The musicians that I have interviewed all influenced me in some way in my early years of playing and I feel that many younger musicians know nothing about them as they are not visible in the Jazz media. It is important to me that the each generation of Jazz musicians be aware that they are part of a continuum and that important players came before them and will come after them.



By making these interviews available online I hope I can give an insight into a different time when Jazz wasn't taught at college, the social background of the players was different and the way they learnt to play the music was self taught, for the most part.



I feel very privileged to have interviewed these great musicians as they told me very personal feelings and all showed great vulnerability and humility in their story.



I have a long list of people I want to interview and so will continue to add to this oral history of British Jazz regularly.

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I am grateful to Alex Bonney for suggesting he take photos of each artist to accompany the text and also to the various transcribers.