Ian Christie (musician)

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Robert Ian Christie (born June 2, 1927 in Blackpool , † January 19, 2010 in London ) was a British jazz clarinetist and author.

Ian Christie was the son of a Scottish piano tuner who played the banjo . He was self-taught on his instrument, the clarinet . He left school to begin training as an electrician when he was drafted into the National Service in the Royal Air Force at the start of the war . After the war he attended a photography course and then moved to London, where his brother, the trombonist Keith Christie (1931–1980) played with Humphrey Lyttelton . Lyttleton used him as the second clarinetist alongside Wally Fawkes . In 1949 the band performed with Sidney Bechet in London and played a record with them.

He became known with the Christie Brothers Stompers formed together with Keith Christie in 1951 , which belonged to the English traditional jazz scene of the 1950s. This group also included Ken Colyer on cornet and later Dicky Hawdon as trumpeter and, at times, Neva Raphaello . Recordings were made for an EP on Melodisc; after another record ("You Always Hurt the One You Love" / "I'm So Glad") the band broke up. While his brother was joining Johnny Dankworth , Ian Christie went to Alex Welsh's band, then to Mick Mulligan . With the ebb of the Trad Jazz boom, Mulligan broke up his band in 1962, and Christie began writing for Lilliput magazine on record and concert reviews. For the next 26 years he covered theater, television and film events for the Daily Express .

In 1990 he retired from journalism and began performing as a musician again. Already in 1982 he made recordings ( That's the Blues, Old Man ) with Wally Fawkes and with his own quartet, the Charismatic Codgers ( Turned Out Nice Again ); he also played with Graham Tayars Crouch End AllStars . In his last years he got Parkinson's disease .

Discographic notes

  • Ian and Keith Christie: Christie Brothers Stompers (Caddillac, 1951-52)
  • Humphrey Lyttleton: The Parlophones Volume One-Four (Calligraph)
  • Alex Welsh: Live at Royal Festival Hall 1954-1955 (Lake)

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Christie, Ian
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Christie, Robert Ian (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British jazz clarinetist and author
DATE OF BIRTH June 2, 1927
PLACE OF BIRTH Blackpool
DATE OF DEATH January 19, 2010
Place of death London