Alex Welsh

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Alex Welsh (born July 9, 1929 in Edinburgh , Scotland , † June 25, 1982 in London ) was a British jazz musician ( cornet / trumpet , vocals , band leader ).

Welsh was a member of the Leith Silver Band in Leith before playing in Archie Semple's Capital Jazz Band and moving to London in the early 1950s. Since the 1950s, the core of the band from Welsh next to him formed the clarinetist Archie Semple , the pianist Fred Hunt, the trombonist Roy Crimmings and the drummer Lenny Hastings; even later he made sure that every position in the band was filled with a good instrumentalist. During the time of the “ traditional jazz revival” the group played in clubs and gave concerts on a larger scale, but also for the radio. Her records include pieces such as "Music of the Mauve Decade", "Echos of Chicago" or "Melrose Folio" some classics of British jazz. In 1957 Welsh turned down the offer to play in Jack Teagarden's band . In the 1960s he had to reshuffle the band, paying attention to quality and musical diversity. The band increasingly performed with American guests such as Earl Hines , Henry "Red" Allen , Bill Coleman , Wild Bill Davison , Peanuts Hucko , Bud Freeman , Rex Stewart , Dicky Wells and Ruby Braff . In 1967 the Welsh played at the Antibes Jazz Festival , in 1968 at the Newport Jazz Festival and from 1971 at the annual Memorial to Louis Armstrong . In the following years he tried to update the musical program of his band with interpretations of soul and pop songs and a few modern jazz solos before returning to pure Dixieland jazz in 1977 .

Discography

  • Live at the Royal Festival Hall 1954-55 (Lake, 1954/55)
  • Vintage Alex Welsh 1955-1956 (Lake, 1955/56)
  • Dixieland to Duke / The Melrose Folio (Lake, 1957/60)
  • Strike One (Lake, 1966)
  • Classic Concert , (1971)
  • Alex Welsh. Rec. October 14, 1971. Hygiene Museum Dresden (AMIGA 855390/1974)

Lexical entry

  • Mark White: The Observers ’s Book of Jazz . London, Warner, 1978

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Welsh, Alex
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Welsh, Alexander
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British jazz musician
DATE OF BIRTH July 9, 1929
PLACE OF BIRTH Edinburgh
DATE OF DEATH June 25, 1982
Place of death London