Tommy Pollard (1923 - 8 October 1960) [1] was an English jazz musician, a pianist, accordion and vibes player, one of the founding members of Club Eleven, and influential in the early days of British bebop. [2]
Pollard learned piano and accordion while a teenager, then added vibraphone. He worked with many bandleaders from the late 1930s and early 1940s, including Tito Burns, Johnny Claes, the Jack Hamilton/Roy Marsh Sextet, Derek Neville and (early in 1942) Harry Parry. Later in 1942 he joined the military, playing for Ralph Reader’s Gang Show around the world. After the war he played with Ray Ellington, with Buddy Featherstonhaugh and (on the ocean liner Queen Mary) with Bobby Kevin's Band. While in New York he heard Charlie Parker perform live, a lasting influence. Back in the UK he worked with Tito Burns, Cab Kaye, Ronnie Scott and Victor Feldman. [3]
In 1948 Pollard was one of the eleven founders of Club Eleven in Soho, along with other British bebop players: Lennie Bush, Leon Calvert, Tony Crombie, Bernie Fenton (1921-2001, piano), Laurie Morgan (1926-2020, drums), Joe Mudele, double bass), Johnny Rogers (1926-2016, saxophone), Ronnie Scott, and Hank Shaw. John Dankworth led one of the house bands and Ronnie Scott the other. Pollard played in Scott's band. In 1950 the club changed venue from Windmill Street to Carnaby Street, but was closed down in April 1950 following a police raid. [4]
Tommy Pollard's Downbeat Five - Spike Robinson (alto sax), Pollard (piano), Victor Feldman (vibes), Lennie Bush (bass) and Tony Crombie (drums) - recorded together in 1951. [5] Pollard toured the Netherlands, then rejoined Tony Crombie, Ronnie Scott, Joe Mudele and others in the early 1950s. But, badly affected by drug addiction, his health gave way in the mid 1950s, and after that he performed very infrequently. [3] He died in 1960 at the age of 37. [2]
Ronnie Scott OBE was a British jazz tenor saxophonist and jazz club owner. He co-founded Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London's Soho district, one of the world's most popular jazz clubs, in 1959.
Henry Bertholf "Spike" Robinson was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. He began playing at age twelve, recording on several labels, including Discovery, Hep and Concord. However, he sought an engineering degree and followed that profession for nearly 30 years. In 1981 he returned to recording music.
Philip William Seamen was an English jazz drummer.
Anthony John Kronenberg, known professionally as Tony Crombie, was an English jazz drummer, pianist, bandleader, and composer. He was regarded as one of the finest English jazz drummers and bandleaders, an occasional but capable pianist and vibraphonist, and an energizing influence on the British jazz scene over six decades.
William James Eyden was an English jazz drummer.
Tito Burns was a British musician and impresario, who was active in both jazz and rock and roll.
Leonard Walter Bush was an English jazz double bassist.
Henry Shalofsky, better known as Hank Shaw was an English bebop jazz trumpeter.
Denis Rose was an English jazz pianist and trumpeter. He was a longtime fixture on the London jazz scene and was an early influence on British bebop.
Club Eleven was a nightclub in London's Soho between 1948 and 1950 which played a significant role in the emergence of the bebop jazz movement in Britain.
Peter Stephen George King was a British jazz tenor saxophonist. He co-founded London's Ronnie Scott's jazz club and was its manager for almost fifty years.
50 Carnaby Street in London's Soho district was the site of several important music clubs in the 20th century. These clubs were often run for and by the black community, with jazz and calypso music predominating in the earlier years. From 1936, it was the Florence Mills Social Parlour. In the 1940s it was the Blue Lagoon Club. In 1950, it was briefly Club Eleven, and from the early 1950s it was the Sunset Club. From 1961, it was occupied by the Roaring Twenties nightclub. In the 1970s it was Columbo's. It is now a Ben Sherman shop.
Suite Sixteen is an album by vibraphonist Victor Feldman recorded in 1955 which was first released on the British Tempo Records and subsequently released on the Contemporary label in 1958.
The Arrival of Victor Feldman is an album by vibraphonist and pianist Victor Feldman recorded in 1958 and released on the Contemporary label.
Vic Feldman on Vibes, subtitled Champagne Music for Cats Who Don't Drink and also reissued as Mallets A Fore Thought, is an album by vibraphonist Victor Feldman recorded in 1957 and originally released on the Mode label.
Freddie Crump, also referred to as Freddy Crump, Fred Crump and Rastus Crump was a drummer from the United States. He performed in various vaudeville productions including with Gonzelle White in Cuba, performed in Europe, and was featured in several films. He was African American.
Joseph C Mudele, known as Joe Mudele and sometimes as Joe Muddel or Muddell), was a British jazz double bass player, one of the Club Eleven collective, where he first played with John Dankworth.