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Duncan Lamont

Born in Greenock, Scotland. Played trumpet with Kenny Graham's Afro Cubists changed to tenor sax became a jazz studio player. Played with almost everyone in show business. He has worked (often as a featured soloist) with Henry Mancini, Robert Farnon, Benny Goodman, Gil Evans, Bill Holman, Nelson Riddle, Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Bing Crosby, Count Basie, Fred Astaire, Benny Carter, Mel Torme, Paul McCartney

Beverley Beirne: Dream Dancer

Read "Dream Dancer" reviewed by Richard J Salvucci

by Richard J Salvucci
September 4, 2021

Beverley Beirne may not be a familiar name to many American readers. Maybe she should be. While some jazz writers have labelled her a “rising star," the Yorkshire, UK, singer has been around for a decade. Her first recording was entitled, promisingly enough, Jazz Just Wants to Have Fun (Self Produced, 2018). Sometimes reading reviews of singers can put you in mind of studying observations from an oenophile journal: “She has notes of Ella embedded in a ...

The Jazz Life

Scenes From a Life in Jazz, Part 2: Life on the Road

by Duncan Lamont
August 6, 2019

Part 1 | Part 2 Duncan Lamont was one of the UK's musical treasures. He passed away unexpectedly, a couple of days before his upcoming 88th birthday on July 4th, 2019, having done a gig at the 606 Club in London the night before. I'd known and admired who he was for years and we had several close mutual musical acquaintances. I finally got to play with him at The Pizza Express in Soho, London in 2018. Sammy ...

The Jazz Life

Scenes from a life in Jazz

by Duncan Lamont
November 26, 2018

Part 1 | Part 2 About the author Duncan Lamont is one of the UK's musical treasures. I've known who he is for years, but finally through a friend, got to meet and play with him only this year (2018) at The Pizza Express in Soho, London. Sammy Cahn, the legendary lyricist, said about Duncan, “It makes me very happy that people are still writing songs like “I Told You So." (The song won Duncan best Jazz Song ...

Album Review

Duncan Lamont Big Band: As If By Magic

Read "As If By Magic" reviewed by Bruce Lindsay

by Bruce Lindsay
December 3, 2016

Mention Mr Benn to people who were young children (or university students) in early 1970s Britain. They may well smile ruefully, develop a far-away look in their eyes and mutter something about things having been much better back then. Nostalgia is a wonderful feeling. At least some of that warm feel-good glow can be put down to the music on this album-- As If By Magic--and its composer, saxophonist Duncan Lamont.The bowler-hatted Mr Benn lived in 52 Festive ...

Recording

Lamont Lament: London with Love

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
October 29, 2020

Back in April, I posted about Duncan Lamont, a wonderful British saxophonist who was an elegant songwriter. He composed a song a day well into his 80s. A majority of them were wonderful and beautifully crafted. His best known is probably Pretty People, which is now a standard and has been recorded by dozens of vocalists. Singers Nancy Marano and Frank Holder both recorded tribute albums to Lamont. Now we can add another. British vocalists Esther Bennett, Sarah Moule and ...
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