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Derek Vaux
Meeting up with Derek was always like greeting an old friend, and he always went out of his way to have a word with Barbara, I missed seeing him when he stopped playing. Looking through old emails, I can see that in 2011 he wrote, "As you know, the Merseysippi Jazz Band (MJB), was the featured band at the opening of the Cavern Jazz Club. Although I was only just out of short pants in 1957 and not in the MJB, I subsequently did play in the Cavern on many occasions with other bands. I can, however, vividly remember the MJB being invited - and playing - in Nottingham at Alan Sitner's Celebration of His Life some years ago. It was a wonderful occasion when we all met, for the first time in many years, many of our friends in our youth. Unsurprisingly there wasn't a Beatle in sight" "I discovered that, back in the 1950;s and 1960's. in London, he played professionally in the ‘Trad boom’ years with The Ken Sims Vintage Jazz Band, The Confederates Jazz Band and Dr. Crock’s Crack Pot Eleven. Following a dep gig with the Dutch Swing College Band in Bromley to 32 people and the following night depping with The Bob Wallis Storyville J.B. in a packed London East End pub that was closed down by the Police after one number because of crowd trouble, I thought “enough is enough” and came home to Liverpool the next day". He also played with Ken Colyer and Bobby Mickleborough In 1964 he joined the MJB and also played tuba for a while. He played from 1964-1977, then 1997 until he had problems in Feb 2015 when he underwent a Trapeziectomy - "the removal of the remains of the trapezium bone in my left wrist which had collapsed as a result of me playing a double bass for 62 years." It was some time later before he returned to playing, but this time with The WirrOrleans Jazz Band. There is an interesting item in Spencer Leigh's book, "Sweeping the Blues away" in which Derek is quoted as saying, "People go on about the conditions at Glastonbury, but I'm sure we've played worse. One Saturday in torrential rain at Upton Upon Severn in 1998, we were in the Armstrong tent and it was absolutely packed and it was wonderful. The bar was a quarter of a mile away across water and mud, and we played for three hours and drank nothing at all except Fanta Orange. Amazingly, we played pretty well and we made up for it afterwards by getting off the site and finding a pub." (On the Upton ticket, the admission price was described as 'ADM': Derek told John Higham that it stood for 'Ankle Deep in Mud'.") Fred Burnett
Derek with the MJB on the Albert Dock Liverpool (Winners of The BBC Jazz Heritage Award 2003) 03/01/25 - R. I. P. Derek Alan Birkinhead 04/01/25 - Bass players rarely cross paths, for obvious reasons, but I did meet Derek once when he and the Merseys were playing in Llangollen. I was in the audience for that one, and he and I had a nice chat during the interval. He was a fine player, and it was a pleasure to meet him. He will be sorely missed. The Revd Allan Wilcox 12/01/25 - Many years ago MJB founder and. bassist, DICK GOODWIN recalled his decision to cease playing He told me it was some time before he found the bass player he wanted...It was Derek Vaux, as Dick said, a much better bass than himself. Some while since I saw Derek but I do remember him as a truly fine bass and a most pleasant man to know, Few of his generation are now around , they certainly brought smiles and foot tapping to we who attended The Temple, off Dale Street, Liverpool. A big thank you to the musicians who livened up the jazz scene. ,Bye Derek and the other Merseys of his time. They were truly happy days Bob Lamb
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