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I was
looking through some of my old photographs to see if I had a
photograph of Don, and I was delighted to find this one of two great
clarinet players, Don Lydiatt and Monty Sunshine playing together at Keswick
Jazz Festivals some years ago. How amazing that they should both
pass away on the 30th November, Monty departing a year earlier. - Fred Burnett
Obituary
by The Merseys
'Don'
Lydiatt
He was born in Liverpool on 12th January 1927 and was christened
John Arthur Lydiatt - but he was always known as Don. He was
also known as 'Nob' but the reason for that is easily explained.
His life long friend Ken Baldwin, banjo and guitar, and a
founder member of The Merseysippi Jazz Band in February 1949,
realised very early on that it was not easy for a jazz musician
to remember all the names of the countless people he came into
contact with - so everybody became known as Nob. Problem solved!
Even to this day, the 'Merseys' address each other - and many
others - with this easy to remember name.
Don started playing the clarinet at the age of 12 and graduated
to tenor saxophone before joining the Royal Navy in 1945 when he
was despatched to serve on the Russian Convoys and continued to
serve throughout WW2. Don played both instruments during his
naval service and continued to do so until joining the MJB in
September 1949, replacing Evan Patrick who had been in the
original line up that had launched itself onto an unsuspecting
world earlier that year. Don quickly decided that humping two
instrument cases was one case too many, so he gave up the
heavier one and concentrated on clarinet.
He was a highly responsible family man and was the proprietor of
a wet fish shop. When pressed during an interview about becoming
a professional musician (when the MJB was at the sharp end of
the post-war jazz revival) he replied "Certainly not, I've got a
fresh fish shop and a wife and family to support!" He stopped
playing in2008 because his arthritic fingers wouldn't allow him
to perform as he would have wished. What an admirable and openly
honest, but incredibly difficult, decision.
He was a brilliantly natural jazz musician as everybody who had
the privilege and pleasure of playing with him, or listening to
him, will testify. In May 1986 during one of the MJB's many
visits to the Sacramento Jazz Festival in California, he was
elected by the organisers to be a member of the 'World-Wide
All-Stars' - a band of the outstanding musicians at that year's
Festival. However, his natural reticence and modesty had a
darker side. He was mischievously wicked. As John Higham, the
trumpet player with the MJB since 1970, and a frequent recipient
of Don's evil wind-ups, says "He could start a fight in an empty
room!"
Don will long be remembered and respected by everybody who knew
him - as the congregation at his Cremation in Liverpool on 8th
December and the numerous tributes on Fred Burnett's
JAZZNORTHWEST website have testified - and most of all for his
sixty years with the Merseysippi Jazz Band.
Many will consider that he was suitably rewarded by his final
performance. He went to bed one night feeling fine and didn't
wake up.
John, Peter, Deggs, Dave, Peter, Malcolm and Dave.
30/11/11 -
I'm desperately sorry to tell you that my dear friend Don
Lydiatt, clarinettist with the Merseysippi Jazz Band from its very
early days until a few years ago, died at 4.15 this morning. He and
I had been good friends for about 65 years. At his best he was one
of the finest clarinet players in the country, and you can hear how
outstanding his playing was on any of the fine Lake albums of
recordings by the Merseysippi".
Steve Voce.
30/11/11
I am so sorry to here the news about Don Lydiatt. It was to be
expected, but sad all the same. Don was a wonderful clarinet player
and never really got the recognition due to him - a pity. I sat in
with him and the Merseys a number of times, but only played a gig
with him once and it was by chance. My wife and I were over visiting
and staying with John Dunlop (ex New Orleans Express) and we decided
to go hear the Panama JB in a pub in Moreton on the road to Meols
and West Kirby. When we walked in we discovered that the band was
short a trumpet or cornet player and I was asked did I have my horn
with me. I played the gig and really enjoyed playing with rather
than just listening to Don. My wife was forever convinced that it
was organised ahead of time without me telling her.
Tony Pringle
30/11/11
Like
everyone else who has had the pleasure of working with and knowing
Don Lydiatt, I am so sad to hear of his death today. Oddly, I have
spent the day 'Christmas Shopping' with my Family and Grandchildren
in Liverpool, and around lunchtime, we all dropped into the 'Cavern
Club' for some historical and nostalgic refreshment. I pointed out
the brick dedicated to 'The Merseysippi Jazz Band' and reminisced
about playing there - with Don - on the Cavern's 40th Anniversary. I
also fondly recall playing a QE2 cruise alongside Don, and how he
kept jazz fans entertained with his encyclopaedic knowledge in the
piano bar until late into the nights. A very fine clarinet player
and a warm individual, Don will be missed and long remembered by his
many friends and fans. Cheers Don.
Derek
Harrison
30/11/11
I was so
sorry to hear of Don's death. I'm really glad to have had him as a
friend and to have had the opportunity to hear him on many occasions
and to have had the great pleasure of playing duets with him as well
. As a clarinettist myself I can say with authority what a great
player he was.
If you are able to do so, could you pass on to Don's family my
condolences
Keith Jones
30/11/11
Really sorry
to hear the news about Don Lydiatt. What a player he was - sailing
imperiously through the changes with such verve and attack ! At his
height, he was a monster player who could make the hairs stand up on
the back of your neck. I've just re-listened to him on Sweet Georgia
Brown (Amazon MP3 download for 79p) and it reminded me of when I
heard Ed Hall play the same tune at Belle Vue with the Armstrong All
Stars back in the '50s. He also put me in mind of the magnificent
Sandy Brown, and of the Wally Fawkes of the Humph Parlophone 78s -
all players with bags of fire and emotion. That said, he was his own
man, with an instantly recognisable style, a true enthusiast, and
ever keen to talk about jazz and discuss chord changes. And although
he spent all his playing life in the same band, he was always happy
to make guest appearances or to dep. One of the stars of North-west
jazz.
Keith Allcock.
30/11/11
I was
dreadfully sorry to hear about Don Lydiatt. Such a fantastic
clarinetist, and one of the most unassuming and thoroughly nice
people on the Jazz scene, as all of the Merseysippi's personnel were
through the decades, and still are. I loved Don's playing, but
unfortunately only played with him once or twice at the most. Always
warm, meaningful, melodic, chordally and rhythmically 100% accurate.
A great loss to the world of Jazz. Could you please pass my
condolences to Don's family, friends and members of the band.
Joe Silmon
1/12/11
I was shocked to learn last
night at The Panama Jazz Band's gig in Upton on the Wirral, of the
death of Don Lydiatt.
I was always in awe of his playing, and hearing Lake Record's
reissues of vintage Merseysippi JB recordings, has shown me that he
had a unique and distinctive style that was astoundingly exciting.
Like Derek Harrison, I too played with Don on the QE2, and I can
remember (just) the all night imbibing sessions we had with Vic
Allen in each other's cabins after the evening's playing; We spent
so many hours reminiscing and laughing, between the glugs. I'm very
lucky to have experienced so much of Don's clarinet playing.
Meanwhile, The Merseysippi Jazz Band lives on.
Malcolm Hogarth
06/12/11
So sorry to hear the news about Don Lydiatt. A fine player who
could adapt to all styles. He was always so willing to dep at
very short notice. He will be sadly missed.
Condolences to family, friends and of course the Merseys.
Peter
Swensson. Savoy Jazzmen.
06/12/11 -
Unfortunately, a prior
engagement means that I shall be unable to attend Don's funeral
on Thursday, but I have always enjoyed his playing while depping
for the Merseys and have a clear memory of an enjoyable
occasion, back in the eighties, when I drove him to one of those
gigs. At that time I was playing regularly with the late Dougie
('Jumbo') Richford, formerly of the Bob Wallis band, in Roy
Potts's Five and a Penny. Jumbo played alto and tenor saxophones
in addition to clarinet, and I was naturally interested in
whether Don ever played sax. He had done so (as his biography on
the Merseys' website testifies), but in response to my enquiry
he maintained that it was impossible to do justice to any of the
instruments if you switched from one to another owing to the
constant adjustments to the embouchure that were involved. That
was why he had opted to stick with the clarinet. (No doubt other
reed players would disagree with him, and I guess we'll have to
wait for Bunty Arkright to pronounce the final verdict!)
Don was a fine player and a wonderfully entertaining travelling
companion. My condolences to his family, and to all the Merseys.
Allan Wilcox
7/12/11
-
As the
one who was trusted to take his place, I still wonder if I will
ever get near to filling the enormous gap that Don left when he
retired from the Merseys. Whilst I never knew him as well as
many, I had often heard him and knew him to be amongst the best
not just in the North-West, but in the country. He will be
greatly missed and I join all the others who knew him in sending
sympathy and understanding to the family.
Dave
Dixson
10/12/11 -
Don's
funeral took place on 8th December, unfortunately my car was off
the road and I couldn't attend, but Derek Vaux wrote to me -
"It
was a perfectly foul day, bloody cold, blowing a gale and
bucketing down with rain, but there was a really superb turnout
for John Arthur Lydiatt, aka 'Don.'
His widow Maud, or Mo as she's always been known, although being
rather frail, was well supported by her family and the service
was a fine celebration of his life with excellent reminiscences
from the leader of the commital and Don's son John. John Higham
gave a magnificent tribute to Don and recounted many amusing
incidents that put the congregation very much at ease. The music
chosen
(from the MJB's 'How Lovely' CD) was Don singing 'Cornsilk' -
which was a real lump in the throater, 'Once in a While' and to
finish with, 'Sweet Georgia Brown' one of Don's truly masterful
renditions. These tunes put everybody in good spirits and in a
general state of good feeling, having been privileged to play
with, and have known, a bloke who was one of the finest reed
players this country has produced. It was a true celebration of
a remarkable life.
The family have received countless expressions of sympathy from
all over the world - due in no small part to your production of
JazzNorthWest - which was referred to with appreciation and
gratitude.
Well done and thank you Fred.
Derek, on behalf of the MJB and indeed your world-wide most
appreciative audience".
Obituary sent to
Just Jazz Magazine
'Don'
Lydiatt
He was born in Liverpool on 12th January 1927 and was christened
John Arthur Lydiatt - but he was always known as Don. He was
also known as 'Nob' but the reason for that is easily explained.
His life long friend Ken Baldwin, banjo and guitar, and a
founder member of The Merseysippi Jazz Band in February 1949,
realised very early on that it was not easy for a jazz musician
to remember all the names of the countless people he came into
contact with - so everybody became known as Nob. Problem solved!
Even to this day, the 'Merseys' address each other - and many
others - with this easy to remember name.
Don started playing the clarinet at the age of 12 and graduated
to tenor saxophone before joining the Royal Navy in 1945 when he
was despatched to serve on the Russian Convoys and continued to
serve throughout WW2. Don played both instruments during his
naval service and continued to do so until joining the MJB in
September 1949, replacing Evan Patrick who had been in the
original line up that had launched itself onto an unsuspecting
world earlier that year. Don quickly decided that humping two
instrument cases was one case too many, so he gave up the
heavier one and concentrated on clarinet.
He was a highly responsible family man and was the proprietor of
a wet fish shop. When pressed during an interview about becoming
a professional musician (when the MJB was at the sharp end of
the post-war jazz revival) he replied "Certainly not, I've got a
fresh fish shop and a wife and family to support!" He stopped
playing in2008 because his arthritic fingers wouldn't allow him
to perform as he would have wished. What an admirable and openly
honest, but incredibly difficult, decision.
He was a brilliantly natural jazz musician as everybody who had
the privilege and pleasure of playing with him, or listening to
him, will testify. In May 1986 during one of the MJB's many
visits to the Sacramento Jazz Festival in California, he was
elected by the organisers to be a member of the 'World-Wide
All-Stars' - a band of the outstanding musicians at that year's
Festival. However, his natural reticence and modesty had a
darker side. He was mischievously wicked. As John Higham, the
trumpet player with the MJB since 1970, and a frequent recipient
of Don's evil wind-ups, says "He could start a fight in an empty
room!"
Don will long be remembered and respected by everybody who knew
him - as the congregation at his Cremation in Liverpool on 8th
December and the numerous tributes on Fred Burnett's
JAZZNORTHWEST website have testified - and most of all for his
sixty years with the Merseysippi Jazz Band.
Many will consider that he was suitably rewarded by his final
performance. He went to bed one night feeling fine and didn't
wake up.
John, Peter, Deggs, Dave, Peter, Malcolm and Dave.
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