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Martyn Sharp RIP 25/02/2024
26/02/24 - Jeff Roberts emailed to say that trumpet player Martyn Sharp had passed away the previous morning. As well as playing in the North West's French Quarter Band, Martyn had his own band, Martyn Sharp & The Mighty FourThe band started in the early eighties playing mainly private birthday parties, weddings, and advertising events in Yorkshire and Lancashire. Over a 25 year period Martyn was leader and trumpet player, having played lengthy stints in the Silver Bell band in Preston, Malcolm Webb’s band in Bingley, and Dave Brennan’s Heritage Parade band, in Rotherham, also Les Moore’s French Quarter band of which he was a stalwart. and later with The Eclipse. A gentleman and stickler for his New Orleans style of trumpet playing. He had visited New Orleans, and also spent five consecutive annual holidays camping at the Ascona New Orleans Festival in Switzerland. He had guested with the New Orleans Delight band in Denmark and Sweden, undertaking five successive annual tours with them. He had made many guest appearances with the Tuxedo band in Wallasey, and from time to time appeared with the “Rae Brothers New Orleans Band”, (the last being on May 7th and 8th 2008 at Studley Castle, Warwickshire). 27/02/24 - I was sorry to hear the news of Martyn's passing when Jeff Roberts contacted me. I first met Martyn in the 90's when he played with Malcom Webb's Famous New Orleans Jazz Band, at the Brown Cow in Bingley. Martyn had a very distinctive style of playing, very much influenced by Kid Thomas and to some extent Bunk Johnson, the sound he created he spent time perfecting. In the 90's, some friends and myself, who were all involved with the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, had only recently been introduced to Traditional New Orleans Jazz, and our knowledge of tunes was somewhat limited, but Martyn and Malcolm used to humour us and play our limited requests on a frequent "ish" basis. They referred to us all as "The Railway Children". Often playing Tipi Tipi Tin with Martyn singing the words, and Muskrat Ramble, for us, to name a few. It was only later I took up the trumpet, you could say influenced by Martyn and Malcolm Webb's famous New Orleans Jazz Band. RIP Martyn. - Mark Croasdale 01/03/24 - Really sad to hear about Martyn Sharp. It was a delight to play alongside him. He and Kathleen were great company and I enjoyed our chats very much. Here's a video of Martyn and Barrie Marshall depping with The Silver Bell Band in 2007.....
This is from a tape recording of Martyn's Mighty Four which he sent me once Sent by Graham Martindale, this is a recording of Martyn's New Orleans Band at Trawden
Keith Moore trumpet, Mark
Croasdale trumpet, Alan Mathew's trombone, Phil Kampen
brass bass
Colin Bostock alto sax, Tony Denton tenor sax, Bill Evans
snare drum, Jeff Roberts marshal
A small, but perfectly formed, band gave him a traditional send off and we're much appreciated by everyone. - Jeff Roberts
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