Sheila Collier
Portrait of a musician
Reproduced by kind permission of Sheila Collier and Just Jazz Magazine

PART Vl - 2010 - 2011
(Click here for Part l)

The Knickers And Socks Blues

When the Theatre by the Lake in Keswick was rebuilt with a Millennium grant in 2000, I approached the director, Patric Gilchrist, to see if there might be an opening for a music officer. But there was only one vacancy - that of Wardrobe Maintenance - or Wardrobe Mistress, as it used to be called in non-pc days.

I took the job - which lasted four happy years, looking after the resident cast of actors - six days a week during the six months season, plus another month for the Christmas show. Hard work, but good fun to be among other 'free spirits' who came to live in Keswick for the season. Every day, except Sundays, I would collect the used clothes and accessories, launder and iron them, and return them to the dressing rooms for the evening performance. (Twice on Wednesdays!) I also got to make a few costumes too, and to help dress the stage. Every now and then I would arrange a jazz evening in the studio theatre with my Lake District quartet and a guest or two. John Hallam came a couple of times. My boss, our stage manager, was called Mary McCormick, and once at a party for the crew and company I composed and sang The Knickers And Socks Blues.

'Six months in a wardrobe, sure is a long, long time, (x2)
With these knickers and socks always on the line.
'Oh Mary, Mary, what am I to do? (x2)
Please release me from these knickers and socks blues!
(Sung to the tune of Court-House Blues.)

When Keswick Jazz Festival came around each year it was fun to see my old jazz friends again and take a part in the festival, and I would put on my own Jazz Party in Blindcrake village hall next to the chapel house where I now lived. I had restored and sold the Mill Cottage - it made the cover of the magazine, 25 Beautiful Homes - and in 2003 I converted a little Methodist chapel into a lovely home.

In November, 2002, I visited New Orleans again and had the thrill of doing a voiceover on George Buck's Sunday morning radio show, and singing at the Palm Court Jazz Cafe.

There were sad losses too - John Johnson; my first husband, Vic; my mother, and my two dogs - first Bessie, and in 2007, Jessie. I wrote and illustrated a children's' book about them, 'Clever Bess and Naughty Jess'.

Then - two extraordinary things happened! The Merribel Gospel Choir - my friends from Hayfield Jazz Festival days - called me to say that they were re-forming to do a special concert in London to honour their founder, Sister Hendricks. Somehow they traced me and asked if I would be their special guest at this concert, which was to be held on May 12, 2007, and I accepted.

Fate stepped in again with a phone call in Autumn, 2006, from my old friend, trumpet player Derek Winters. Derek said he had been playing on the Danish island of Bornholm, in the Baltic Sea, with the Danish band New Orleans Delight, when the Swedish clarinet player Lasse Karlsson approached him, asking if he knew how to contact Sheila Collier! Derek passed on Lasse's phone number to me, and I rang him from the kitchen of my chapel house.

Twenty-three years had passed since Lasse and I had parted, and on May 6, 2007, Lasse came to visit me in the Lake District. We had the most wonderful week together, and after two days I fell in love with him all over again! It was the time of the Keswick Jazz Festival, and then on Saturday, May 12, we went down to London by train for my guest appearance with the Merribel Gospel Choir. It became our guest appearance, for they asked Lasse to play with me. A most wonderful evening. I sang From A Distance, and Precious Lord, Take My Hand. The 30-strong choir and musicians were magnificent, and the atmosphere incredible. One of the magic moments in my life - and all because of the music!

Lasse returned to Sweden the next day, but it wasn't to be long before we were together again.

I had sold my Chapel House in the Lake District and was going to stay in the area, but after meeting Lasse again I moved right to the other end of the country - to Deal, in Kent. My best girlfriend (Ann Bridgen) had gone from Keswick to live down there, and I wanted a fresh start. All I wanted was to be with Lasse again. A month later, in June, 2007, Lasse came to visit me in Deal, and in July, Ann and I drove my mini all the way to Sweden to visit him in his home town of Helsingborg.

Lasse got me singing again. With his inspiration and support, I have a new singing life - the third time around. He is a fine musician and has had a huge musical career in Scandinavia. His band, the Jazzin' Jacks, celebrate their 30th year together with the same front-line that came to
Hayfield Jazz Festival back in 1985. The band has played at Sacramento Jazz Festival fourteen times, and Lasse has played all over the world.

There is a very healthy and well-supported jazz scene in Scandinavia, especially in the summer months, with many festivals and outdoor concerts in cafes and town squares. In Helsingborg itself there are two regular jazz clubs: one on a boat moored in the harbour (M/S Hansa), and in the winter` months, one in the English/Swedish pub called the Charles Dickens. Both take place on Sunday afternoons and are very popular.

Traditional jazz, or Glad jazz, as it is called (pronounced Glawd jazz!) is of a very high standard, with many fine musicians. The Scandinavian musicians have a deep regard for jazz history, and especially for English bands that started in the 1960s: Alex Welsh, Chris Barber, Kenny Ball, and, of course, the Danish Papa Bue band. But, unlike the UK, this interest and general enjoyment of jazz has continued through the generations and is still popular with all age groups. For example, trombonist Hans Inglestam of the Jazzin' Jacks has a son, Bjorn Inglestam, who at the age of 19 is one of the finest young trumpet players I have ever heard. On graduating from High school, Bjorn is attending a full-time jazz music course at Lund University. He has his own band, and often plays with T.J. Johnson on festivals. Also, the young piano player in the Sheila Collier and Lasse Karlsson Jazz Band, Johannes Kronquist, travelled the same music college route. In other words, it is as viable and do-able for a young jazz musician to further his art as much as it is for a young classical musician.

In the last three years, through being with Lasse and through his encouragement, my singing has taken on a wonderful new lease of life. The support and encouragement when I sing in Sweden and Denmark is absolutely great, especially for the Gospel songs. When I have sung, people come up and thank me for my song. I feel very privileged and happy that this should have happened to me at my time of life.

Now I live most of the time in Helsingborg, Sweden, and I plan to move over there permanently in 2011. My life is with Lasse now. We are like two peas in a pod (as far as the music is concerned, anyway!), and it's the crux of our lives together.

I'm very proud of our first CD, recorded in March, 2010. It is called 'Sheila and Lasse - live at Boris, and was recorded by Swedish radio at Boris Jazz Club, which is near Gothenberg. The band is: Sheila Collier (vocals), Lasse Karlsson (reeds, harp), Freddy John (trombone), Johannes Kronquist (piano), Bjorn Ekman (banjo), Antlers Rudnert (bass), and Frank Andersson (drums) - some great songs, and a swinging band!

It has been great meeting and working with Freddy John again. He is, I think, the finest trombonist in the New Orleans tradition. Bjorn Ekman played with a band called Scaniazz in the 1970s, and the bassist, Antlers Rudnert, plays with the Malmo Symphony Orchestra as well as with the Jazzin' Jacks.

Lasse Karlsson plays with four bands as well in as our band! It's amazing how much more work there is for jazz musicians over there. He plays with the Jazzin' Jacks, the Great Dixie Review, the Danish Band, the Spirit of New Orleans, and a quartet - Dixie 4 You.

Last October, 2009, the Big Chris Barber Band visited Helsingborg Concert Hall, and I was invited to sing with them. It was lovely to step out on the concert hall stage and be cheered by my new Swedish friends. I sang Precious Lord, and See See Rider Blues. Lovely John Slaughter played his special magic on blues guitar - so sad that he is no longer with us.

February 18, 2010, was my 70th birthday. Deciding to celebrate it rather than ignore it, I did it in style, with two jazz parties, one at the Clarendon Jazz Club in Deal, and the other on the 21 February at the Charles Dickens Jazz Club in Helsingborg. Both parties were absolutely wonderful.

In Deal, T.J. Johnson played piano, and with Trefor Williams on bass and Jimmy Tagforth (drums), we had a great rhythm section, plus Dave Corsby and Lasse Karlsson on reeds - also Hans Inglesham came especially from Sweden to play trombone. My family came, my daughter Victoria sang with me, and my granddaughter Jasmine (aged 6, whose birthday is the same day as mine) wouldn't get off the stage! (Shades of her Grandma!)

In Helsingborg, the club was packed, and our band was terrific - Freddy John and lots of guest musicians. I was completely overwhelmed when I was crowned the Queen of Jazz, with a beautiful crown of fresh flowers. An address was formally read out to me and then presented to me with lots of hurrahs.

What a great way to finish writing about my memoirs as a musician!

So, dear readers, I hope you have enjoyed my 'portrait of a musician; and that it has brought back some good memories for you, too. Thank you to Just Jazz magazine for making me write and remember this. If you would like to get in touch with me, I have an email address: sheilacollier * hotmail.co.uk (replace " * " with "@") I have already heard from Smoky City banjo player Tony West in Australia. He reminded me that the very first trombone player in the Smoky City Six was Micky Cooke, who later played in the Terry Lightfoot band.

It was all so long ago.. .