'Celebrating The
Jazz Couriers' was a group put together by Mornington and drummer
Martin Drew
as a tribute to the fantastic band co-led by Ronnie Scott and Tubby
Hayes in the late 1950s. The
new band featured Nigel Hitchcock on tenor sax, Steve Melling on
piano and Andrew Cleyndert on bass, made two live CDs and toured
extensively during 2002 and 2003.
See the old band's website preserved for posterity HERE.
The group reformed in 2004, Nigel Hitchcock having relocated to
the Isle Of Skye (!) and Andy Cleyndert having gone on to pursue
a number of projects of his own, including TRio Records which produces
the band's albums.
The new band, called simply 'THE NEW JAZZ COURIERS', features the
prodigious talent of ex-NYJO drummer Jim Hart on vibraphone and
the great Paul Morgan on bass.
Steve Melling is still with the band playing superb piano, and contributing
some fine new arrangements to the band's latest project: a major
retrospective of the great UK pianist, composer and vibes player,
Victor Feldman.
Victor was a contemporary of Tubby Hayes and Ronnie Scott, who settled
in New York, playing and writing extensively with Cannonball Adderley
and Miles Davis's bands. He later became a star on the US session
scene, recording albums with Tom Scott and Steely Dan among many
others.
The New Jazz Couriers' CDs, old and new, are available by mail order.
Contact Martin Drew
- or Email mornington@tesco.net
