30 Apr 2007
Don Lusher memories in full swing
Posted by David Read.
Sheila Tracy reports on the Don Lusher Memorial Concert at the Cadogan Hall London on April 22nd
London’s Cadogan Hall was the venue for the first of four concerts by the Don Lusher Big Band being held to raise money for the Memorial Fund, which has been set up by the Salvation Army to help children with musical talent without the wherewithal to pay for lessons or buy musical instruments.
Tony Fisher fronted the band and yours truly presented it on a warm Sunday afternoon to a very appreciative audience, including some of the famous names associated with Don’s illustrious career; Yvonne Littlewood, the director of BBC Television’s Don Lusher’s World of Music, broadcast in the 1970s was there, as was Brian Willey from the PRS on whose committee Don served right up until the time of his death. Also present was John Ammons, who directed so many of the big television variety shows, together with several former BBC sound engineers, who had worked with Don in the halcyon days when musicians spent most of their working lives in the television studios. The Ted Heath Band was represented by Val Heath and Rick Kennedy and a tribute to Ted Heath was included in the second half of the concert.
Tony Fisher is a former member of the Heath band but with nothing like the length of service clocked up by Ronnie Hughes, who was with Ted from 1949-1954, and with the reformed Heath Band under Don Lusher’s leadership from the mid ‘70s to the final concert at London’s Royal Festival Hall in December 2000. At the Cadogan Hall we included the Ted Heath hit Hot Toddy with Ronnie taking the trumpet solo he originally played over half a century ago. There’s a nice story behind that in so far as when the Heath band played it on their first gig after the record had come out, Ronnie got up and played the solo but not the same as he had played on the recording session. Afterwards Ted said to him, “Listen mate, I want you to play exactly what you played on the record,” to which Ronnie replied, “But I can’t remember what I played on the record”. “Then go and buy the record”, was Ted’s reply!
Other former members of Ted’s band were Roy Willox playing Eloquence, which was written especially for him by Heath arranger Johnny Keatin, and the legendary Tommy Whittle, accompanied by the rhythm section, giving us Broadway. Colin Sheen had the unenviable task of recreating one of Don’s famous solos, Dark Eyes, which he did magnificently, and on piano, one of today’s rising stars, Nick Dawson, much admired by Don when they both played with the Great British Jazz Band, who threw in a song at the piano, proving he’s no mean singer. Sheila Southern, who has sung with the Don Lusher Big Band for many years, completed the star line-up for a concert that proved just how versatile a band Don had created, playing not only classics from the swing era but also the big band charts of today, composed by the likes of Tom Kubis and Gordon Goodwin.
There are three more dates in this series of concerts to raise money for the Don Lusher Memorial Fund and they are:
Saturday 30 June 2007: 5.30pm, De Montfort Hall, Leicester
Saturday 14 July 2007: 8.00pm, Fairfield Halls, Croydon
Sunday 15 July 2007: 7.30pm , Cliffs Pavilion, Westcliffe-on-Sea
Sheila Tracy
Main featured artists so far are the brilliant 
This is a very exciting addition to the repertoire for trombone and band. Elizabeth has created a very accessible piece which demonstrates her ability to write effectively and sympathetically for the instrument. Dorothy Gates, trombonist with the New York Staff Band has also been instrumental in the realisation of the piece and has scored the work for brass band. Many people will know of Dorothy’s compositions and arrangements and it has been a real privilege to work with people with such enviable talent.
Brett Baker invites all trombone players in the Manchester area to play on a recording of trombone music on Wednesday 11 April 2007. The most ambitious part of the project is to record the last movement from Saints-Saëns’ Organ Symphony and the Twelfth Street Rag with as many trombone players as possible. This forms part of a CD including pieces by the Black Dyke Trombone Quartet and solos by Paul Woodward and Brett Baker accompanied by Howard J. Evans on piano.
