The Hunt for Carl

 

17/07/16 - I get some challenging emails from time to time with people trying to find someone from the past. Sometimes  I can find the answers with your help, and it's one of the most rewarding aspects of this web site when that happens. This next one though has to be the most challenging so far. It's from Julia Milward  in New Zealand. - "This is a bit of a long shot but thought it worth a try.  Barry and I both hail from the Wirral - our respective families emigrated in the 60s. We were talking the other day about a chap Barry used to work with at an Architectural Company in Birkenhead by the name of Carl Thompson - he was a Yorkshireman by birth and did his Architectural degree at Liverpool University. The last we heard of him was that he had retired to Nice (of all places!) in the South of France.  The reason for my email to you is that he was a very keen jazz enthusiast and trumpet player and belonged to a small band for a good number of years - sadly we can't remember the name of the band. They played gigs in and around the Merseyside/Liverpool/Wirral area. I know this is all a bit vague but just thought it worth a try that someone associated with Jazz Northwest might just know him and where he currently is. Barry is just 70 and thinks Carl was 8 to 10 years older than him - so there is always the possibility he may be making music in the hereafter !! If you can throw any light on Carl or his whereabouts it would be much appreciated - we just figured the jazz fraternity would be a tight knit group so might just have the answer".  Wouldn't it be great if we could?

---

 20/07/16 - Re Carl Thompson, here’s something interesting off the web.  Carl’s architectural business was in The Albert Dock, Liverpool: Never met him, though. -

Jon Critchley

---

20/07/16 - I played with Carl Thompson in the Mathew St. Ragtime Jazz Band from the late 80s until the mid 90s. By that time Carl had established his own firm of architects, Carl Thompson Associates, and we used to rehearse in his offices on the Albert Dock on Monday evenings, and then go down the stairs to Hartleys Wine Bar and finish the evening listening to the Merseysippis, who had a residency there. Carl also ran a band called the Climax Jazz band , which also played at the Bar X on the Albert Dock on Sunday evenings. When he left the Mathew St band, he became a founder member of the Tuxedo Jazz Band, which of course is still going strong. Carl still visits the UK fairly frequently -

Phil Yates

---

25/07/16 - Bonsoir Fred,  I am in regular touch with Carl Thompson. He and Jacqui live in the centre of Saint-Tropez (rather far away from us to call them our neighbours) and Carl is very active in the jazz scene down there with his French Tuxedo Band etc.. He is also an active member of the Rotary Club and recently organised his seventh annual "Foi de Jazz" where he booked Les Haricots Rouges as part of the gig. Carl & Jacqui drove up to stay with us a couple of years ago and I organised a few local (very non-jazz) musicians to play a few numbers with us in my basement. It was interesting to say the least but nonetheless very enjoyable.  - Graham Martindale. Graham has sent me Carl's email address and his phone number and says I'm sure he would be delighted to hear from Barry & Julia. I'll pass the information on. -

Graham Martindale

---

26/07/16 - Hello Fred, Well, I have to say your assistance has been fantastic and low and behold Barry received an email from Carl this morning!! I had sent an email to Didier Hussenot last night – so this morning I received a response from him to say ‘he makes music’ with Carl Thompson and was forwarding my email on to him. So this morning in my inbox I received a reply from Didier plus the one you sent through attaching Graham Martindale’s email and, as I said, Barry had one from Carl!! Somehow I felt you guys would be a pretty special tight knit group and so it has proved to be. Thank you doesn’t even cover it but please give yourself a big pat on the back for your part in the jigsaw. We will be over in the UK for 3 months from late August, so we are hoping Carl may be over during that time, failing which we may try to organise a stopover in France when we plan next years travels. Hope your news board works as well for other people looking for old friends in the future. -

Julia Milward

---

27/07/16 - Dear Fred,

I first came across Carl Thompson when he was studying architecture at Liverpool University in the late 1950's. It was a hot bed of jazz there in those days, and I had a school friend at the University who played clarinet in the band, Denis Smithson.

We were at Alsop High School, Liverpool and had a band which included Denis, myself on drums, Jim Enright on trumpet, among others. Jim and i were not at Liverpool, but at Oxford and Cambridge respectively, and used to go to hear Denis when home in the vacations. Denis sadly never played again after those days, good though he was in the Johnny Dodds style, and passed away in Wakefield a couple of years ago.

I remember being very impressed with Carl's playing, but did not come across him again until he was with the Mathew Street Ragtime b and at the Marlborough pub in Slater Street. He really got the band going and was a great loss to them when he moved abroad.

I used to go to the Marlborough from time to time, and was allowed by Lynton Ali and the band to sit in . I have a reasonable tape of one of the sessions with me on drums for some of the time and Jill Farrington singing.

Happy days all round

Regards, - Roy Swift