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National Jazz Archive

2008 Celebrity Interview
Acker Bilk

in conversation with Digby Fairweather on Thursday 20th November 2008.

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SUMMER JAZZ EVENT 26th JULY 2008

SWINGING SHEPHERD!!

Dave Shepherd the legendary swing clarinettist was the star attraction at Loughton Methodist Church on Saturday 26th July first being interviewed by Digby Fairweather the founder of the Archive about his career and then playing live with a great band.

The capacity audience of 200 were richly entertained with stories from his professional career which spans seven decades and started with a band at Leyton Youth Club but he reflected on his first ever public appearance which was sponsored by the Young Communist League and their
review stated “the clarinet was weak and unsteady!!!”

His early influence was Artie Shaw and he also liked players such as Pee Wee Russell, Irving Fazola, Matty Matlock and Woody Herman but the man whose music he became most associated with was the great Benny Goodman.

The first professional gig was after military service when he played in Joe Daniels Jazz Group the name changing to Joe Daniels Hot Shots when they toured variety theatres and Dave’s singing specialty  was “You gotta see your mama every night or you can’t see your mama at all!!!”.

His early work centred around the east side of London and his big break came with the great Freddy Randall who he thought was a fantastic trumpeter and he joined his Band in 1947 at eighteen when he deputised on Sunday’s for Bruce Turner at Cooks Ferry Inn.

In the early 1950’s he went to the USA where he saw many of the great names of Jazz  and got a residency at “The Casa Lou” in Long Island where he was introduced as Sir David Shepherd!!
He came home in 1956 and started his quintet and also did the first of many hundreds of broadcasts for the BBC.

He talked about a major highlight of his career when he was invited to join Norman Granz JAZZ AT THE PHILHARMONIC tour with the Dill Jones Quartet but meeting such famous names as Roy Eldridge, Dizzy Gillespie, Coleman Hawkins, Sonny Stitt and becoming a friend of Ella Fitzgerald who he said was a lovely person.

Dave recounted the tale of when they were touring in the Yorkshire area Dizzy Gillespie threw out a challenge on the tour bus to Norman Granz that he could beat him in an 80 yard race so when they saw a side road about that length in a small village the driver stopped while everybody got out to watch the race including Ella and the locals looked on in amazement as the bowler hatted Dizzy won this most unusual event!

He worked with Freddy Randall again during the difficult period with the trad boom and then the arrival of the Beatles and co. in the1960’s but late in that decade he met Teddy Wilson who had played in the Benny Goodman Quartet subsequently touring with him three times. On their first meeting Dave asked Teddy what did he want to play and he replied “Anything you know!!”

Teddy liked a drink after gigs and Dave a non-drinker himself invited him to his house in Theydon Bois but did have some alcohol at home
and started to pour gin into a large tumbler and told Teddy to say “when” and as it reached the very top Teddy said “That’s coming on real fine!!!”

Dave joined the Pizza Express All Stars in West End’s Dean Street which was a very productive gig as he led them from 1980 to 2002.

Now living in Bournemouth, Dave has cut down on touring and has residencies in a local hotel and restaurant.
A brief question and answer session followed and a prolonged ovation ended a splendid interview and the subsequent live music showed that Dave has not lost any of his ability to swing.

Whilst the band was setting up the raffle well organised by NJA Trustee Jane Hunter-Randall abetted by vice-chairman of the Trustees Graham Langley  produced over £300 for the NJA and thanks go to the prize donors , Smiths Brasserie Ongar,  Wavendon Foundation, Northway Publications,  Sainsbury’s Loughton, Sally-Ann Worsfold ,Nevil Skrimshire and Dave Shepherd who donated two of his CD’s.

The band led by Dave and with Digby on trumpet then played superbly for nearly ninety minutes and the other fine musicians were Chris Gower (trombone),  Pete Cater (drums) , Len Skeat (bass), Tim Huskisson (keyboards) and special guest John Altman (curved soprano sax).
The numbers played included “China Boy;”  “Running Wild” -with a knockout solo from Dave; “Memories of You”; “Basin Street Blues”; “I Saw Stars”; “Avalon”- a great feature for John; “Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans”; “Hindustan” and for the finale “Pennies from Heaven” they were joined by Bill Thompson who played great trumpet and that fine “elder statesmen” Nevil Skrimshire on guitar.

Both the jazz and the weather were hot and the audience showed their appreciation for the terrific work put in by all concerned.

David Nathan
Archivist -NJA