Randy Colville

b. 23 Might 1942, Glasgow, Scotland, d. 15 January 2004, Gillingham, Kent, Britain. Clarinettist ‘Randy’ Colville started his varied musical career like a graduate from, and later on as a instructor at, the North College of Music (today the Royal North University of Music) in Manchester, where he gained a high popularity on the chaotic 60s jazz picture with leading regional rings the Jazz Aces as well as the Saints Jazz Music group. Moving south within the middle-70s to consider up a post at Kent Music College, Colville quickly discovered himself much popular both in the traditional and commercial areas, and on the jazz picture, working and documenting regularly through the entire subsequent years with Keith Nichols’ Ragtime Orchestra, the Midnite Follies Orchestra (with Nichols and co-leader Alan Cohen), Alan Elsdon and Humphrey Lyttelton, with American performers such as for example Teddy Wilson, Billy Butterfield, Benny Waters, Yank Lawson, Ralph Sutton, and Al Casey. Colville was also energetic as a traditional soloist, appearing frequently at Kenwood Home and other locations over the London circuit. His careful arrangements were highlighted by lots of the rings he caused, including his very own Septet, the Colville Collection, whose repertoire spanned mid-period jazz to bebop. Colville frequently mixed both worlds with jazz stylings for clarinet and string quartet. Furthermore to his primary device, Colville was an achieved all-round performer on soprano, alto and tenor saxophones, even though often labelled being a Matty Matlock stylist, noticed himself rather being a ‘flexible player relaxed in jazz of most intervals’. He passed away from liver failing in January 2004.