MY reminiscences of traditional jazz at 100 Oxford Street in the late 40's

My post-war introduction to live jazz in London, began in 1948, when I was sixteen. I was very keen to hear some live jazz and I found that Graeme Bell’s Australian Jazz Band was giving a concert at The Scala Theatre, so I decided to go with an older friend.

Graeme Bell’s band was on their second visit to Europe, playing their version of revivalist jazz. At the time they were almost unique in including an alto saxophonist in their line-up. They also encouraged dancing to their music, at a time when other jazz concerts played to a seated audience.

Unfortunately, we could not get in as it was sold out. However, somebody suggested we go to Mack’s Rehearsal Rooms in Soho, as John Haim’s Jelly Roll Kings, played there. We went alo ng there and spent the evening listening to their repertoire which was heavily based on the music of jazz pioneer Jelly Roll Morton.

We thought that though the band was very enthusiastic that they were rather crude I found out later that John Haim had died tragically soon after our visit. He was only 19.

Jelly Roll Morton

Somebody there told us that Humphrey Lyttelton had formed a new band and that they played at 100 Oxford Street every Saturday

.Humphrey Lyttelton

Lyttelton had been playing with the George Webb band, one of the original revivalist bands in the U.K. However that band had broken up, and he went and formed his own band, which was offered a permanent booking at a new club, The London Jazz Club,at Macks Restaurant 100 Oxford Street, run by the Wilcox brothers

- The next Saturday, I went along there and was amazed at the music quality and atmosphere. This short film will give you a good idea of what it was like.

As it says in the film, there was no alcohol served and at the interval, many of us went to a local pub, The Blue Posts. The crowd was very mixed, it included everybody from art students to office workers. I went virtually every Saturday and soon plucked up enough courage to ask a girl to join in the rather ecstatic dancing. I am actually among the dancers in the film.

The club was eventually taken over by Lyttelton’s manager and became the Lyttelton Club.

I made friends with a young Chris Barber, who had just started to learn the trombone.

I also got friendly with the singer Beryl Bryden, who worked in the record business, as I did.

I later got friendly with a guy called Marty Feldman, who was another regular attendee. I had aspirations as a drummer, and Marty said he was learning to play the trumpet. One day the two of us went to a weekly jam session at the Regent Street Polytechnic. We both asked to sit in and were allowed to. However, Marty just sat and fiddled with his instrument. I made my best efforts as a drummer, but at the end of the number I was told to give it up, as I kept speeding up. You may remember, Marty Feldman who later became famous as a comedian.

Many other bands played there, including Mick Mulligan’s Magnolia Jazz Band, who introduced the flamboyant singer George Melly

One of my favourites was Bob Barclay’s Yorkshire Jazz Band, who was one of the provincial bands that played at the London Jazz Club

I also met my first real girlfriend there who George Melly un-successfully tried to seduce.

I also visited many other traditional Jazz clubs in London, but that is the subject of my next article.