And Did Those Feet … Six British Jazz Composers by Duncan Heining
from Jazz In Britain
THIS HARDBACK EDITION IS SOLD OUT BUT A PAPERBACK EDITION IS NOW AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE FROM AMAZON
ISBN: 978-1-9163206-6-6
Hardback; English; 320 pages; gloss paper; large format (dimensions: 19.4 x 3.1 x 25.3 cm – weight: 1.5 kg); published: 26 October 2023
And Did Those Feet… examines in depth the lives and work of six British jazz composers – Michael Garrick, Mike Gibbs, Barry Guy, John Mayer, Keith Tippett and Mike Westbrook. Each of these musicians began their careers in jazz in the 1960s, years of artistic and political ferment and upheaval. Music historian Duncan Heining locates those beginnings in the context of changing times and shows how these composers’ work continued to develop whilst remaining influenced by values that continued to be informed by social and cultural concerns.
Duncan Heining began writing about jazz in the mid-nineties. He has written for a number of publications and websites. His other books include Stratusphunk – the Life and Works of George Russell (Jazzinternationale 2020) and Trad Dads, Dirty Boppers and Free Fusioneers - British Jazz, 1960-1975 (Equinox 2012).
OVERVIEW
The idea for this collection of profiles of British jazz composers came about for two reasons. Firstly, several people involved in the British jazz scene had proposed separately that I might write biographies on three of the artists featured in And Did Those Feet…. Much though each one deserved their own full biography, I felt unable to oblige. Given the state of this small corner of the publishing industry, any such book would be unlikely to sell in sufficient quantities to warrant the outlay of money, time and resources that would be involved. That said, it occurred to me that a series of detailed career retrospectives on each of these subjects in a single volume might at least do some justice to their rich and varied careers in British jazz. Moreover, such a book would not preclude others picking up the mantle later and producing specific biographies on any of these major figures in the music.
The second reason arose from my realisation that the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of Ian Carr’s seminal Music Outside (Latimer 1973/Northway 2008) was drawing near. The composers, bandleaders and improvisers Ian discussed, in the main, went on to long and hugely productive careers and it seemed that it was high time to look again at the work of several of those artists in depth. Additionally, these musicians have had to chart very different waters from those described by Carr in 1973. One important criterion for inclusion was, therefore, that the artists discussed here had all had careers that stretched into, at least, the late part of the last millennium. The second criteria was that we would focus on musicians, who were both band-leaders and composers.
And Did Those Feet… comprises six chapters, around 20,000 words each on six British jazz composers - Michael Garrick, Mike Gibbs, Barry Guy, John Mayer, Keith Tippett, Mike Westbrook. It is biographical but also concerned with what it is and what it means to be a jazz composer. These chapters are book-ended by two short contextual essays.
CONTENTS:
i. Acknowledgements
ii. Introduction
Chapter 1 In My Father’s House There Are Many Mansions
Chapter 2 Michael Garrick
Chapter 3 Mike Gibbs
Chapter 4 Barry Guy
Chapter 5 John Mayer
Chapter 6 Keith Tippett
Chapter 7 Mike Westbrook
Chapter 8 Coda
Indexes
COMPANION DISCS
Two audio CDs are also included with this book. They comprise a representative selection of tracks containing music intended to accompany Duncan Heining’s And Did Those Feet musical biographies of six composers. The sessions were selected by Jazz In Britain and approved for inclusion by the musicians or their families. It is not intended as a definitive example of each of the six composers’ work but are unreleased recordings which illustrate of a lot of what Duncan discusses in the book for each of the six composers. These CDs will not be available separately from the book.
AUTHOR'S THANKS
The author wishes to thank in particular Mike Westbrook, Mike Gibbs and Barry Guy for their participation in this book but also for the care and attention they have given in reading initial drafts of their chapters. I know that their comments have made this a better book. I also want to thank Kate Westbrook and Maya Homburger, who also read the chapters on their respective partners. In the case of Mike Gibbs, our mutual friend Hans Koller also read an early draft and provided supportive feedback.
A number of people have given their time for interview, though I cannot thank them all, I would single out Gabriel and Christian Garrick, Art Themen and Norma Winstone who read and commented upon the Michael Garrick chapter; Jonathan Mayer (and his mother) for checking the chapter on John Mayer; and Julie Tippetts and Lisa Tregale for doing the same for the chapter on Keith Tippett. They have made this biographer’s task a far less lonely one.
I must also thank my wife, Annie. Not only did she read and offer advice on certain sections but, in a way, was forced to live this book with me. That is a big ask and my love and thanks to her as always.
Finally, this volume would, nevertheless, never have seen the light of day were it not for the vision and acumen of Jazz in Britain founder/proprietor John Thurlow and Pete Woodman, who took on the unenviable role of proof-reader for this project. Some people in this world wait for things to happen, others make them happen.
This book is our contribution to the British and European jazz world that these pioneers helped create. We hope you enjoy it.
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about
Jazz In Britain Holmfirth, UK
A not-for-profit organisation, whose aim is to collect, curate, preserve, celebrate and promote the legacy of British jazz
musicians. The archive collects, curates and preserves off-air and other recordings of British jazz performances.
The organisation will publish books, release vinyl, CDs and downloads, working in partnership with musicians and their families.
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May 2021