16/04/17 - News has just come in from the River City Band contact, Curly Jones, that trombone player Bob Hambleton died suddenly yesterday afternoon. Apparently he collapsed whilst doing a bit of gardening. Bob, for many years, also played with the The Original Dam Jazz Band, The Original Panama Jazz Band and The Blue Mags to name but a few.

17/04/17 -

Sorry to read about Bob Hambleton's death, I worked with him many years ago. Can anyone confirm that in the early days he used to play a trombone that he had painted red. Or am I thinking of someone else with a red trombone? -

Barrie Quilliam

17/04/17 -

Very sad about Bob: He joined the Original Panama Jazz Band in 1997 after leaving the Blue Magnolia Jass Orchestra and left in 2008 when he and Chris moved to Llandudno and the travelling became too much. His trombone playing was greatly influenced by Vic Dickenson. I will always associate the phrase "Funnily enough" with Bob, who, in conversation, generally began his response with that. Quite a character, our thoughts go out to wife Chris. - Jon Critchley and The OPJB, past and present. -

Jon Critchley

18/04/17 -

I was really saddened & shocked to hear about the sudden death of Bob Hambleton. We worked & travelled together a lot during the 1980s & 90s & became firm friends during that time. -

Laurie Cooper.

18/04/17 -

I was very sorry to learn of Bob Hambleton's death. Bob was a founder member and musical co-ordinator of The Original Dam Jazz Band. I joined soon after the band's formation - all the original members lived in Lymm. I suppose we were no better than average for that period (early 1970s) but had a few unusual tunes (eg Melanie Safka's "Look What They've Done To My Song"), but we took the music seriously while still enjoying ourselves. Bob left to join The Heritage Band of Les Moore and Dennis Brown and I followed him soon after. We played some interesting (and strange) gigs including summer evenings in Manchester parks in parts of the city that I never knew existed. Bob, although with modernist inclinations of which I approved, could play all styles, but had the ability to convince himself that whatever style he was expected to play was exactly what he most enjoyed.

Bob eventually moved on and joined the Blue Mags and I went to the (Chester) Phoenix Band. We both moved out of Lymm and our paths rarely crossed after that. I met him when he depped with Willy's Weepers in Alsager a few years ago, and saw him most recently at Charles Wilson's funeral, almost two years since. I don't remember a red trombone (BQ) - I think he played a Getzen in ODJB days.

Bob was an excellent musician and a thoroughly nice bloke. I think we both had similar ideas where we would have liked the music to take us, but to keep playing we had to fit in with what others wanted. Given how little we saw of each other over the last twenty or thirty years, it seems a bit odd to say that I shall miss him, but I'm feeling the loss of someone who I would have regarded as indestructible: gardening is perhaps as good a way as any to go. My condolences to his family and close musical colleagues.

Harmoniously,

John Muskett

29/04/17 -

I was very sorry indeed to hear of Bob’s death. He was an important part of the Blue Mag’s success during our heyday of the late 70’s to the early 90’s. He relished in particular our frequent tours of Holland. An extremely intelligent and cultivated fellow, Bob had a very wide appreciation of jazz and music in general; he undertook considerable study to deepen his understanding of the art. Although his obsession with precision could be infuriating, he was a very kind man and his quirky sense of humour was extraordinary . Bob’s ability to construct tortuously clever jokes and puns from almost any situation constantly entertained us off stage. At that time the band had some notoriety for its jokes and wisecracks on stage; it was Bob who inspired most of the script. Our deepest sympathy goes to Chris and the family at this time.

Trevor Stent

30/04/17 -

I am sure I speak for all of the Merseysippi Jazz Band when I express our shock and sorrow at the death of Bob Hambleton. I have known him since he was a member of the Blue Magnolia Jass Orchestra and have many happy memories of playing along side of him at the Liverpool Garden Festival in 1984 with the Reds and Blues Marching Band. He will be sadly missed by everyone who knew him. Our sympathy goes to his family. He will be much missed.

Peter Fryer
Merseysippi Jazz Band

30/04/17 -

Bob  was already a fine trombonist when I met him at Sheffield University in 1959 and played in my first Jazzband with Ken Doran. At the time Bob was recovering from a collapsed lung. However, I never ran into him in my days in Manchester with the Dallas and the Smokies. My condolences to his family - Tony West

01/05/17 -

I was saddened to learn of the death of Bob Hambleton. I saw and heard him play many times with the Blue Mags, and had the privilege of playing alongside him more recently while depping with the River City. He was a fine player and a good companion. My condolences to his family.

Allan Wilcox
 

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