IAN ARMITT info
Ian Armitt
(keyboards)
Fantastic piano player from
the 60s British scene. He was born in Scotland.
In 1957, he's part of Sandy
Brown Band:
-
Sandy Brown (clarinet)
-
Diz Dizley (guitar)
-
Tim Hahn (bass)
-
Ian Armitt (piano)
-
Al Fairweather (trumpet)
-
Gerry French (trombone)
-
Graham Burbidge (drums)
There's a collective live album,
called The best of British jazz from the BBC Jazz Club vol. 8.
It contains 3 live tracks by the band in April 1957 (augmented with guest
Red Price on sax), plus other tracks by Humphrey Lyttelton Band (from 1954),
and Mick Mulligan (from 1958).
In 1958 and 1959, he was
part of Humphrey Lyttelton And His Band:
-
Humphrey Lyttelton (trumpet)
-
Brian Brocklehurst (bass)
-
Ian Armitt (piano)
-
Tony Coe (sax)
-
Jimmy Skidmore (sax)
-
Joe Temperley (sax)
-
John Picard (trombone)
-
Eddie Taylor (drums)
In June 1960, this is Humphrey
Lyttelton Octet:
-
Humphrey Lyttelton (trumpet)
-
Pete Blannin (bass)
-
Ian Armitt (piano)
-
Tony Coe (sax)
-
Jimmy Skidmore (sax)
-
Joe Temperley (sax)
-
John Picard (trombone)
Eddie Taylor (drums)
They released the album Humph
plays standards.
Ian, Blannin and Eddie Taylor
would play together again some years later, as we're going to read.
While with Lyttelton, both
guested in some Chris Barber appearances for BBC Radio in December 1963.
Years later, a live album has been released, Chris Barber at the
BBC.
After many years playing
jazz, Ian changes direction when joining Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated.
But I don't have good info about the period and lineups, so any help would
be very appreciated.
There's an album, released
in 1969, called Blues Inc - Alexis Korner All Stars. It features
Cyril Davies (vocals, harmonica), Mick Jagger (vocals, harmonica), Ronnie
Jones (vocals), Jack Bruce (bass), John Parker (bass), Ian Armitt (keyboards),
Graham Bond (keyboards, sax), Dick Heckstall-Smith (sax), Ginger Baker
(drums), Charlie Watts (drums).
In October 1964, Long John
Baldry changes some members of his band Hoochie Coochie Men; that's when
Ian joins:
-
Long John Baldry (vocals)
-
Rod Stewart (vocals)
-
Geoff Bradford (guitar)
-
Cliff
Barton (bass)
-
Ian Armitt (piano)
-
Al Gay
(sax)
-
Art Themen (sax)
Johnny Spooner (drums)
There's an album released by
the band, Long John's Blues.
By the way, there's a live
track in an Eric Clapton bootleg, where a band called Liverpool Roadrunners
appear, recorded in February 1964. Who are the members of that band? Baldry,
Stewart, Bradford, Cliff Barton, Ian Armitt,
Billy Law. What's that? A missing link?
But this fantastic team sadly
parted ways next month, in November 1964. Baldry and Armit recruited a
new edition of the band:
-
Long John Baldry (vocals)
-
Pete Willis (guitar)
-
Tom Connor (bass)
-
Ian Armitt (piano)
-
Barry Martin (sax)
-
Eddie Taylor (drums)
But next month, December 1964,
the great Geoff Bradford rejoins them:
-
Long John Baldry (vocals)
-
Geoff Bradford (guitar)
-
Pete
Blannin (bass)
-
Ian Armitt (piano)
-
Pete Peterson (sax)
-
Rudy Jones (sax)
-
Eddie Taylor (drums)
They lasted until July 1965,
when Long John Baldry dissolved them, to form The Steampacket (with Micky
Waller).
Micky Waller rejoins his old mate Long John Baldry
for a tour in the States in 1971.
-
Long John Baldry (vocals)
-
Sam Mitchell (guitar)
-
Pete Sears (bass)
-
Ian Armit (keyboards)
-
Micky
Waller (drums)
After the tour, only Ian Armitt remained with Long
John Baldry. The band Ashman-Reynolds became Long John Baldry's new backing
band, along with Denny Ball and Ian Armitt. The band were on a package
with Savoy Brown and Fleetwood Mac. This had to be around Winter 1971.
Long John Baldry
(vocals)
Aliki
Ashman (vocals)
Harry Reynolds (vocals)
Bob Weston (guitar)
Denny
Ball (bass)
Rod
Edwards (keyboards)
Ian Armitt (Piano)
Keith
Boyce (drums)
After the tour finished they made an appearance on
“Top of The Pops” BBC show. The band line up for that show included Rod
Stewart, Elton John and Lesley Duncan on back-up vocals.
In the summer of 1972, John changed the line-up
as people went their separate ways. John flew to New York with bass player
Denny Ball and Ian to look for musicians for the next tour.
Long John Baldry
(vocals)
Elaine Clark (vocals)
Marsha (or Myra Cooper?)
(vocals)
Bob Kulick (guitar)
Denny
Ball (bass)
Ian Armitt (keyboards)
Joe Forgione (drums)
The band opened for Uriah Heep who were on one of
their biggest concert tours yet. It was an unusual alliance of a blues
and gospel band opening for a heavy rock band.
Bob Kulick left the band. Dave Ball quit Procol
Harum and joins Long John Baldry band in September 1972.
Long John Baldry
(vocals)
Elaine Clark (vocals)
Marsha (or Myra Cooper?)
(vocals)
Dave
Ball (guitar)
Denny
Ball (bass)
Ian Armitt (piano)
Joe Forgione (drums)
The band play a few UK dates, and the Good to
be Alive album is recorded. With some great guests: Lesley Duncan
(vocals), Sue Glover (vocals), Liza Strike (vocals), Kay Garner (vocals),
Sam Mitchell (guitar), Andy Bown (keyboards), Jimmy
Horowitz (keyboards), John Mealing (keyboards), Terry Cox (drums) and
Tony Newman (drums).
I don't have more info about
Ian after that. The only known fact is that he died, sadly.
QUESTIONS:
1. Does anybody know if his
correct name is Ian Armit (not Armitt)? I can see him credited both ways...
Albums by Sandy Brown Band:
-
McJazz And Friends
(1957, with Diz Dizley)
-
The best of British jazz
from the BBC Jazz Club vol. 8 (with Johnny Parker, Diz Dizley)
(live)
Albums by Humphrey Lyttelton:
-
Humph plays standards
(with Pete Blannin, Tony Coe, Eddie Taylor)
Albums by Chris Barber:
-
Chris Barber at the BBC
(live album - Ian Armitt and Humphrey Lyttelton appear as guests)
Albums by Alexis Korner:
-
Blues Inc - Alexis Korner
All Stars (1969, with Mick Jagger, Ronnie Jones, Jack Bruce, John
Parker, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Ginger Baker, Charlie Watts)
Albums by Long John Baldry &
The Hoochie Coochie Men:
Albums by Long John Baldry:
-
It ain't easy (1971, with Elton John,
Rod Stewart, Maggie Bell, Ron Wood, Sam Mitchell, Ray Jackson, Alan Skidmore,
Jimmy Horowitz, Caleb
Quaye, Ian Duck, Dave Glover, Roger Pope)
-
Everything stops for tea (1972, with
Elton John, Davey Johnstone, Ray Cooper, Nigel Olsson, and Rod Stewart,
Jimmy Litherland, Bob Weston, Sam Mitchell, John Porter, Bill Smith, Richard
Brown, Jimmy Horowitz, Terry Stannard, Micky
Waller, Madeline Bell, Barry St John, Liza Strike, Doris Troy)
-
Welcome to the club (1977, with Jesse
Ed Davis, Andy Bown, Sam Mitchell, Alan Murphy, Fred Tackett, Klaus Voormann,
Jimmy Horowitz, John Jarvis, Pete Gavin, Jim
Keltner, Madeline Bell, Tony Burrows, Lesley Duncan, Kay Garner, Neil Lancaster,
Chas Mills, Liza Strike)
Jazz Sessions:
-
Jimmy Rushing with Humphrey Lyttelton & His Band
(A night in Oxford Street, 1957, with Tony Coe, Eddie Taylor)
-
Wally Fawkes & The Troglodytes (Flook digs
jazz, with John Mumford, Eddie Taylor) (collection of EPs from
the 50s and 60s)
-
Al Fairweather (Fairweather friends made to
measure, 1959, with Dick Heckstall-Smith)
Rock Sessions:
-
Sandy Denny (Like an old fashioned waltz,
Jun 74, with , Richard Thompson, Diz Disley, Jerry Donahue, Trevor Lucas,
Pat Donaldson, Dave Pegg, Danny Thompson,
John 'Rabbit' Bundrick, Jean Roussel, Alan Skidmore, Gerry Conway, Dave
Mattacks)
-
Rod Stewart (A shot of rhythm and blues,
1977, with Rod Stewart, Cliff Barton,
Micky Waller) (old recordings
from 1964-66)
-
Sandy Denny (Who knows where the time goes,
Jan 86, with Diz Dizley, Jerry Donahue, Trevor Lucas, Simon Nicol, Richard
Thompson, Dave Cousins, Tony Hooper, Sneaky Pete Kleinow, Pat
Donaldson, Tony Reeves, Dave Pegg, Danny
Thompson, Ashley Hutchings, Ron Chesterman, John 'Rabbit' Bundrick, Ian
Whiteman, Steve Winwood, Dave Swarbrick, Dave Mattacks, Gerry Conway, Timi
Donald, Martin Lamble, Bruce Rowland, Sue Glover, Sunny Leslie, Iain Matthews)
(4LP boxset with unreleased tracks)
-
Rod Stewart (1964-1969, Jun 2000, with
Rod Stewart, Jeff Beck,
Gary Boyle, Geoff Bradford, Ron Wood, Vic Briggs, Keith Richards, Dave
Ambrose, Cliff Barton, Ricky
Brown, Kim Gardner, John Paul Jones, Victor Brox, Mike D'Abo, Nicky
Hopkins, Ian McLagan, Brian Auger, Peter Bardens, Keith Emerson, Art Themen,
Aynsley Dunbar, Micky
Waller, Mick Fleetwood, Bobby Graham, Long John Baldry, PP Arnold,
Beryl Marsden, Art Wood) (2CD, compilation with lots of unreleased tracks)
Related links:
Thanks section
Very special thanks to: ....
Special thanks to: ...
Thanks to: ...
If you can contribute (with
additions, corrections, opinions, etc.), please, send me an e-mail message
at mterol@myrealbox.com
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Page created
by Miguel Terol on: 18/September/2003. First published on: 26/September/2003.
Last modified on: 01/December/2003.
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