History 1970 - 1980

DJA 1970 - 80

The growth of opportunities for musicians in Dundee continued throughout the 70’s, as did a variety of different venues offering live music. In 1970 The Queens Hotel held a weekly Jazz session which attracted Jazz musicians from Aberdeen and Perth as well as locally. The East Coast Jazzmen began a Sunday night Residency at the Invercarse Hotel. The Chalet became the Sands in the mid 70’s and Jimmy Deuchar and Jim Lyons began a 10 year residency with a weekly Sunday afternoon Jazz session.

The Tayside Jazz Action Group (TJAG) was an independent, grassroots organisation established in the mid-1970s to promote modern jazz and bring international musicians to the Tayside area. (While the original 1970s society is no longer active, the contemporary regional jazz scene remains). Led by Drummer Jim Lyons, the (TJAG) promoted Jazz gigs and brought many established American and British Jazz musicians to initially the Ambassador and the Sands eg, Johnny Griffin - Sax (USA), Ronnie Scott - Sax (London). The Sands started Saturday afternoon Jazz sessions around 1974, moving to a Sunday session around 1976. The Sands Band were Jimmy Deuchar - Trumpet/Flugelhorn, Gerry Culley - Piano, Jim Lyons - Drums, Andy Nicoll - Trombone and a pool of Bassists including, Ron Dunn, Ron Elder, John Hartley and Peter Farnan.

Across the pond, Miles Davis was fusing a ‘Rock’ influence on Jazz and in 1972, Steely Dan released their debut album ‘Can’t buy a Thrill’ and among the guest musicians was Victor Feldman on Percussion, who had been a friend and musical collaborator of Jimmy Deuchar’s. Many of Dundee’s Rock musicians were huge fans of the Jazz influenced music of Steely Dan and a new generation of Dundonian musicians were exploring the harmony, syncopation and improvisation of ‘Jazz Rock’ or ‘Fusion Jazz’.

Both Roger Ball and Molly Duncan joined with Alan Gorrie, Robbie McIntosh, Onnie McIntyre and Hamish Stuart to form the Average White Band (AWB 1974-80) infusing Jazz with Funk and topping the charts with ‘Pick Up The Pieces’. An Instrumental with a Saxophone melody and improvised solo’s, over a Funk groove. The AWB became one of the hottest Funk bands in the charts.

Mid 70’s Peter Vitesse - Keyboards and Bruce Raynor - Keyboards, formed Europe to play the ‘Fusion Jazz’ that was evolving. Peter would go on to play with ‘Go West’ and ‘Jethro Tull’ and Bruce would later build and maintain a Facebook site dedicated to Jimmy Deuchar. Around the same time, Rob Adams - Bass, was promoting and selling Jazz records from B.G. Forbes music shop in commercial st and firing the jazz appetites of the young musicians in town. Rab also played with Edinburgh based Jazz band ‘Head’ and on occasion with the Sands resident Jazz band, before going on to Music Journalism, mostly Jazz.

B.G. Forbes - The Jazz Records Shop. 

In 1976 Frank Rossiter - Trombone and Kevin Murray - Guitar, formed ‘Khan’ to play Trad and Mainstream Jazz, Alan Steadman was building his Jazz Record collection and listening to jazz on the Radio, Don Paterson was buying ‘recommended listening’ Jazz records from Rab Adams in B.G.Forbes and building chops on Guitar, Alison Burns was listening to Billy Holiday and the Andrews Sisters, Gordon MacNeil had moved from clarinet to Sax and listening to Charlie Parker and Ken Hyder was moving himself and his drums to London. Prior to this all had been ardent Jazz fans, buying jazz in B.G. Forbes and attending all and any Jazz gigs in the city and slightly compromised by age, as most gigs were held in Licensed premises!

In 1977 Platform , which was the Arts Councils funded Jazz Promotion organisation, held a meeting in the Royal Hotel, to gather support for Jazz in the City. The Tayside Jazz Action Group led by Jim Lyons attended along with a variety of younger Jazz musicians and enthusiastic supporters, including Rab Adams, Kevin Murray and Alan Steadman, to promote Jazz in the City and to supplement activities by bringing established Jazz bands to the city and help build the scene. The Tay Jazz Cubs 1st concert promoted by the group was “Morrissey Mullen’, a Jazz Funk band featuring Dick Morrissey - Tenor Sax and Jim Mullen - Guitar. More concerts followed and the enthusiastic collective that Platform had gathered helped promote and support concerts in town, in various venues eg: The Royal Hotel, The Tay Hotel, The Angus Hotel and the Bonar Hall. Visiting Artists included, Gary Boyle - Guitar, Hatfield and the North, The George Coleman Quartet and Alan Holdsworth.

In 1978 Jimmy Deuchar returned from a residency in Hong Kong to rejoin the Sands Sunday band, which had Jim Lyons - Drums, Gerry Culley - Piano, Andy Nicoll- Trombone, Phil Chapman - Bass and Kevin Murray - Guitar. Phil Chapman moved to London and Phil Robertson took over on Bass.

Also that year Jimmy Deuchar with Gerry Culley, composed, arranged and performed ’The Dundee Festival Suite’ in the Sands, with an ensemble called ‘Interaction’ who were: Gerry Culley - Piano, Peter Farnan - Bass, Frank Burnett - Alto   Sax, Frank Dunbar - Tenor Sax, Laurie Hamilton - Guitar, Jimmy Doig- Baritone Sax, Dave Fimister - Trumpet, Jim Lyons - Drums. A Recording was made on an early ‘Walkman’ and you can hear the performance on our Audio Page. While the recording is not great quality, there are some stunning solo’s throughout.

The regular Sands   would continue the Sunday Sands Jazz Sessions, with the band playing Jimmy’s original compositions and a variety of Bebop and Mainstream Jazz and were supplemented by visiting musicians eg: Frank Pantrini - Sax, Bobby and Mike Deans - Sax, Laurie Hamilton - Guitar and others from the growing Scottish Jazz scene. Jimmy Deuchar led a Jazz Workshop in Bell St Music Centre with support from The City Councils Education Dept, Platform and the Scottish Arts Council, which was attended by local musicians of all ages. The workshop focused on individual Improvisation and Group practice, led by a variety of jazz musicians on Drums, Piano, Bass, Brass, Reed and Guitar.

As the 70’s drew to a close, the Jazz scene was growing, as was the city’s Live music scene. Soft Heap played the last Tay Jazz Cub Platform Concert of the year in the Royal Hotel.