Ken Colyer
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Kenneth 'Ken' Colyer (April 18, 1928–March 8, 1988) was a British jazz trumpeter, specializing in New Orleans jazz. His band was also known for skiffle.
He grew up in Soho in London in his childhood, and while there was a member of a church choir. When his older brother Bill (born William John Colyer, in 1922) went off to serve in World War II, he left his jazz records behind, and Ken took an interest.
Ken left school in his teens, and wanted to join the Merchant Navy, but was not admitted to the training school until after the war had ended. He was 17 years old. His experience on merchant ships took him around the world, and gave him his first personal experience of jazz musicians in New York and Montreal.
In the UK, he played with existing bands as possible, and then formed the Crane River Jazz Band in 1949. This was formed by Ben Marshall and included Sonny Morris and Monty Sunshine. The band played at the Royal Festival Hall on July 14, 1951, in the presence of HRH Princess Elizabeth. Parts of that group merged with other musicians to form the Christie Brothers' Stompers, but Ken soon wanted to go to New Orleans for that jazz experience, and re-joined the Merchant Navy to make that possible. He eventually made his way there, and spent some time playing with and studying the great jazz musicians. Unfortunately, he overstayed his visa, and was ordered deported.But the most important element of his trip was that he had not only played with his idol George Lewis and his band, but had been invited to tour with them. Bill posted his letters from New Orleans on the door of Dobell's jazz record shop - so Ken was assured of a hero's welcome when he returned home. He reckoned the British Government & the Hon Gerald Lascelles (Queen's cpusin, jazz fan) did nothing to help him get out of prison.
Returning again to England, he formed the Ken Colyer Jazzmen, initially with Chris Barber, Monty Sunshine, Ron Bowden (born Ronald Arthur Bowden, 27 February 1928, in Fulham, South London) Lonnie Donegan, and Jim Bray (born James Michael Bray, 24 April 1927, in Richmond, Surrey). The band had a number of personnel changes over the years. They made the first original recordings on the label of Storyville Records in 1953. In 1971, after a bout with stomach cancer, Ken took his doctors' advice to stop leading a band.
He continued with a thriving solo career, sometimes as a member of a band, well into the 1980s. He moved to the south of France in his last years.
He felt he was let down by everybody throughout his life, except for the lady who nursed him on the south coast of France
