The Meeting Place for Musicians
London's Coda Club was founded in 1987 by the band manager and entrepreneur Tony Harrison. One of Tony's clients was the highly successful prewar bandleader, Harry Roy. The club was conceived as a meeting place for the big band, small combo, jazz musicians and vocalists who had been the backbone of the music business from the end of World War One to the present day. Some of them would be names most remembered by the general public, such as the bandleaders Bert Firman, Ambrose, Billy Cotton, Lew Stone, Roy Fox, Geraldo and Harry Roy, all of whose recordings sold in the millions.
Today the list of club members reads like a Who's Who of the British jazz world. These are the men and women who played in all the touring bands, later became the corner men in the film, television and recording session industry.
President of the club is the saxophonist Harry Gold, who played tenor with Joe Loss, Eric Winstone and Geraldo before starting his very successful Dixieland band The Pieces of Eight which ran for many years. In February, 2007, Harry will be one hundred years of age.
|
Honorary Vice-Presidents:
John Dankworth CBE Jack Parnell Malcolm Laycock FCL Sheila Tracy FCL Club Chairman: Stan Reynolds FCL Tel: 020 8943 9823 E-mail: stan@codaclub.wanadoo.co.uk Vice Chairman and Welfare Liaison: Jo Marney Committee: Terry Drummond, Bill Geldard, Roy Holliday, Ronnie Hughes, Johnny Keating, Jim Wilson Publicity Officer: Bob Deal Tel: 020 8979 5631 (evenings only) Hon. Treasurer: Graham Kendrick Hon. Secretary: Sheila Walmsley Fax/Tel: 020 8670 9609 E-Mail: sheila@codaclub.freeserve.co.uk News Editor: Terry Drummond Tel: 01753 645169 terrydrummond@btinternet.com |
The South African Alan Dell kept the memory of these players alive with
his long-running Dance Band Days programmes on the BBC. The Alan
Dell Award, in the shape of a replica pre-war BBC microphone, is given
annually as a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Coda Club to honour people
who have devoted their lives to music and musicians. One such award was
presented in 2001 to Pete King, Director of London's Ronnie Scott Jazz
Club.
Latest News: The composer and arranger Sammy Nestico has been made an Honorary Member of the Coda Club.
More of the awards, together with other photos of interest can be seen on the following page.
MEETING DATES 2005
MONDAY 24th JANUARY, MONDAY 28th FEBRUARY, MONDAY 21st MARCH,
MONDAY 25th APRIL, MONDAY 23rd MAY, MONDAY 27th JUNE,
MONDAY 25th JULY, MONDAY 22nd AUGUST, MONDAY 26th SEPTEMBER, MONDAY 31st OCTOBER, MONDAY 28th NOVEMBER, MONDAY 19th DECEMBER
Unless otherwise notified, all meetings will be at
THE PHOENIX (Lower Ground Floor) 37 Cavendish Square, London W1G OPPA Memorial Service was held on Sunday, 24th July, 2005 for the late Robert Farnon.
Copyright © 2005 Jazz Professional. All Rights Reserved.
