Obituary: Tommy Whittle 1926-2013
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
One among many distinguished Scottish-born jazz musicians, tenor-saxophonist Tommy Whittle came south when only sixteen, first joining a palais band in Gillingham and then branching out via stints with Lew Stone, Carl Barriteau and Harry Hayes before joining the mighty Ted Heath orchestra at just 20 years of age.
Already seen as a soloist of genuine merit in modern jazz circles and influenced by the likes of Lester Young and Don Byas, Tommy stayed with Heath for five years but then opted to play with Tony Kinsey’s Trio at Studio 51 in Soho, recording regularly (these sessions reissued on Acrobat) and honing his jazz skills by night.
Persuaded to join the BBC Show Band, Tommy moved seamlessly into the session world eventually becoming a founder member of Jack Parnell’s TV orchestra and appearing with Peggy Lee, Bing Crosby and a host of other personalities. Even so, he always found time for jazz, leading fine groups, including the likes of Eddie Thompson, Harry Klein, Kenny Wheeler and Joe Temperley. After running his own club at the Hopbine pub in Wembley and with the session scene largely done, Tommy worked most often in later years with his singer wife Barbara Jay, their Ella Fitzgerald Songbook show proving popular up and down the UK.
Even when deeply immersed in the session scene, Tommy’s jazz playing never became routine or lacklustre. I heard him many times in a great variety of situations and was always uplifted. Invariably creative, often adventurous and immensely likeable, he was, in short, a star and certainly one of our finest-ever jazz musicians. Taken ill while on holiday in Spain, Tommy succumbed to pneumonia on his 87th birthday. A truly sad loss. Happily for us, his recorded legacy is substantial and of the highest quality. RIP Tommy.
– Peter Vacher