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Max Collie
World Champion of Jazz
21/02/31 - 06/01/18
Photograph courtesy of
www.sylviesplace.co.uk
06/01/18 -
John Maxwell Collie was born in
Melbourne, Australia on 21st February 1931. He first heard
professional jazz in1946 listening to Graham Bell’s lunchtime
concerts at The New Theatre Melbourne. By 1948 he was playing with a
local band and shortly after, leading it.
The famous Melbourne New Orleans Jazz Band were on tour in Europe
and Max received a cable offering him the trombone chair, so in
April 1962 Max arrived in England [to coincide with Beatlemania and
the collapse of the British Trad scene] to tour Europe until that
band went back to Australia a year later. Max decided to stay and
joined the London City Stompers, becoming leader after a year, until
February 1966, when he formed Max Collie's Rhythm Aces and that
band, notwithstanding the collapse of the UK jazz scene, went on to
become world famous. Max was simply a great band leader and got the
best out of everyone, converting them to his unique sound. He knew
that no group of artistes no matter how talented as individuals can
bring forth the authentic New Orleans style if they can’t work
together day after day as his band did, as the last of the touring
bands. He was able to get his highly professional and experienced
musicians as though by magic to play the style and the way he wanted
and achieve the level of musical perfection required.
In 1972 Sam Johnson, an avid jazz fan, whose stepfather had the
longest running jazz radio show in history and whose uncle was
President of the USA, started following the band. Sam Johnson became
the American Tour Manager and with Martin Ross overall manager, led
Max into a different world, first with a 25 days tour of the USA,
then a 45 day tour, then a 66 day tour and finally an 84 day tour.
All unheard of for a non US musician and the nationwide USA success
of these 220 US appearances led to Max winning the World
Championship of Jazz in Indianapolis against the cream of North
American jazz bands. A total of 44 states were travelled by band
wagon and most jazz festivals and clubs across the USA were played,
along with many TV appearances and countless radio shows. Terrific
publicity followed this success in the jazz world and tours of
Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Japan were added to the regular
European itinerary. The Bands only ever Manager Martin Ross,
persuaded Max that it was time to take advantage of his new found
fame and do a Theatre Show called simply “Max Collie’s New Orleans
Mardi Gras”, which although a vehicle for Max also included the
legendary Ken Colyer and Cy Laurie and turned out to be the most
successful jazz show in British jazz history performing
approximately 700 shows across every major venue in Britain. Max had
now played over 3500 major jazz festivals all over the world from
Antibes to New Orleans itself, 1200 theatre concerts, countless jazz
clubs and made 50 recordings many of which are now collector’s
items, plus DVD’s and 100’s of TV and Radio show appearances.
His secret was that not only was he a great band leader but he had
also developed his own sound and had a marvellous dedication to his
concept of this unique art form. No engagement was just another gig
to Max. 100% effort went into every performance, which is why such a
high standard was maintained over the years. Artistes who were
members of the band from time to time are in themselves a history of
British Jazz and include:-
Trumpets:- Chez Chesterman, Trevor Arnold, John Keen, Phil Mason,
Denny Ilett, Ken Colyer.
Clarinets:-Roy Pellett , Karl Hird, Jumping Jack Gilbert, Trevor
Whiting, Paul Harrison, Cy Laurie, Jerry Senfluk, Jonny Boston, Tony
Pyke, Steve Mellor, Gabe Essien
Banjo:-Jim Cox, Eddy Edwards, Gentlemen Jim McIntosh, Jim Wright,
John Cherry, Chris Marney, David Bashford, George Walker, Dickie
White.
Bass:-Annie Hawkins, John Healy, Trefor Williams, Count John
McCormick, Andy Laurence.
Drums:-Tony Scriven, Phil Franklin, Ron McKay, Pete Cotterill,
Robert Cotterill, Emile Martyn, Alan (Slim) Poston, Baby Jules, John
Petters.
Piano:-T J Johnson, Lord Arsenal.
Vocalists:-Jan Sutherland, T J Johnson, Christine Tyrrell, Claire
Solomon, Marilyn Middleton Pollock, Pauline Pearce.
Roadies: Pete Marr, Syd Appleton and Andy Firth
Deputy trombonists: Gentleman Jim McIntosh (who also played Banjo)
and Mike Poynton.
Worldwide Manager:- Martin K Ross ;USA Tour Agent/manager:- Samuel
S. H. Johnson.
Martin Ross
10/01/18 -
Max Collie
I think it must have been 1996 or 7 that I first met Max Collie, who
died on 6th January. We were living in the north of the Netherlands,
and Count John McCormick, Max's regular bass-player at that time,
had telephoned to say that they would be playing in Delfzijl, not
far away. I hadn't seen John since leaving Liverpool in 1991; so off
I went for a reunion with him, and during the interval he introduced
me to 'Mad Max' (as he called him). So began a friendship that would
last for more than twenty years.
A few weeks later,
I received a telephone call from Max himself, inviting me to join
the band for a three-day tour in Germany - my audition as it turned
out. Before the first gig, I was badly led astray by trumpeter Denny
Ilett and banjo-player Dave Bashford. We had arrived at our hotel
shortly after midday and, having travelled through the night, were
supposed to sleep during the afternoon in readiness for the evening
gig, but these two insisted that we three should have 'just the one'
in the hotel bar before retiring. 'Just the one' quickly became a
sort of refrain; we lost track of the time, and suddenly Max
appeared, refreshed and resplendent in his band uniform and
horrified by the sight of us, clearly the worse for wear and by no
means ready to set off for the gig. 'That's it,' I thought; 'I've
blown it!'
But I hadn't. In
my experience, Max was never one to bear grudges, and from then
onwards I joined his band for an average of half-a-dozen such
weekends per year. That number increased when we returned to Britain
in 2006, and I was included in some of the gigs on this side of the
channel as well. He was an effective tailgate trombonist, firmly in
the New Orleans tradition, but his great gift was as a band leader.
He was unfailingly (and often undeservedly) loyal to his musicians;
he was an instinctive judge of what would please an audience, but
above all he was the inspiration behind some of the most exciting
arrangements of jazz classics that I have been privileged to play. I
shall always remember him with gratitude and affection.
The
Revd. Allan Wilcox
Ty'n y Ffynnon,
Nant Peris,
Caernarfon,
Gwynedd LL55 4UH
Wales, UK
14/01/18 -
I 'm also sad to hear of Max
Collie's passing. I was privileged to play in Max's band on a number
of occasions , depping for Ron McKay and later for Pete Cotterill,
both of them fine drummers. Max was a great band-leader with a
strong character, good New Orleans style trombone , and an excellent
vocalist. This tribute to Max features an excellent photo of him and
contains a very full and informative resume of Max's exciting and
varied career. Thank you Max for all those wonderful memories. -
Dave Berry.
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