Sir John Dankworth RIP, and all that jazz

Sir John Dankworth has died: band leader, jazz performer, composer and educationalist.

Although I have seen him perform live on many occasions with wife, Dame Cleo Laine, and various members of his family, the first time I ever saw Sir John was when he gave a talk at my secondary school.

I remember one story he told his audience that day not picked up by the obituaries I've read.

One tutor of his at the Royal Academy of Music was insistent that he would never make a great clarinet player if he picked up bad habits from playing jazz, little knowing that Sir John was spending his evenings in Soho jazz clubs indulging his passion for that music.

When Sir John was asked to play solo clarinet in some prestigious classical piece at the college for a concert, this same tutor was moved to say it was the best rendition of the work he had ever heard, never suspecting the influence jazz had made on his student.

I even think that Sir John may have won a prize for the performance.