 first discovered jazz when, in his early 'teens, he heard recordings of some of the great musicians of the golden age of jazz, Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet and Jelly Roll Morton, on a wind-up gramophone, played by his cousin. He was immediately bitten by the jazz bug! Although it was the raw excitement of Sidney Bechet's soprano sax playing that had first stopped him in his tracks, he was soon marvelling at the music of great early trumpeters like Louis Armstrong, Henry "Red" Allen and Jabbo Smith and it wasn't long before he discovered, on later recordings from the New Orleans revival, Bunk Johnson, and, particularly, "Kid" Howard of the George Lewis band.
He loves to share the enjoyment and pleasure thatjazz has brought him for the past 50+ years.
He is never happier than when he is playing with the groups that he fronts today - the SELECT FOUR and SELECT SIX.
"They really are two first rate bands, both as musicians and as great guys and friends! There's no doubting where our music comes from, but we play it our way, and it gives me a great deal of satisfaction, pleasure and pride."
www.johnshillito.co.uk |
